Black Prez entertains a crowd at a concert in Europe. (Photo courtesy of Black Prez)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Rapper Black Prez has had an incredible 2012.
From going on a European tour that included stops in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic to performing free style raps with a global superstar, Black Prez corresponded exclusively with me to talk his best parts of 2012 and what fans can expect from him during the upcoming year.
Jacob Elyachar: How has your artistry changed since the beginning of the year?
Black Prez: I have definitely grown as an artist. I have tried out new styles, new flows, and worked with lots of different people. I believe that I am still the same artist, just a more mature one. It is actually cool to look back on the years and see how things have grown.
JE: One of the highlights of your year was your European tour. How did that come about?
BP: My good friend, Tyler Ward, was doing a European tour and I had the pleasure of joining him. It was really cool and nice of him for letting me join and I was blessed to be a part of it.
JE: What were some of your most memorable highlights from that tour?
BP: My most memorable highlights from the tour was being able to go out in front of thousands of people, start rapping, take the microphone away from my mouth and just hearing the crowd still rapping my lyrics. It was a crazy knowing that people half way around the world are true fans and actually keep up with what I do every day. It was a humbling experience. Also, everybody that went on tour with us was AMAZING! I would not have traded it for anything.
JE: If some people looked at your Facebook status earlier this year, you engaged in a rap battle with will.i.am in Los Angeles. Could you please share that story with my readers?
BP: (Laughs) Well, I did not “battle” him, we just freestyled together. I was in Los Angeles with Tyler Ward and Eppic and we were about to meet up with Lindsey Stirling at a party at some club in Hollywood. While we were walking down the street trying to find the club, we started venturing down an alley. The club was at the end of the alley so we just continued to walk toward it. About halfway through the alley, I saw three guys standing in a corner freestyling. If you know me, I LOVE to freestyle. So naturally, I ran up to them and just joined in. As I was rapping, Eppic kept taping me on the shoulder and was pointing at one of the guys. I did not understand what he was trying to say but once I got done he was like “YO! That’s will.i.am.” I did not even believe him even though I was standing right there. The more I looked at him was when I actually noticed it was will.i.am. We continued to freestyle and then we all went into the party.
JE: What are some of the lessons that you learned in 2012 that will help your career out next year?
BP: I just learned a lot about business, marketing and touring. It will definitely help me out in the future as I move forward as an artist. We all know that it is 20-percent talent and 80-percent business.
JE: What can fans expect from you in 2013?
BP: The same ol’ Black Prez! I will be dropping an EP and some mixtapes and lots more videos next year, so be ready!
To learn more about Black Prez, you can visit his website: http://blackprezmusic.com/
