KLO: You’re originally from St. Louis, Missouri. How have your origins influenced your music? Are there any St. Louis artists, in particular, that inspired you to pick up the mic?
Prince EA: I have always been a fan of Nelly. "Country Grammar" is one of the best Albums I have ever heard. My music is mostly inspired by East Coast (rap) though or that's the box I'm usually placed in, because it's so different from musicians in St. Louis. But I could never abandon the influence of my hometown.
KLO: Trying to become a rap star at this day in age is very difficult because of the state of the music industry, economy, and Internet. What were some of the struggles you experienced early on in your career?
Prince EA: As far as struggles, there were many. Getting the money to record, especially in a recession. Also, many people close to me doubted me, laughed at me, to the point of really depressing me. I didn't stop though... and I'm still doing it big. Needless to say they're supporting me 100 percent now.
KLO: What are your thoughts on the industry right now? What would you recommend to aspiring artists shopping for a deal? Has the feature in VIBE magazine help bolster your appeal?
Prince EA: The industry is in a bad place right now. Its going through a real transitional stage. I would advise an artist to do their thing independently and not rely on a label. Be self sufficient, labels are dying out as it is. Stay true to yourself and deals will come to you. Being in a nationally recognized magazine (VIBE) that BIG, Tupac and Jay Z have been featured in definitely looks good on a resume.
KLO: The content in your music is very diverse. You touch on things such as history, the Illuminati, women as well as a plethora of other topics. How would you define your content?
Prince EA: My content is me. I stay true to myself. I love science, religion, politics, and learning in general. But I'm a young dude too... so I like women haha. I also have a sense of humor which some of my more hard-nosed fans can't understand. They want me to be angry and talk about conspiracy all the time but I try to explain to them that If you want one-dimensionality... that's not me.
KLO: You are heavy on the Internet, your Youtube channel has a lot of hits, and you collaborate with a lot of popular artists in the online community. What are your thoughts on the Internet’s influence on the game now?
Prince EA: The internet is huge, without the internet I wouldn't be where I am... I can safely say that. The internet has revolutionized the game in ways that are unprecedented. No one could have expected it to change the music industry in the ways it did. Giving out free music in today's climate is a necessity.
KLO: What young artists in the game are you feeling right now? The “Forever Remix” was huge. Any future collaborations of that magnitude we should look out for?
Prince EA: As far as young artists... I'm feeling J Cole, Drake, Wale... a lot of the newer freshman rappers. They seem to have some substance and some lyrical content with them, which is essentially opening the door for me. As far as collaborations, just be on the look out... anything that I do is big. Hopefully me, Presto, Sick Since and Canibus can get an album together this summer and reach the masses with it. "Paranoid Chillin'" is the current title. I think that the project really has the potential to be huge. All of the artists are very talented emcees, and very acute intellects. It has really been a pleasure to work with them.
KLO: Let’s talk about the "BET Cypher" for a minute. Rumor has it that the spot Crown Royyal occupied originally belonged to you, but because some of your content was controversial to other rappers, you were not selected. What exactly went down?
Prince EA: As far as the BET Cypher, that was just a set back that I had to get over. Sometimes failures are blessings in disguise. Crown Royyal is a talented rapper and I don't want to take anything away from him or trivialize his grind. He did his thing. I just think I couldv'e offered something a little more... entertaining.
KLO: Have you begun recording your debut album? Have you decided who will produce, collaborate or mix the album? When should we expect to see the first official Prince EA release on the shelves?
Prince EA: As far as my album, I'm not sure. I working on a mixtape right now and that's my top priority. Ive got a lot of talented producers on it. My boy, Tech Supreme, D Scorchd, who are two talented producers from St. Louis., Zambo, Red Skull, Young K and a few other sick producers will most likely be on my album as well.
KLO: Any last words you'd like to say to the people & What is The "Make SMART Cool" Movement?
Prince EA: Make SMART Cool is a movement that I, Yousef Talib and Ericka Henderson birthed and raised. SMART is an acronym for Sophisticating Millions/Minds and Revolutionizing Thought. We're bring intelligence back to hip hop, but the movement can be applicable to a persons life by just making smart decisions, and being involved in a unified group of like minded people bouncing creative thoughts off each other and spreading knowledge. The movement has really spread nation wide. We've been featured in various newspapers and soon TV. We also have merchandise that you can purchase from the site if you would like to support at www.makesmartcool.com.
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