.jpg "Hip Hop On Deck Exclusive Interview With Bay Area Rapper Priscilla G")
Hip Hop On Deck Exclusive Interview With Bay Area Rapper Priscilla G
Check Out The Crazy Mix Tape Right Here Right Now
1. Priscilla G, how long have you been rapping and what made you start dropping bars?
I'd say I dropped my first bar about 12 years ago. My friends and I started a rock band. I was the lead singer and I wrote most of our songs. It wasn't exactly a rap per say, but similar. I guess it was more of a scream haha. A couple years past and I stayed on the path of music experimenting with different genres. Eventually l ended up participating in a couple free styles at parties, doing features for local artists, and now it's second nature. I always knew I wanted to write songs and sing, but now rapping is a part of who I am.
2. Priscilla G, what are the pro's and con's of being a female rapper out in the Bay Area?
Well, to really answer that question I'd have to say first it's never easy anywhere. You gotta grind hard to even make a peep in this very big industry we call the music business. With that being said, I would say that the bay area has always had a lot of talent. Female artists as well as male, but for some reason, the bay area has some kind of bad reputation. I don't know why to be honest. Maybe some artists made mistakes in the past, not sure. Very tight knit groups though in the bay, I have a lot of respect for the independent grind and staying loyal to the soil.
3. Priscilla G, you wrote you first song at the age of 8. Looking back on that very first song. Where do you feel you have improved at, the most over all?
Haha, since I was 8? Well, life happened you know? I think I definitely have improved for sure. I think I've always had a very dreamy perspective on life, even then. I've always had passion, never been hesitant to dream bigger or think outside the box. Experience no doubt has improved my writing over all. Just living life, making mistakes, falling in love, getting through heart breaks, overcoming obstacles. All of that reflects on who I am now and it is all alive through my music.
4. Priscilla G, you just dropped a video for "Rotate." What is the concept behind the video and what is the concept behind the song?
Yes! I love that song. It's a fun song, we had a blast filming it too. Basically I went with an idea I had when I first heard the beat which was rotate. It was only right that it be a dance song the beat is movin. J wells the producer did an amazing job. We wanted a video of us just having fun, having a good time. A lil rotating, a dash of sexy, and a great director. Jae Synth got it done.
5. Priscilla G, how did the song Rotate come about and what made you want to put Smoovie Baby and Decadez on the record?
Initially when I first heard the beat, Raytona (aka Rhythm X) and J wells showed me the beat thinking it would be a great fit for me. At the time they were waiting to hear back from a few people they had already sent it to. I immediately loved the beat and had to have it! We ended up making a deal and I got it a few days later. Once I recorded my verse and the hook I knew right away the sound I was lookin for. Smoovie Baby was the man for the job. Decadez and I however were already working on some projects at the time and I'm such a big fan of everything he does so he jumped on it for me as well. Very happy with the finished product.
6. Priscilla G, if you were to do a remix to "Rotate" what three female rappers would you put on the remix and why?
Oooh good question!! I think if I could get Kehlani to sing a verse, and Lil Debbie kill a verse that would be swangin! I'm such a big fan of Kehlani and what she has accomplished at such a young age. Lil Debbie too, being from the bay area and growing up in Oakland like Kehlani it definitely wasn't easy for them to get where they are today. Were all mixed too so that's dope. We have different styles but we come from the same place so it would be super cool to see how that would come out.
7. Priscilla G, the title of your new Mix Tape is "She Is Priscilla G." What does the title mean to you and how does it make you feel emotionally?
It means everything really. In 2012 I started going by Priscilla G instead of Mary Jane (Mari Jayne) when I partnered up with a label. I felt like I was completely changing who I was by doing so. So the last couple years I've been trying to really identify who I am through my music, and who I want to be as a person. At the end of the day my name is Priscilla and my last name starts with a G so it's far to say that's always been me. I just wanted to re-introduce myself to my fans who have always known me as Mary Jane. All the music on their except one song was all during the last couple years so, it felt right. That's who I am.
8. Priscilla G, what is the concept behind "She Is Priscilla G" and how long did it take you to record this entire project?
The project was meant to promote my singles I've released the last couple years at first, no orginal songs or remixes. I ended up changing my mind a month or two before the release. I decided I wanted to give my fans something new and do some remixes to songs they already knew and loved. So I threw on a couple songs I been wanting to put out and had some fun doing a few remixes. It worked out perfect. Chuy Gomez agreed to host it for me and boom, my first project as Priscilla G.
9. Priscilla G, what was the hardest thing in life that you had to overcome. And how did you overcome it?
Oh man, that's a tough one. I'd say it would have to be my weight loss program back in 2012. It started out being just wanting to get in shape for a photo shoot, to losing 30 pounds and changing my lifestyle completely. I didn't know what I was getting myself into at the time but I knew whatever I was facing would not stand in the way of my goals. I knew I wasn't "fat" but I was overweight for my size so I had to at least try. So for 6 months I shed blood, sweat, and tears and was in the best shape of my life for my photo shoot in January 2013. I attended Crossfit twice a day and was on the paleo diet. Hardest thing I've ever done but the best thing I could have done not only for my career but for my life.
10. Priscilla G, where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years I see myself doing what I'm doing right now. Making music and grindin hard. I see myself traveling all over the world. Performing for my fans and hopefully getting to meet them all. Working with people I've always wanted to work with and learning from them. All in all I see myself living out my dreams just as I was meant to and inspiring people to do the same.