El Prez

If ya didn’t know, now you know that PrezSport is one of the nicest duos out of California. The chillin’, maxin’, relaxin’, and coolin’ beat from Jansport J gets the El Prez treatment of sharing knowledge and showing off. You may think it’s all good that they’re showing you the ropes to the game, but remember that there “ain’t no love in Hip-Hop.” Take notes when you hit play and they hit up a few spots on the West Coast with Biggie in the backseat on the hook.

To add to the theme of the track, we asked El Prez and Jansport J to share some things you may not know about them or the project. You can check what they had to say below. You can also download the U$A tape and watch their other videos HERE.

Jansport J:

-album production was heavily influenced by film and music. Watched/listened to Madvillainy, Only Built for Cuban Linx, Juice, South Central, and New Jack City before production sessions for the album.

-interned at Interscope in college at a pretty unique time with rapper Azad Right, assisting lower level staff at the time who eventually became industry staples: Jason Sangerman (marketing), Christian Clancey (OF management), Archie Davis (Head A&R/OPM management). Learned how to move independently from a major label internship.

-would trade all musical talent for the ability to draw/paint. But I can’t. So beats it is.

El Prez:

IFYA didn’t know… The song “Same King” is a dedication to my brother and other young people that are lost in these streets. I also purposely mention my grandmother in the song because at the time I wrote and recorded it, I didn’t know how long she would be around. She passed shortly after the album dropped.

IFYA didn’t know…. The original title for Urban $treet Americana was Niggaz in America, but we couldn’t use it for obvious reasons. But we DID end up using that title on the first track, just to let the world know where were coming from.

IFYA didn’t know… Jansport J and Myself made sure we were together for the whole recording process, and that we recorded it in a big studio, which was The Mint Room studios, home to Crooked I, Fashawn, myself, and others. We also made sure that it was homies, other artists/producers, and a crowd basically, everytime we recorded so we could capture the proper energy needed to make a record like U$A.

IFYA Didn’t Know… I’m more than just a rapper, I’m also the manager, PR, video director, booking agent, label owner, and more in charge of anything El Prez-related, including PrezSport. Born more out of necessity, I choose to wear these hats until the right situation presents itself. But the on-the-job experience is priceless in this age of independence in the music industry.

Bryan Hahn (@notupstate) - The Source Magazine

This week on Kinda Neat we sat down with El Prez. Prez is someone in the LA scene I’ve known for many years now, but this was our first time chopping it up for an extended time. It’s always dope to sit down with someone who’s been working on the craft as long as you, and realizing your come up stories share a lot of similarities. Prez recently teamed up with Jansport J to put out their collaborative effort PrezSport, that has been getting a lot of positive press. We talk about recently reuniting with his estranged father, going to school damn near everywhere in LA, and learning to steal Super Nintendos.

This episode is available on iTunes or Stitcher. Show your support by subscribing, giving a 5 star rating, and leaving a comment. We love you, so show some love back.

–Lee - KindaNeat.net

I had no expectations prior to the first listen of the album. I was familiar with Jansport J’s work as a producer, but El Prez was new to me. Sport has a knack for lacing his beats with some very interesting and familiar samples. While the beats are new to the listener, the samples make the music feel familiar. It’s like walking into a stranger’s house, but immediately feeling like you are at home.

El Prez seems to be built to rap over the very laid back beats. His cadence on every song is perfectly woven into the tapestry of percussion that Sport crafted. The songs aren’t over violent, aggressive, or lyrically over the top. They provide clear and concise pictures of the subject matter, all while being very easy to listen to. I found myself replaying many of the songs not only for Prez’s wordplay, but trying to pinpoint all the samples, which are perfectly blended into the songs. All to often we come across a beat with a sample that is forced into the song. Sport’s method seems to be crafting the sound with the sample as the foundation. This method gives listeners of all ages a rare opportunity to appreciate the sampling process.

The album isn’t without its flaws. There were a couple of songs that I felt were not necessary to the cohesion of the album. “Rules of Engagement” is a dope song, but there are some misses on the rhyming, specifically the end of the second verse. The Quagmire lines in the third verse were eyebrow raising. Saying “giggity, giggity, giggity” was pretty awful. Not only that, the chorus makes the song seem like an attempt to grab the attention of the female audience. “Task Force” was another song that I felt took me out of the vibe of the album. I wouldn’t say that it’s altogether bad, I just felt that the song itself felt out of place on such a laid back, soulful project.

This album falls in the category of being easily accessible to everyone. The music can be appreciated by an older crowd because of the soulful beats that are so easy to vibe to. This music is the type you vibe to at a summer barbeque with family. It’s a happy medium of soul and hip hop that we seem to be missing these days.

Head scratchers: GIGGITY, GIGGITY, GIGGITY…“Task Force” feels like it should be on a different album, it’s a good song, but kills the vibe of the album for a few minutes.

Final Score: 8/10. The album is a gem. There are a few lines and one song I could do without, but the album is a great piece of music. Anyone who is aspiring to make soul beats should take tutelage from Jansport J.

Thanks for reading,
Peace.
Follow me on Twitter: @AlmightRAH - Deadendhiphop.com

After letting us debut the first single "Same King" and following it up with the equally dope "Home Sweet Home," PrezSport come through with their official full-length.

On Urban $treet Americana, the Left Coast duo of emcee El Prez and producer Jansport J enlist Kooley High, Raven Sorvina, Glasses Malone, MED and Chris Focus to assist them on the 11-track project. Stream/download below. - 2Dopeboyz.com

Individually, El Prez and Jansport J have bubbling over for some time now. And when the two West Coasters joined forces as PREZSPORT the combined whole was greater than the sum of the separate pieces.

Urban $treet Americana is one of the most unique projects to be released this year and the fluid chemistry between these two is immediately apparent. Jansport J’s production is funky, and smooth. And El Prez shines over them. He sounds comfortable, and confident, especially on songs like “IFYA” and “Hard Boiled.” Features include more LA residents, Glasses Malone, Raven Sorvino and among others.

U$A will wind up being one the more eclectic albums you’ll hear these days, so stream or download below. - The Smoking Section

Chuck Dizzle gets Live And Direct with Inglewood's own El Prez.

With his city as the backdrop, El Prez touches on the significance of Inglewood as it relates to his music, plus how certain experiences have shaped who he is as an artist and businessman to this day. The Prez also speaks on his collaborative effort with producer Jansport J (known as PrezSport), the concept behind their masterpiece Urban $treet Americana and what fans can expect from him solo wise - on this episode of Live And Direct with Chuck Dizzle. - Hiphopdx.com

Although previous collaborative efforts have sparked before, Left Coast natives El Prez and Jansport J have officially united as PrezSport. Nearly a week ago, we delivered a blockbuster double-header in “Home Sweet Home” and “Same King” off PrezSport’s full-length LP, Urban $treet Americana. The Cali vibes are certainly strong on the project, but we also see a sense of urgency from Prez and Sport as they come together with goals to succeed in a sort of How To Make It In America manner (Cam & Ben, anyone?). Glasses Malone, MED, Raven Sorvina, Chris Focus and Kooley High serve as the featured guests for PrezSport’s 11-track offering. We have more than enough reasons to believe that this project is going to slip into some people’s Top 10’s by the time we reflect back on 2013 at the end of December. The stream and download for Urban $treet Americana can be found down below. - AshleyOutrageous.com

Through utilizing the perfect blend of lyricism and California flow, El Prez has been tearing up speakers from sea to shining sea for some time now. But most recently he’s found himself as one of the voices of reason in DEMOS a brand new Hip Hop documentary out now!

If you aren’t familiar with El Prez, it’s time to get familiar with him! He’s not only an extremely talented emcee, he’s also kicking knowledge back to the culture and educating other emerging artists! AllHipHop.com caught up with El Prez and sat down to discuss his career and what this music means in the grand scheme of things! Please check out the AllHipHop.com interview with El Prez!

AllHipHop.com: Thanks so much for taking a few moments out for us sir, let’s just get right to it! For those who aren’t familiar with your work, can you please share with us how you got started.

I got started rapping in a group in college, then I ventured out on my own back in 2007 and started popping up on all the popular blogs/sites, doing shows, and working with all of the dope artists in LA.

AllHipHop.com: Ok cool. Now how did you come to be in the DEMOS documentary that’s out now?

I’m in the DEMOS documentary thanks to the Director/Producer of the film, Kareem Fort. He’s followed my career and interviewed me on several occasions before, so he’s witnessed my grind and how hard I go with my music throughout the country. He’s also seen the help I’ve provided other artists by connecting people so when it came time for the DEMOS documentary I was one of the first people he contacted.


AllHipHop.com: Can you please speak on your biggest musical influences thus far and how or what their influence contributes to your music?

My biggest influence has been the City of Angels, because its the environment that I’m engulfed in and it’s represented in every aspect of my music. It’s a part of my conscience so you hear it every time I step in the booth. Other than that some of my rap idols are cats like Nas, Kurupt, Hova, the usual suspects.

AllHipHop.com: Of course! (laughter) Alright so what do you hope that your music reflects to the listener?

I hope my music reflects the lifestyle that we live in the city. It’s a laid back place but just as hectic as NYC, so you have to grind and hustle hard to survive in LA, yet we enjoy the best weather on earth year-round so that lighter slice of life is represented well on my projects. I have a laid back persona and you can hear that the second you press play.

AllHipHop.com: E.P. what is one thing the fans don’t know about you that you wish they did?

I wish that fans could truly see all the hard work and dedication that goes into making records and appreciate this music a little more. Maybe if they saw all the behind-the-scenes work involved they wouldn’t be so quick to treat the music like its disposable. Fans need to sit with these records longer and appreciate great music.

AllHipHop.com: So can you give us just three words that best describe your view of your music?

Urban. Street. Americana.

AllHipHop.com: Nice! What’s in the pipeline for you at the moment? Who are you working with and what can we expect?

At the moment I’m working on two projects, a collab EP with a west coast producer named Jansport J, that’s in the same vein of a ‘MadVillain’ and ‘Below the Heavens’. Which is basically a rapper and producer combining forces for a whole project of hard rhymes and crazy sampled beats. I also have a untitled tape dropping this summer so I’m definitely working!

AllHipHop.com: Please tell the people how they can keep up with you!

You can follow the LEADERSH!T by copping the album at all digital music outlets, and you can keep up with my crazy life at IAMELPREZ.COM or on twitter at @elprezdeLA. Salute to my WGGP compadre Sean Falyon, Kareem Fort and DEMOS, and Inglewood CA.

Thanks again to EL Prez for the chop up session. We look forward to hearing the forthcoming music and be sure to check him out in the DEMOS Documentary! - AllHipHop.com

South L.A.-raised rapper El Prez is all about the city. He named one of his albums Animal Style! after the In-N-Out add-on. On the cover of his 2008 album Prezanomics, he poses in front of the Forum. And on his Tumblr, he forms the initials "L.A." with his fingers. Believing that town's true colors get eclipsed by its Hollywood image, he spoke to us about the riots and their influence on his music. - LA Weekly

Urban $treet Americana drops as the collaborative project from Prezsport, the duo comprised of California-bred rapper El Prez and producer Jansport J. Residing from the coast with palm trees and big beats, Prezsport packs its newest LP with 11 booming tracks, adding multi-dimensional sound for your stereo, a type of school book text for young street scholars still scheming for the next dollar.
The first track on the LP, titled “Niggas in America” opens up with Prezsport presenting the prevalent urban plight to get paid, letting naysayers know “See you at the top, ain’t no stopping us.” Striking hard like its lyrical swords is the track’s production, provided by Covina native Jansport J. Within a few seconds of its airplay, the car windows are going down (just to let the bullshit blow in the breeze). Adding a sense of urgency to reality, the late Tupac is sampled to close out the track, wherein he discusses the metaphorical act of knocking on doors to get fed alluding to the fact that after a while you stop knocking- out of sheer hunger, it’s to time to pick the locks and get yours.

Track number two “IFYA” gracefully keeps the momentum moving with a mellow groove; Jansport J is nice with the drum beats/ soul samples. El Prez implores listeners to get familiar, stating “If ya didn’t know, now you know.” Pressing us to keep our circle tight, he warns “If ya roll the dice, make sure it’s precise.” It’s not a game. This ain’t the NBA.

Track number three, titled “Same King” represents that essential head-nod inducing knock that every LP should have. With its distinguished demeanor depicting everyday struggles and “working from the bottom every day trying to live our dreams” you can tell Prezsport comes from a lineage that respects hard-work and honor. If wealth is of the heart and mind, and not the pocket that is, the chorus reckons that “(we) try to mold him, tell him he can be the same thing (same king)”

Track numero cuatro, “DropTops” is the LP banger. A musical nod to classic California lifestyle, it features a sample of Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” and The Pharcyde’s “Drop”. I need to be quiet, and you need to just turn it up, already. (!)

No, really. Press play.

Another track, “Hard Boiled” features Glasses Malone and offers no soft interior, sampling “Top Billin” and demanding to “stop schemin’ and lookin’ hard.” El Prez reflects on past times, stresses, and choices we make when at odds, summing up our collective perspective as “(looking at it) like it’s a blessing, destiny manifesting” Acknowledging Prezsport is “blessed with this profession, spreading the gospel”, and akin to “red and blue apostles”, Urban $treet Americana proves it’s out to spread truth for the young streets of U$A.

-Leslie Dizon (Aka Big L) - ill Society Magazine

Representing the new breed of West Coast MC’s comes El Prez from the city of Inglewood, who was first introduced to many on the underground scene with his song “Uaintuponthis” featuring U-N-I back in 2008. El Prez is a continuation of the growing diversity of Hip-Hop from traditional hard-core gangster rap areas which have been at the forefront of the West Coast scene since the late 80’s. Trading in bullets for punchlines, rhymes and good times, El Prez is out to show the rest of the world that the West Coast is recreating its image and style through a creative process. AllHipHop.com’s Breeding Ground would like to further introduce this talented hardworking young artist and let you decide if he’s worthy of your fanship or not. AllHipHop.com: Please start off by giving us some background information on yourself. El Prez: I’m an artist from Inglewood, CA. I’ve been out since 2008 when I dropped my first video called “Uaintuponthis” with U-N-I. That video got some internet exposure through the blogs and I’ve released a couple of projects since then. My first project was called Prezanomics: Supply And Demand which was released in 2008 and my second called Animal Style was released earlier this year in February. I’ve been on the frontlines in L.A. for awhile and I’ve worked just about every club out there too. Video: El Prez Feat. U-N-I and Dale Danja: Uaintuponthis AllHipHop.com: For somebody who is from Inglewood, CA you have a pretty unique sound and style. How did you develop it?El Prez: I remember a time when people thought that West Coast rappers couldn‘t rhyme. My mission has been to prove people wrong when it comes to what they think a West Coast MC is made of. I listen to everything from Nas to Ice Cube. Actually anything out there that’s lyrical, I’m on top of it. The one’s that stand out to me are the artists that can be versatile and stand out on just about every track they are on. Some artists find one good avenue and they are running with it. Me? I’m trying to be the type that rolls all throughout the city. AllHipHop.com: Did that hurt you around L.A. at all? The fact that you sound a bit different than most artists from there?El Prez: Yeah. I went through a few years of boot camp here, just trying to find something that would work for the people. While I was listening to all kinds of Hip-Hop, my homies from Inglewood and South Central were listening to street and hood sh*t. I had to get around that barrier because I want them to listen to my music along with everybody else. I’ve made some strides in to that market. I had to ask myself, “How can I still be me without selling out?” To where I can make my kind of music and still have the homies want to bump it in the ride. For the longest time I had everybody but my homies listening to my music because it wasn’t the music that they were trying to bump. I had to put my lyrics on to something that bumps and once I figured that out it was all good. There was a lot of trail and error to it. I’ve been putting out CD’s since College. At first I just wanted to so Soul-sampled stuff and that was my whole lane and I didn’t care what nobody else thought. I was just leaning on my punchlines. It took a lot of songs to figure out what people were feeling and what they weren’t. It took a challenge of getting out of the comfortable cirlce that I was in. I love it that there are more MC’s these days from South Central that are diverse. There is a diversity coming back to the Los Angeles and California scene. Video: El Prez Feat. Shawn Chrystopher: Inglewood AllHipHop.com: I do see a diversity of MC’s coming back. Why has it taken so long?El Prez: The industry had a lot to do with it. There was a time where if you didn’t have a certain sound from the West Coast, they wouldn’t deal with you. The West Coast had to die off so that it could resurrect like a Phoenix. AllHipHop.com: The audience has gone through a transformation too. El Prez: True. One thing I’ve noticed that is different from back in the day is that there are more black kids listening to different kinds of genre’s. I don’t know if it’s because of the Internet but these kids listen to everything and their horizons are broadened – instead of just listening to Gangsta Rap. I mean that was all they wanted to listen to back in the day. The audience now wants to hear a bit of everything. When you do a Los Angeles show, you are going to see people of all colors and backgrounds. It took a while for the audience to get there. Los Angeles is a hard city to make it in. It’s gotten easier but it could still even be more easier. AllHipHop.com: You have an association with the group U-N-I. How has that helped you out?El Prez: Tremendously! I released that video “You Ain’t Up On This” while they just started poppin’. Plus their Fried Chicken & Watermelon project was just released too. I was able to grab the attention of a lot of their fans. I was able to make in-roads by just kickin’ it with those cats – and we are all from Inglewood so that helps. All of the run down or underground spots that new cats from Los Angeles go to perform – we’ve performed at all of those together over the years. I know the struggle that U-N-I went through so it was only natural when we started working together. It’s helped me a lot but I’ve also had to spread my own wings too. AllHipHop.com: You released Animal Style earlier this year. What’s next on the horizon for you?El Prez: I’m still pushing Animal Style. I’ve got a single from it called “I’m Gone (Beating My Chest Like King Kong).” DJ Felli Fel from Power 106 FM is supposed to premiere it for their “New at 2” segment. In the meantime I am working on a EP with a couple of cats like producers THX & Polyester. It’s called Never Say Die and its scheduled to drop at the beginning of the new year. I also have a group called The Treehouse Club with my partners Dnez and Chris Focus and our project is called Golden Days, Purple Nights. You can keep up with me at twitter.com/elprezdeLA. - AllHipHop.com

As part of DJBoothTV's "Outside the Booth: L.A. Edition" we sit down with L.A. native El Prez to discuss his upcoming "Leadershit" album, collaboration, the west coast's new movement and more. - DJBooth

Hip-hop was alive and kicking in the East Atlanta Village this weekend for the 5th annual A3C Festival. Over 200 artists, producers and DJs brought fans to venues in the ATL and there was truly something for every kind of rap music listener out there.

From the iStandard Producer Battle—judged by Don Cannon, Tha Bizness, Illmind and J.U.S.T.I.C.E League—to Friday’s (October 2) 45 showdown with Jake One and Vitamin D, to the incomparable Big Tune: All Star Edition with Battlecat, DJ Premier, Diamond D, 9th Wonder, Marco Polo and Oddisee, producers showed up in full force to this year’s A3C.

Some of the biggest buzz of the weekend swirled around the Perfect Attendance events held at the Five Spot. Young Atlanta came out in droves to see up-and-coming East Coast artists Donny Goines, Skyzoo, Outasight, and Tanya Morgan on Thursday and Midwest acts Mikkey Halsted, Stalley and Kidz in the Hall came through on Friday. West Coast rappers El Prez, Diz Gibran and U.N.I. hit the stage on Saturday, while J. Cole, Joe Scudda, Big Pooh, Yelawolf, Pill and Curren$y showed southern hospitality all weekend long.

Other big names at the fest included Rakim, who was at an event called The Relapse with Killer Mike on Saturday and Urb magazine had a showcase involving XXL Alumnus B.o.B.

All in all, the events went off without a hitch and the consensus throughout the weekend among the parties involved was that it felt like hip-hop summer camp.-Janeé Bolden
- XXL Magazine

El Prez and Dale Danja get together for one of the better mixtape offerings in 2009. "Perfect Strangers" is the perfect title as these two put on an excellent display of production and lyricism. Want to hear a nasty flip of a classic? See "Hammerman" and its clever twist of MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This."

http://www.bet.com/Music/photos/msc_fb_mixtapesyoumustownpt2.htm?i=4 - BET.com

Is El-Prezidente the savior of West-coast hip hop? Maybe not, but the self-proclaimed “Barack Obama of the rap game” has built his platform on change you can bump. In a Snoop and “Hyphy” dominated Cali, South Central presents an M.C. who, along with cats like U-N-I, Pacific Division, and Self Scientific, stands at the forefront of a resurgent hip-hop scene bubbling in the City of Angels. In his third solo album, El Prezidente: Supply the Demand, Prez proves he has the swagger to challenge the current administration with a sound and an ill flow that’s both fresh and distantly familiar. He explains it as “hip-hop from 88’ to 93’ being found by people from the year 3000,” and in tracks like “Uaintuponthis” proves the perfection of such a late 80s/early 90s, back-to-the-future campaign strategy - URB Magazine/ URB.com

Choosing to become a rapper in a city with Hip Hop roots like Los Angeles won't exactly qualify you for the “Most likely to succeed” superlative. You could probably walk down the block and bump into a dozen others gunning for the same spot. Defying these odds just in time for election year is L.A. born El Prez with his third album Prez-A-Nomics: Supply the Demand. In the case of this Prez, the campaign is for listeners rather than voters. The charismatic young spitter proceeds admirably without brand name assistance. Instead he relies primarily on his own voice and a helping hand by 3AM Productions, Dale Danja and a few other names to learn. With the economy in the toilet, maybe Prez-A-Nomics is the answer.

Even with El Prez's laid-back Cali demeanor, you get the feeling that he wouldn't be a fish out of water on the opposite coast. The LP's first song and obvious single choice is the trunk rattling “So EZ,” thanks in part to beat maker THX who boasts prior Snoop Dogg production credits. This joint has radio hit written all over it, now just tell that to station managers. The lone marquee contribution comes from fast-rising Inglewood duo U-N-I on “Uaintuponthis!” Prez's primary running mate is Dale Danja, who shows up on four of the thirteen tracks and produced the best of the bunch. (“Tag-A-Long”) “One Two” comes off like the distant and less powerful west coast cousin of “One Mic” by Nas. “I Do (Til Death Do Us)” flips a familiar metaphor but succeeds as a love letter to the rap game, illustrating the passion of El Prez. In the end, Prez-A-Nomics drops points for lacking many surprises or deviations. Hip Hop is a show-and-prove art form and Prez needs a tad more flash.

Right off the bat El Prez endears himself as an artist to root for. He's not one of these “don't quit your day job” rappers monopolizing the Internet. Listeners will enjoy a slice of Cali life but there's enough universal appeal to supersede regional bias. Prez-A-Nomics won't force you to hit the eject button once it's in your deck, but may lack that defining quality which gets it in your player in the first place. The talent and surrounding team is there, it will just take El Prez a couple more steps up the ladder. Luckily there's no four-year terms in the rap game and he can jump right back on the campaign trail to claim his oval office.

- Andrew Jones - Okayplayer.com

Whenever I hear that someone is going to bring some "coast" back, I immediately press the Quiet button I've had installed in my mighty earlobes so as to not hear such silliness. Here's an example, how many times have you heard...

"Man...I'm telling you! Papoose is gonna bring the East Coast back, son. Word. Just watch..."

Um...yeah...ok. So, now...let's all understand that no ONE artist is going to bring a "coast" back. BUT, how a coast represents collectively is a whole different thing. Hip-hop has several different movements happening right now, based in sound and location. El Prez (and a few others) is furiously attacking both fronts, doing everything he can to help bring attention to the very dope sounds coming out of California right now. For far too long, Cali artists have been sorely under-represented on the national scene. Outside of the Bay Area "hyphy" movement and Snoop, west coast hip-hop has been largely ignored by the rest of the nation. El Prez is trying to change that and he wants your vote.

And Prez makes a compelling case. One listen to his cd Prezanomics '08 is all it takes to see that this cat ain't playing around. He means serious business. He initially offered his cd for free...that's right, FREE. Smart move, especially if you've got the goods. He wants any and everybody to hear what he's got to say. The quickest way to do that is to just give it away, something many artists would say is complete heresy to even verbalize such a thought. But times change, and in the EVER-changing world of the music industry, artists must consider options they never would have in the past. Artists don't want to think of possibly losing sales by giving away the album. But it's hard to get sales if no one knows who you are and you're not signed to a major label. With the initial digital bootleg, El Prez gave this message:

So burn it, play it for ya friends, bootleg it, sell it @ the Slauson swapmeet, WHATEVER!

His boldness is paying off. Peeps are listening, like 9th Wonder, who firmly co-signed El Prezidente. A powerful endorsement indeed.

From front to back, 'Prezanomics' delivers fat beats and lyrics. It's one of those albums that make you laugh in the face of those dumb enough to say "hip-hop is dead". Featuring production from THX, U-N-I, Cheapskate$, Disko, and 3AM, 'Nomics' is a consistent head nod from intro to outro. The album as a whole is not entrenched in a definite west coast sound, but there's no doubt about what he's reppin'. There's also no doubt that El Prez is definitely making his presence felt as part of a growing resurgence of Cali's hip-hop scene. Can Prez single-handedly bring the West back? I think that's too much to ask of any one artist. But if you ask his fans, they'll definitely say, "Yes."

El Prez, along with several other west coast acts like Strong Arm Steady and Pacific Division are redefining what people tend to expect from the Westside of hip hop. The new generation of Cali artists are working hard for change. And like Obama, El Prezidente wants to represent YOU - the loyal citizens of the Nation of Hip-Hop. Now it's time to take a listen and cast your vote here. You can get the whole album for only $4.99 and it's the best bargain going. You may be able to find the album for free on the net, and if you do, cool. But just because music has become easier to find doesn't mean that you shouldn't support the artists that you know deserve it. So support the dope artists. Buy the album. Request a show in your city or country. If artists don't eat, then they can't make the beats to move your feets. - Dopejoints.com

Interview time!!!! We are back with an exclusive interview of one of L.A.’s up and coming artists. El Prez (which is Spanish for The Prez) He along with the “New” West are trying to get noticed and bring a little quality back to the Pacific Coast (see the annoying hyphy movement for the stuff I personally would classify as non-quality). They are bringing a new feel to hip hop , a kind of outside hang out and play with Super Soakers type feel. We have featured U-N-I and now El Prez so hopefully we are helping the cause. We wouldn’t feature people if they had no talent so if you trust us you WILL give this man a chance. I will not boar you with a long intro, I will let him talk for himself.

Q & A

Real Questions


Q. What was the concert that you went to that made you want to make music and perform in front of people?

A. The concert that really made me wanna do this seriously was catching a concert at my university back in the day with a 40 days and 40 nights era Xzibit, and a pre-’Lets Get Free’ Dead Prez. Dead Prez were burning dollar bills on stage and shit, man that show was crazy! But seeing the crowd’s reaction to the performers was the biggest reason in giving me the belief I could do this music thing for a living.

Q. When did you start rapping and what is your earliest memory of Hip Hop, whether it is Yo! MTV Raps, “Rapper’s Delight”, or Coolio and that sweaty dude singing “Gangsta’s Paradise”?

A. My mom was young when she had me so I was exposed to hip hop at an early age. My earliest memories were of me rapping Run-DMC’s “Sucka MC’s” on videotape at 5 years old and trying to imitate Micheal Jackson. ‘Thriller’ Mike tho, not Neverland Mike lol. The first tape I ever bought was Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Low End Theory’ and man, that day changed my whole life.





Q. Who are your top 3 emcees at the moment?

A. My current top 3 MC’s, excluding me of course, would have to be Bishop Lamont, Mibbs from Pac Div, and Ice Cube, cause hes the only cat saying some relevant shit right now.



Q. Tell us a story about your greatest moment so far as an artist, you are not limited to one story though if there is a tie?

A. My greatest moment so far as an artist has to be 9th Wonder giving me the co-sign on my CD, Prezanomics, recently at a function out here in LA. Me and my peoples handed him my CD @ an event he was DJ’ing at in Hollywood at various times throughout the night. That weekend, we go to a pool party he’s DJ’ing at as well w/ a video camera taping all the sexy ladies lol etc, and next thing you know, 9th Wonder pops in front of the camera talkin bout he’s been driving all around LA the past few days w/o any CD’s except mine and that my shit was dope! He was naming tracks he was feelin and all that. I think that was the tip so far, but a got a loooong way to go!
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Q. Tell me a little bit about your relationship with U-N-I and how that came about?

A. Aaah, those are my peoples right there, I basically met ‘em thru doing shows together throughout LA when they were part of a bigger group and I was part of another group. I was diggin they shit and once they told me they were breaking off and doing a duo, I invited them to hop on the track that would become ‘Uaintuponthis!’ I’m glad for all the success they’ve gotten cause I seen it happen from the get-go and in such a short amount of time, plus they’re fanbase is full of lightskinned chicks, which are my specialty!

Real Ridiculous

Q. What are your favorite pair of kicks now and of all-time?

A. My fav pair of kicks right now are my black Supra Skytops. My favorite kicks of all time are the Adidas Metro Attitude Oddity, the OG Pat Ewing Adidas, and the Air Carnivore( Nike please retro these!)

Q. You are stranded on a island that magically has a TV and a DVD player, you can only choose two movies to watch for the rest of your life, what would they be?

A. Oh that’s easy, House Party and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cause you cant get any cooler than Ferris…and House Party is the best Hip Hop movie of all time, yeah I said it! Besides, who DIDN’T try to do the Kid ‘n’ Play back in the day?!?

Q. We are in the midst of a very important election in American History for many reasons. Who has the endorsement of El Prez, Obama, McCain, or Nader? Who would get an endorsed right hook(punch) to the cheek from El Prez?

A. I’m Obama all day so he would get my endorsement off GP just cause we’re both down for the cause lol. I think Nader would get the right hand tho by default because El Prez is not an advocate of knocking out senior citizens like Senator McCain! Nader would also get the right hand just to knock some sense into him that he has absolutely NO chance to win…lol…



“Nader would get the right hand”






Q. Who was your favorite Ninja Turtle and why?

A. Michelangelo cause nun chucks were the shit!

Word Association: Give me the first word(s) that comes to mind.

Heaven- Earth
Hell- Hot
Metallica-Loud
Gang Warfare-FOR-EV-ER
Kobe Bryant-MVP
Cooler Ranch Dorito’s- Chile Limon Lays are Better
Lupe Fiasco- Cool (Duh!)



Q. Finally, here at The Scribe Force we want the artist to have the best chance to promote and sell their own stuff so, promote El Prez and tell our readers what you got going on.

A. Finally! Just go to my Myspace page and D/L my CD “Prezanomics” FOR FREE! @ www.myspace.com/elprezidente. , it’s the one stop shop on everything El Prez and whatever’s crackin on the campaign trail. GO watch the Video for “Uaintuponthis!” feat U-N-I and Danja on Youtube(Or scroll down this page), be on the lookout for a Digital-only EP I’m releasing before summer is done, and support good music! Good looking out to The Scribe Force for having me, thanks to all my fans present and future, all weed spots in LA, my mama for having me, Obama for not getting shot yet, Kobe for getting us to the finals, and the whole LA scene thats coming together like braces and front teeth, so smile for the camera…it’s election time baby! and go cop that album @ www.myspace.com/elprezidente
- TheScribeForce.com

El Prez: If I was President
Features > – May 5, 2008 – by Dale Coachman

The West Coast has produced a plethora of artists that have carved their history into hip-hop culture. More specifically LA has also carved out a place throughout the different time periods in American History. Whether it was the Watts Riots, Rodney King beating, or the creation of the Black Panther Party LA’s relevance and role in history on all levels has it’s place. Newcomer De Andre Harvey better known as El Prez has had first hand experience with the many historic events overtime that we’ve only seen through our television screens. Take that and combine it with a new generation of music coming out of the West Coast and it’s easy to see why El Prez took it upon himself to be known as such. “I want a leadership type name cause I want to lead a movement.” Whether El Prez ends up in the front or rounding up the back of movement time will tell whether El Prez will make his place in history, but with endorsements from the likes of 9th Wonder, his campaign is looking good.

Scheme: When did this music thing start for you?
El Prez: I was always a fan of hip-hop since I was a kid and I tried to do all elements of hip-hop culture, I just wasnt good at any of them ha! But around my Senior year in high School, I picked up the mic ands tarted battling cats on campus etc.

Scheme: Why the name El Prez?
El Prez: I wanted a leadership type of name cause I want to lead a movement, not follow it. Also a lot of women said they liked the name when I started out, so that sealed it.

Scheme: What are you the product of?
El Prez: I’m definitely a product of the post-riot generation of South Central Los Angeles. Which means I have a jaded view on a lot of life issues that affect minorities in the inner city nowadays, such as police relations, race relations, and that govt as a whole, becasue we dont trust ‘em like PE[Public Enemy] once said. Yet I still have the ideas instilled in me to want to change that atmosphere, while this current generation of teens etc, seem to lack that activism quality. Plus I grew up on florence and normandie where the riots started and popped off, so I witnessed a pivotal moment in Black America I seen Reginald Denny get hit by the brick ya’ feel me?

Scheme: Has the front door view been hard for you to keep your sanity and continue to do what you do?
El Prez: yeah it has been hard at times, but I learned that everybody makes their own path in life and are responsible for themselves, so if you wanna be a millionaire or a president [laughs] go for it and dont worry about what other people think of your decisions. A lot of times we get caught up in complaining so much about the chips stacked against us, that we feel its impossible to do something about it

Scheme: With that said what can people expect from you on your debut album content wise, sound wise etc.
El Prez: You can expect to hear LA on a hot ass summer day, with palm trees, sticky green, chuck taylors, and crooked cops everywhere! Or better yet, you wanna hear what Kobe Bryant’s 81 point performance sounds like, go cop my CD.

Scheme: Do you feel like from the days of Easy E, Too Short, N.W.A. and Dr. Dre Cali music has taken a turn with the likes of you, U-N-I, Blu , Pacific Division etc.?
El Prez: yea I feel that way more that ever because its kinda like the best of both worlds in LA right now. We are still LA to the core, but we can rap our asses off and LA in my humble opinion, has the best lyricists out rite now, no matter if its gangsta rap or “underground” or whatever. Like Battlecats brother, Mykestro will rap circles around most cats in the game today. So will my boi Bad Lucc that messes with snoop, these are gangsta rappers though another thing is that everybody knows eachother and is cool with other artists, so thats a good thing,because with the gang culture out here, it used to be VERY hard to do that

Scheme: so besides what you see on a daily basis what inspires to make the music you make?
El Prez: Wack emcees and trees, lots of trees only the good stuff though. I’m like the 2008 Mad Rapper tho cause I think a lot of stuff out is garbage and it just motivates me to help the fans ears out and save ‘em from all of this wack music floating around

Scheme: [Laughs] a lot of people have many different goals when entering this art form/industry what are yours?
El Prez: I just wanna have a career that I love, and thats music. So it wouldnt matter if I made enough to pay the bills, stay in a 2 bdrm apt, etc…as long as I dont have to throw on a suit and tie and sit in a cubicle like Office Space, then Im satisfied.

Scheme: Speaking on everything you’ve seen in LA what are your feelings and perspective on the Sean Bell verdict?
El Prez: Who is really suprised at the verdict? Out here in LA we look at the Police as a gang anyway, just like the bloods, crips, ese’s, etc. They’re all the same. So I dont trust cops and feel that they might shoot me everytime one stops me, and I’m a normal citizen, not a thug by any means, but essentally, police are the terrorists of our community. they patrol the ‘Hood’ like a police state. I dont know about other partws of the country, but out here in LA we ahve something called the CRASH Unit, which is the gang unit of LAPD, and they’ll just run up on you for no reason, asking for ya ID and quesitoning you just because you live in the neighborhood. Its like where’s your slave papers at?

Scheme: With a name like El Prez what would be your platform or top three issues you would address in America and how would you deal with a Rev. similar to that of Former Pastor Rev. Wright?
El Prez: My platform would be a human rights platform and my top three issues would definitely be Race relations, the economy, and education because my loans are too high, I cant get a good enough job, and hardly any white people at my Job can pronounce my name right ha! So we need changes and I would throw rev. wright under the bus because he def threw Obama under there why is the man talkin nowout of all times?!? I’m a conspiracy theorist like the next black man, but its a time and place for everything. the clintons got Something to do with it [laughs].

Scheme: So when it’s all said and done what do you want people to remember about you as a person and then for your music?
El Prez: that I was smarter than most people thought and it was a hell of an experience, casue experiences last a lifetime…and he could roll blunts with the best of ‘em

Scheme: When is the album dropping?
El Prez: The Album just dropped in April of this year, its available thru my myspace page for FREE or you can cop a physical copy at elprez.bigcartel.com. Its a dope album with rhymes and beats from U-N-I, THX, 3AM, Cheapskates, and more, and a Vid for “Uaintuponthis” feat U-N-I and Danja
- Scheme Magazine

Our own Styles took the time to chill out with Inglewood, CA artist El Prez to talk about being an indie artist on the grind in Southern California.
Styles: El Prez, what’s good with you?

El Prez: I’m doing good - just getting in to this March Madness right now. I’ve been watching the games.

Styles: Who are you picking to win?

El Prez: You know that I’ve got to roll with the home town – UCLA.

Styles: That’s all good. Why don’t we start off with a nice introduction of who you are?

El Prez: The name is El Prez and I’m known for being a hot spitter – I do my thing. I’m from Inglewood, CA. My CD Prezanomics just dropped and I’ve got a few cats on there that are with me in trying to bring some new fresh shit from L.A. We just dropped a video called “UAINTUPONTHIS” with U-N-I.

Styles: You’re style is a lot different from what we are accustomed to hearing from Inglewood, CA.

El Prez: Cats are just ready for some new stuff, that’s different from what you’ve already heard coming out of Inglewood and from L.A. in general. We are just trying to change the thinking that all of Cali stuff is gangster stuff. In L.A. everything is either gangster or ballin’. We are just trying to bring back that Pharcyde vibe – a more “every-day” man’s approach to how it is out here - also bringing the lyrical and Hip-Hop aspect to it.

Styles: So how long has El Prez been on the grind out here in L.A.?

El Prez: Since 1999 – 2000. Back in the day, I was in a group called The Vatican - we put something out. But yeah it’s been a minute; you know what I’m saying?

Styles: Share some of your ups-and-downs experiences as an artist with us.

El Prez: I’ve spent a lot of my career trying something out and if it doesn’t work, then heading back to the drawing board. Sometimes you get in with the wrong crowds and all types of stuff can happen. The best way to learn is by just going and putting something out and that’s basically what I was doing. I did a group project, and then I put out a CD by myself while I was up at Cal State Northridge – selling stuff out of my backpack. I would burn them up and go next door to the 7-11 market and sit outside and sell them all day. I dropped another CD called “Read My Lips” and it wasn’t promoted well – that was a learning experience. Then in 06’ I dropped a group project called The Empire with my boy Cyphe and again that was another learning experience – just seeing what it takes in this industry to get some of those doors opened. There were a lot of trials and tribulations – shady cats and the whole 9. I’ve seen what it takes to get some real change and a little career out of this.

Styles: The formula for Hip-Hop has changed. In order for a young artist to be successful on the radio, you have to adapt to a certain style for them and the labels. Is that something that you are concerned about?

El Prez: The game is changing so much. I was telling someone the other day that the CD is no longer the product. It’s more like a promotional tool to get people to come to your shows and buy in to all of these other aspects. I can do so much just by sitting in front of a computer nowadays that you couldn’t do 5 to 10 years ago.

Styles: But anybody can just get in the game now. You can rhyme tip and top over a tick-tock beat and you’re in. There are no more requirements for any type of skill.

El Prez: That’s just how the game is changing. Maybe all of this wack shit will come out and people will start seeing it as wack shit and not fuck with it. That scenario would force people to be more creative and weed out all of the bad shit, if it’s not selling anymore. A lot of the new kids aren’t even on rap like we were – they are on this other shit. The game is also changing to where you can’t even make that much money on a major label. If the labels ever come calling and the money is right – definitely. But as it stands right now, I can do everything from a computer. I feel you on the skills though.

I’m from that whole aspect too – business wise and as a fan. All of this stuff is going to come out. You’ve seen that people’s sales are going down and not selling what they used to. The record labels don’t know what to do about piracy, the Internet, and downloading. All of these aspects are slowly killing the present day industry as we know it. Who knows what’s going to come out of it all? You just might have an industry just for “ring-tone rap” through iTunes. Then you could have an industry for real stuff to hear. I am never going to hate anybody getting their money but it is real sad out here. The game is going to slowly change because a lot of this stuff is going to cease after a while – especially after a lot of these people that got in the game just to make money end up not making as much as they wanted to.

Styles: Can you even hope to have a real career in rap these days? People used to make a good living off of this, but it’s not the cash-cow that it used to be.

El Prez: That’s kind of good though in my opinion, because I love this shit. I would be doing this shit for free, I don’t give a fuck. If I can have a decent career and I’m still staying in a two bedroom apartment or some shit, and pay my bills doing this, I wouldn’t even trip. The next dude might be like, “I don’t have the chain or the big ass house.” A lot of this extra stuff doesn’t even matter. If you are a true artist then you are still going to do it. So that’s why the current crisis is going to weed out a lot of this fake shit – all of this half-ass shit.

Styles: You just recently released your latest CD “Prezanomics” for Free. You have absolutely no problem giving something free out?

El Prez: Not at all. That CD is like my business card. I call it an interactive business card. I can give you the CD for free and it has the myspace on there. Then you go to the myspace and it will give you info on my next show. Then you go to my show and buy the tickets for $15 or $20. You can also get shirts and other merchandise at the shows. It is kind of hard to give your CD away for free but if you just understand that it’s a way to get a whole lot of other doors opened for you, then you won’t trip. Especially at my level – it doesn’t cost that much to press up a gang of CD’s. If that CD gets in the right hands, that short money will have been well worth it. If you also go to my myspace: www.myspace.com/elprezidente you can also buy mp3’s and the physical copy of the CD -or you can download it for free. It’s up to you! If you want to donate to the cause you can do so. That will bring out real fans that will end up supporting you. Doing shows is more paper for an artist.

Styles: Talk to us about booking shows. Do you have a hard time out here? What’s the show-booking climate like?

El Prez: I wish I had a camera that follows me around trying to do that type of shit. It’s a real “name-game.” It all depends on who you know and it’s also about if you’ve been heard in other clubs before. Sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s easy for me to book shows. I try not to do the show-case type of shows – that’s not worth it. We want to be opening for some of the bigger acts and stuff like that. A lot of times you’ve got to have the paper, because they are going to ask you to sell a certain amount of tickets.

Styles: Some promoters actually make you buy tickets and then you sell them on your own, right?

El Prez: Yeah or put down a deposit. I try to find ways to go through the people that I know. That’s why connections go a long way in this business – especially in L.A. when it comes to performing. You know some of the right people, you will get to open for big acts and you won’t have to go around selling your own tickets. A lot of these people will try to con you in to selling 50 to 100 tickets and won’t even give you 50 tickets to yourself so you can make your own money. You don’t want to fall in to those situations because those are just scams and promoters trying to get over on you. You want to do the right shows - the shows where influential people are going to be there. I try to do shows where there are good people behind it or opening for big acts. I’ve done the Roxy, The Key Club and all of that. That shit is cool but you are never going to catch me working for certain promoters in L.A. I am not going to say any names but there are some that I will never work for. People know who they are because there are some shady ass cats in L.A. on the promoting tip.

One time I was doing a show and dude got me for like $500 worth of tickets. I didn’t sell all of the tickets – only about $400 worth. It was about 8 pm and the showcase was going to start. This dude got up in my grill and it was about to get testy between him and my peoples. So it’s my turn to get up on stage and while we are performing, there are all sorts of dudes on stage moving stuff around on the stage during the performance - tables, chairs and all sorts of shit. I just said “fuck it” during half way through a song and dropped the mic - I was gone. I am not doing that type of shit. That’s just some of the trials and errors that you go through in the game. But you will also run across some cool shit. I just did a show where they gave me enough tickets to where I can make some money. We did the Roxy and that shit was cracking. It’s good and bad- you just have to watch who you mess with. You keep your head right and you will make it through
- Raptalk.net