Some artists put a lot of thought into their artist name; some go with the first one that comes to mind. Can you tell the reader how you landed on yours?
So, long story short, my two best friends and I hung out with this girl Lucy, and while hangin with Lucy she talked me into a name change from my original alias EmTea to something a little more than my initials spelt out. So we all sat down and chatted for a bit about it, bouncing a few names around. Then came PriZm, which felt like the one to me. It gave me a visual of light hitting a prism, where I was the source of light, my music was the light, and the emotions it brought out were the color, so I’ve been PriZm ever since!
Thinking back to your youth, what kind of music did you hear playing around you? And how do you think these artists impacted the music you create?
Growing up, I had so much music around me. My fondest memories include T-Pain, Keith Urban, Eminem, 50 Cent, Michael Jackson, and plenty more. I think they all impacted me in different aspects of what I do. Because of T-Pain, I like a good autotune sound. Eminem helped me focus on cadence, flow, and word play. 50 taught me to stand my ground and trust my gut, which I think all bleed into what I create heavily.
Who are your top 3 artists in any order, in any genre?
I really mess with Aminé, Mac Miller, and Malz Monday. Truly in love with that chill raw rap right now!
Lately, what has been your motivation to keep making music?
I want to build stability, longevity of wealth, and freedom of expression in my family, and the only way to do that is to be consistent and always push yourself to be the best version of yourself. There’s no magic shortcut unless you come from a place with connections. It’s just hard work and moving through mistakes to learn and better your chances of success. If I stop, I don’t only fail myself, I fail everyone around me!
Looking 5 years out, where do you want your music to lead you?
I’m gonna be touring and selling out shows on a national level. I can just feel it.
Do you have any advice you wish you could share with yourself when you first started your music career?
Don’t get too caught up in making something popular. Let everything about you flow out into real music that carries parts of your soul.
If you could point the reader to one of your songs to listen to after reading this interview, what song would you direct them to?
If you are looking for something real and chill, listen to “Platinum Plaque” on my EP “LIFE.” This gives you the most open glimpse of who PriZm is.
Find more PriZm here. Follow him on Instagram.
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