The Bay Area’s energy is on go-mode, thanks to their always thriving local hip-hop scene as well as newcomers SOB x RBE making a splash on the national scene. Now, the Bay has another potent MC on the horizon–he goes by the name of Prezi.
P’s single “Do Better,” released a year ago, has garnered well over 4 million views on Youtube. Following the momentum of his street single, last month, the bubbling rapper released Do Better: The Album.
Today (March 19), Prezi unveiled the new visuals to “Rat Too” featuring Lil Blood. Directed by Young Keyz, Prezi and Lil Blood call-out snitches and describes the consequences of having loose lips. Throughout the visuals, Prezi and Blood show they stand tall in the face of pressure as police try encourage them snitch, to no avail.
Prezi’s Do Better project is an 18-song effort where he tells vivid stories of the unforgiving street life, as well as his rough upbringing in The Bay. VIBE briefly spoke with Prezi about his recording process, his journey into rap, and upcoming projects.
Tell us who you are and how’d you get to this point in your career.
My name is Prezi and I’m from the Harbor Road, in Hunters’s Point. I’m just a young, inspired guy who started rapping a year and a half ago. But before I started rapping, I got caught up in some trouble and ended catching some murder and gang charges in 2016. I ended up beating them and when I got out, I started to pursue music and used that as inspiration. My song “Do Better” ended up blowing big for me and it’s opened up so many doors. I’ve performed in front of 20k people with Ty Dollar Sign, I’ve started traveling, people are getting to know who I am, people are feeling me, and learning about everything I’ve been through.
What is your recording process like?
Once I hear a beat, I try to think about a time in a life or a situation in my life or anything I’m going through or anything my patnahs are going through, to pinpoint something to write about. When I’m in the studio, I don’t like too much talking, I don’t smoke or drink. I just have a relaxed vibe. Just trying to make my flow sound as good as possible for people to understand the stuff that I go through the stuff that I’ve been through.
What distinguishes you from other MCs?
The realness of my life. Everything I rap about is real, nothing is sugar-coated. Nothing is printed, nothing is fake. What you see is what you get. I won’t rap about killing 15 dudes because that’s not what I do. I will rap about how I came up with nothing. I will rap about everything that’s real with me. I ain’t trying to be someone I’m not.
Tell me about “Rat Too”.
The song “Rat Too” features Lil Blood fro Oakland. Coming from the streets, I don’t like people who snitch. I came out of a situation being told on. It’s not a good feeling. I’m letting people know that I’m against it 100%.
Tell me about any upcoming projects.
I just dropped my album, Do Better, about a month and a half ago but right now, I’m working on a 2nd album. I have a new single with Derez Deshon from ATL that’s going to go crazy. Next up though, I’ll release a few more videos from the
Stream Do Better: The Album below and watch the video for “Rat Too” above.