Interviews

Published on October 1st, 2017 | by Jameelah "Just Jay" Wilkerson

0

Five Questions with Prince Charlez:

Compton native and sought-after songwriter, Prince Charlez has released his new single “Can I” (https://republic.lnk.to/PrinceCharlezCanI) today. “Can I” Explains the feeling of raw love and realness. Cutting to the chase with the one you love and adore at the moment. Willingness to become what the love interest desires (trait wise) and limitless ability to please them. The new track is from Prince Charlez’s upcoming EP, Evolution which was executive produced by XO Record’s Danny Boy Styles and will be out on October 13^th on Republic Records.

LISTEN TO PRINCE CHARLEZ NEW SINGLE “CAN I” HERE (https://republic.lnk.to/PrinceCharlezCanI)

LISTEN TO “BACK AROUND” HERE (https://soundcloud.com/princecharlez/sets/blackandgold)

After being handpicked by Red One to pen a track for Usher back in 2010, Prince Charlez has since written for some of the biggest names in music, from Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar, T.I., Rihanna, Kehlani, Mary J. Blige, and many others. In 2016 Charlez signed to Republic Records and released his debut mixtape, Black And Gold (produced by Drumma Boy). Pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a multi-faceted and multi-talented artist in 2017, Prince Charlez is gearing up to release even more new music through this fall.

As you see yourself, who is Prince Charlez?

A HARD worker. I see myself as Art. Art as in everything I do and live by is by expression and staying true to my beliefs. I’ve become very honest with myself. I see myself as open, but sure of who I am and my identity. Coming from nothing and becoming an entrepreneur using my talents and gifts as a source to thrive and be who I want to be has helped me succeed greatly. Because where I’m from [Compton, CA], I can be doing so many other things to get money but I’m using my talents and gifts by expressing my art to help bring real income and ultimately take care of myself.

Tell us about your current project?

Evolution. This body of work is me evolving and becoming more conscious of things around me and the world I live in. It portrays a story of me becoming very conscious of myself, what I think and believe is morally right and how my mind processes the journey I’m on. It’s very musical and bold. The content is aggressive and jumps out at you but definitely has a commercial appeal to it.

What’s on your bucket list to accomplish as an entertainer?

It’s my goal to set a record for 4 billion streams and a sold-out arena tour. I want people across the globe to listen to music by streaming it, buying it and especially look at me the same way as I idolized Michael Jackson, Beyoncé & Tina Turner growing up. I want to inspire creatives to work hard and become who they want to be. Being exposed to music at an early age, I was in a youth program where they took inner city kids to meet stars and see them live in concert. I met Stevie Wonder, Monica, Mýa and Yolanda Adams to name a few. I would think to myself, “I really want to be doing something this. I want to be the entertainer on stage and behind the scenes.” I felt inspired which sparked my drive and motivated me to do what I really want to do and find a way to make it work. I would like to create that same drive in someone who wants to become an artist or musician. Another one of my bucket list goals would be to get on a song with Eminem or Jay-Z. Em, being one of my favorite M.C’s, would truly be an honor to work with him in the studio.

Will you be finishing out 2017 on the road or what’s on your horizon for 2018?

I plan to be touring across the states, have my music being streamed everywhere and doing exclusive appearances here and there. I’m working on something visually creative to roll out which is adding up to my ultimate goal: being that well-known artist and having people see my work and draw inspiration from me. It’s just me, doing what I want to do creatively and putting this passion out to the world while continuing to work on the next new project. That’s all I do is work, work, work. Once I get in that work zone – nothing else really matters.

The Hype Magazine wants to know: What’s been your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?! Or “WTF?!” moment thus far in your career?

One of the moments would be receiving a call from Kendrick Lamar. He hopped on a verse with me for $500 for the song, “West Coast State of Mind”. He called me after and said, “My bad for charging that much dude since I knew you were from the city. [Compton].” Connecting with Kendrick on that level made me realize the mutual respect he has for artists coming up from the same city, on top of being one of the dopest M.C’s in rap culture.

Another moment thus far in my career would be the hit I penned for Rihanna, ‘Needed Me’. Watching that record become so successful as it is and still is. I really adore her and her brand. It was truly an honor to be a part of that record and it turned out to be such a great success. I used to sit in my room and listen to her music and study her style back in the day…to be a part of one of her biggest records was truly humbling for me. It made me realize that I can accomplish whatever I continue to place my energy on. I’m just a kid from Compton, with a dream and talents. God blessed me to be able to do these things and to be around Rihanna and other amazing artists – to me, that alone is a crazy blessing.

MORE ON PRINCE CHARLEZ

Prince Charlez is an established Los Angeles based singer/songwriter who was raised in Compton, California during the gangster rap boom of the ‘90s. As an introverted preteen who witnessed firsthand music’s response to the drugs and police brutality in the streets, Charlez spent most of his time at home, writing songs and harmonizing alongside some of his favorite artists – unknowingly, many of who he would later go on to work with. Prince Charlez studied dance at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and began a modeling career in Milan before catching his first break as a songwriter, when Red One asked him to write a song for Usher, “More”. Charlez would later go on to write for other established artists such as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, and Rihanna (Charlez wrote “Needed Me,” the longest running hit of her career) among others. Finally, in December of 2016, eager to showcase his talents as a singer and performer as well as a songwriter, Prince Charlez teamed up with Drumma Boy to release his debut Mixtape, Black And Gold. His unique, raw, and unabashed approach is a refreshing reminder that the future of contemporary urban songwriting doesn’t have to be formulaic.

 



About the Author

Publisher and CEO of The Hype Magazine. Follow me on Twitter @HypeJustJay


Comments are closed.

Back to Top ↑