[FEATURE] VIPER PRESENTS: PROPH
Get familiar with South London rapper Proph! The 20-year-old released his debut project ‘Lost In Translation’ earlier this year and has built on his early foundations with performances at Reading, Leeds, Wireless and more…
What five words define your sound?
Unique, innovative, raw, soulful and nostalgic.
Tell me something unique about your creative process.
I still produce off of my laptop that I bought seven years ago… it’s on its last legs [laughs]. I have to deal with the complications that come with that; I guess that’s kind of unique.
Which song of yours would people like to hear first?
‘Grand National’.
What inspired you to make that song?
A friend of mine showed me a 2000-era song called ‘Murda’ by an East London artist called KLASHNEKOFF and I was blown away and thought ‘let me rap’. That’s how ‘Grand National’ came about.
What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?
Definitely on ‘Trust Fall’, I’ve been vulnerable with other songs but when performing ‘Trust Fall’ vocally it feels a lot more vulnerable than the others. So I’d definitely have to say ‘Trust Fall’.
What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?
Reading and Leeds Festival, seeing the tent filled up with 10,000 people was crazy.
What is your favourite song to perform?
‘Baby Boy’
Which artist/song/album made you want to start making music?
‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’, it’s like the pinnacle of Rap albums really.
What’s the meaning behind your name?
At birth, my Grandad held me up and said that I am the Prophet Jeremiah, I don’t know why [laughs]. That made me run with the name Prophet when I first started rapping, then I shortened it down to just Proph.
If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
I have zero clue, I don’t really want to know to be honest. It’s not really a thought that crosses my mind.
What’s success to you?
Ermm, I think it’s a lot of different things. I don’t think there’s one thing that defines success. For me success is a journey, having goals, reaching them, then set new goals etc. If you can do that process consecutively, then you are successful in whatever it is you’re doing, right?
What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?
I don’t know, I’ve been the same for a while. I’ve had one obsession for most of my life… or maybe when I left my day job actually, I took a risk and had to work harder at music to make it work.
Where can people keep in touch with you?
Instagram: @proph.17
Tik tok: @proph.17
Twitter: @ProphOfficial
