Prophet-Z: Clapping On, Clapping Off From Toronto to Jamaica to Brooklyn

Toronto’s native reggae sensation Prophet-Z has managed to win the hearts and votes of the hundreds of viewers and listeners that tune in every Monday from 6pm-8pm to the Memoirs by A. D. The General radio talk show, broadcast live on Street Market Radio. Prophet-Z has been in rotation going on 12 weeks with his recent single “Clap On, Clap Off”. He is no stranger to the music scene, having opened for the likes of Buju Banton, Papa San and Damien Marley. Watching him perform, the ladies love him and the guys respect his music. Prophet-Z now resides in Brooklyn, NY and is hard at work creating a buzz for himself, traveling back and forth from Jamaica to Canada and back to NYC. A.D. The General catches up with Prophet-Z to see what all the hype is about.

N.A.B.: I would like to congratulate you on your recent 12 week radio rotation win on the Memoirs by A.D. The General radio program. How did you get associated with A.D. The General?

Prophet-Z: I learned about A.D. The General through Dark Arts Media Manager, Damien Storm.  He hit me up and gave me the whole run down on your show. The rest is history.

N.A.B.: You are an artist, writer, producer and composer. Which is your first passion? And would you trade one for the other?

Prophet-Z: To be an artist and entertainer is something I strive to become better at.  In my case, I write all of my material, so the two roles fuse together. Music is my passion. Everything else, for the most part, comes secondary. Overall, whether it’s composing, arranging, or producing, I have an appreciation for all the different roles because I can express myself creatively in all of these areas, but I’ll definitely have to say that my passion for entertaining as an artist is my main mode.

N.A.B.: Where did the concept for “Clap On, Clap Off” come from?

Prophet-Z: Whenever writing a song, I try to capture the mood of the song from the production of the beat.  When Enagee Brooks shot me the beat from Jamaica I previewed it a couple of times. It had a solid, hard hip hop feel to it, so I felt the track had to reflect that. I tried to find a creative way to express this by using the line from the old school “clap on, clap off” commercial theme.  Only thing is, I’m not talking about light switches. I’m talking about switching off any negative, stereotypical arguments that come from people who don’t have anything better to do. And since some of my audience does not come from the Caribbean, and may not understand the language, I had to make sure that the chorus was recognizable and easily communicated… And a lot of people like it because of that.

N.A.B.: How do you deal with the comparisons to fellow reggae artists Movado and Sean Paul?

Prophet-Z: To be compared with big caliber artists like Movado and Sean Paul is a huge compliment for an underground artist like me.  Comparisons like these motivate me further to work harder and try and get on that level. It also makes me feel more confident as an artist to believe in my music because someone out there really enjoys it.

N.A.B.: I know you grew up in Toronto. Were you born in Jamaica or Canada? How did you manage to learn the culture and music of your native land?

Prophet-Z: I was born in Toronto, Canada. Culture was never hidden from me in my home. I wasn’t raised as the typical “Canadian” in the true sense.  Frequent visits to Jamaica on a yearly basis instilled in me more than a good enough understanding of the culture. My parents didn’t hide who they were and didn’t hide where they came from. As a result, I grew to appreciate the culture, from the food, values and definitely the music. Music was a staple in my home. My father had a big sound system which my brother took over and started DJing. Every weekend, we’d be blasting music and there was always a party going on. My sister taught me how to rhyme and would put me on the mic to do my thing. Being surrounded by the culture so deeply I didn’t skip a beat and everything just seemed to click naturally. I never really thought about it until now.

N.A.B.: What is the name of your debut album? Where can we download or purchase?

Prophet-Z: I’m working on my debut album at the moment, but I have a couple of mixtapes circulating around the streets and on the web right now.  One of them is Ambition Over Laziness and the other is Pushing The Envelope.  Anybody that’s interested in checking them out can visit my myspace page (myspace.com/pzmuzik) and download them for free. I also have two singles, “Can’t Run” and “She’s On Fire,” currently available for purchase on iTunes and other digital distributors.

N.A.B.: A lot of your rhythms seem to have a hip hop influence. Are you into hip hop, and is it important to have a hip hop influence in your music?

Prophet-Z: I’ve always appreciated hip hop as much I did reggae and dancehall music.  However, I always felt that lovers of hip hop never really understood reggae and dancehall and vice versa.  So, on some songs I try to merge the two genres in a way that would appeal to listeners.  In that way, it’s important for me to have a hip hop influence in my music, but when I feel like doing a straight up reggae or dancehall song, specifically to express myself differently, I do it.  Hip hop and dancehall share some of the same elements that I love.  The two really go hand in hand from the introduction of the reggae sound system bass bins played in the parks of NYC in the beginnings of hip hop culture by DJ Kool Herc to the different dances created by dancers in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica.

N.A.B.: Any last words to the readers of Birthplace Magazine and shoutouts?

Prophet-Z: As much as I love music, I realize that nowadays talent alone is not doing it for any artist.  So I’m that much more determined to make sure I understand the business side of it in order to get on the same level as the big entertainers, officially.

I want to big up Birthplace Magazine, The Memoirs show, A.D. The General and the whole N.A.B staff for supporting Prophet-Z.  I definitely want to big up Hy-Lyfe Digital, Sepe Lee, Miggy B, Dark Arts Media, Toronto Massive, Brooklyn Massive, Jamaica Massive and all the DJs that keep pushing Prophet-Z’s music in heavy rotation.  Nuff Respect. Well Sharp!