Proklaim, the talented hip hop artist, has made a remarkable comeback with his latest release, “Valley.” His music embodies the essence of potent hip hop and stays true to his artistic goals. With this release the artist manages to craft well-thought-out melodic verses displaying his impressive range and, note that, without relying on autotune. Proklaim’s rap is elevated by a classic sounding trap beat that features a nicely hypnotic theme, signature trap hap patterns and heavy 808s that draw listeners in. If we were to imagine how Proklaim would speak: Maintain faith and hope through the various stages of life. Sometimes the journey we find ourselves on is uniquely designed for us. Let the empowering lyrics inspire you to carpe diem!
Can you tell us about your inspiration for “Priceless”?
I’m always perusing through beats online and it was on one of these routine exercises that I stumbled across the beat and liked it. I got straight to writing what it inspired in me and recorded the song. The message was one of keeping moving forward through life’s seasons aware that there are reasons you go through stuff baring in mind that Providence and a Guiding hand are often at play.
What is the message you aim to convey through the song?
Have faith through life’s seasons. We’re all on unique journeys and often yours in designed specifically for you.
How does this release compare to your previous work in terms of style and message?
I do believe the message is.in line with alot of my other material leading up to where I am right now. It’s a message of hope and trusting that there are seasons and purpose to all things.
How has your background and upbringing influenced your music?
It has been fundamental to all things that I do creatively.
First being born to Ugandan parents in the UK and raised in Southern Africa and traveling shaped my sonic tastes.
My first language is English and I was not raised speaking my parents language hence I gravitated to music that was primarily English.
I went to an International school and got exposed to various cultures and people’s that further shapes my world view with hiphop being the global language of the last 3 generations and still going strong I became a fan of it and it shaped alot of what I do.
What do you hope listeners take away from this song?
Hope and faith in a purpose for their existence and in A Source to all things relating to why they are here.
Biggest fear?
Not exploring and exhausting all my potential.
Can you give us a sneak peek into what fans can expect from your future releases
I’m currently looking to work on collaborative efforts with artists that I respect and inspire me whether past or currently trending acts.
Tell us a few things about Options and you creative process in general?
I had gone online and was looking for beats to buy and that 1 immediately got my attention when I played it. It had a retro soulful feel that reminded me of lauryn hill’s music. It was beautiful. It made me think of how good music is timeless and can take you back to moments in your life and bring back feelings from moments in one’s life. I started humming I ng the melody and recorded the chorus that came to me. Then wrote the verses immediately after and layer them.
How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
I’d say my musical progress has been steady and what has been key to seeing aspects of my ability improve has been being dedicated to the writing process. That has been a great contributor to seeing aspects like cadences and variety of flows improve as well as developing melodic approaches to raps and chorus. What I’m seeing now begin to develop and hope to further improve is intonation and voice animation to add alot more feeling to areas of my rap delivery.
Can music share or even define us as a society?
I absolutely believe that music is a microcosm of society. It gives a glimpse into a society and its values at any given point in time. The same with art in general. If you wish to know what life in the 1950s was like. Listen to music from that era and it will give you a pretty good glimpse of what people and life in thaperiod was generally like.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I think Koffee from Jamaica and Black Sherif from Ghana are 2 very talented artists that will go far.
What would be your dream performance venue?
Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden
Favorite music related film?
8 mile
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Remain true to your intuition and inner yearnings…do that which makes you feel you are being true to your inner voice.dont just do things because that’s what others say you should pursue..(I speak specifically of the things you wish to do as a career or vocation). Also do not follow trends..dont be afraid to carve paths and go in directions others have not
Tell us a few things about Jester. What is the story behind it?
Jester was a boombap beat that I came across online and liked it instantly for its high energy feel that reminded me of early 2000s hiphop club bangers. I purchased it online and got to writing to it. As usual I wanted to create a song with a message. The beat reminded me of classic bangers by 90s rappers some of whom are no longer alive specifically tupc and biggie and I got to thinking of the various things that lead to their demise. What came to mind was that wrong interactions and friendships and betrayal and wrong women were causes..I wanted to communicate that and that’s how I went about writing the song. The chorus came to me pretty quick without writing it…I remembered a line from an old batman movie I saw..The Joker used to say..”have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight”…I thought it was memorable and used it.
What Makes A Record Timeless?
A timeless record requires a timeless message that remains relevant no matter what generation itsnplayed in. It also requires the right energy which is created by a perfect marriage between the music and the artists vocal on the music..that creates a feel that immediately will engage a listener even if they are not from the era the song was made in.
What first got you into music?
I’ve always liked music from the time I was a little kid. Certain songs as a kid of every genre would evoke strong feelings in me. My dad had a record collection and when they’d have parties we’d dance for the grownups. I remember loving the feeling certain songs made me feel. When I got into listening to hiphop as a at around 7 years old it really struck a chord with me for its expressiveness and ability to put so much material into a single song..so many pictures would form in my mind listening to lyrics of so many rap artists..it was amazing to me. I was a fan till I got to college and in my final year of college I began to try writing lyrics of my own and never stopped.
Favourite album of the past year?
My favorite album of the last year is definitely Nas’s Kings Disease ..I was impressed by his ability to rekindle that Golden Era feel of 90s hiphop classics and still sound fresh. It felt good to listen to and Nas also sounded like he’d grown as an artist his cadences were more varied and the production and overall song writing was great.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip hop is the language of several generations. It has for a long time been global. It is the most powerful genre of music to me. The reason is because so much more can be said in 1 rap verse than any other type of music…therefore more can be communicated to a listener. I don’t think we have seen the maximum potential that hiphop can have in society. In truth it has potty control the world. Rappers have potential to get more power than politicians…the thing is almost none have seen that potential they can create with messages..most rappers today say nothing potent…they cant see rap can be hot and still carry a message
What advice would you give to your younger self?
My advice to my younger self would be to be sensitive to the things I find I’m inclined to..remain true to those and once I identify them be dedicated to them regardless of anyone’s opinions..Carpe diem…have routine and remember to master any craft..practice it consistently.
How do you relate to the music scene of Namibia?
I’m not a keen follower of Namibian music in general but I am aware there is definitely hiphop talent in the country. Hiphop is not the main genre in Namibia and I actually dont follow the local genres of music so wont really be able to say whats really going on in those scenes. I’m aware of talented artists in the rap community here. What I hope to see is hiphop artists from the country and overall Africa in general begin to penetrate the global market and get the respect they deserve. I do believe it is a matter of time before globak hiphop greats begin to appear from other parts of the world besides the US.
Tell us a few things about your new song IDK. What is the main idea behind it?
The song is about remaining true to one’s own yearnings. In it I reflect on various lessons from watching people betray you and not losing sight of what you wish to achieve even when odds stack against you and being willing to press on alone I’d necessay.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
“Some who serve time ( in jail), but I’d rather use mine now to really serve me.”
Your flow is really original. Who is your favourite rapper?
Most of the rappers that touched my mind are no longer alive …my favorites are Big Pun, Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie and Lauryn Hill.
Why is sexism, and even outright misogyny, so pervasive in Hip Hop culture?
Hiphop was birthed in the Bronx NY amidst a people who were deprived of so much..young people..mostly men could finally express themselves and have a platform of influence and power. It became competitive and mcs felt pressure to outshine other mcs…the end result was trying to put down other rappers …since most rappers early on were male they had to profess their masculinity by lyrically jousting with other mcs and declaring dominance over women became a trend that eventually became outside misogyny and abuse…
Your sound is very atmospheric and with a retro touch. In which state of mind do you imagine listeners may listen to your music?
I envision listeners listening to my songs as they listen to their earphones on a train or bus and go about daily life…I hope to see the music I make becoming the soundtrack to peoples’ lives.
If you could watch the earth from space, which song would you listen to
HipHop Paranoia 