Hailing from Toronto, ON is the independent artist and multi-disciplinary creative, PRIZM. With a background in music, modelling and clothing design, PRIZM brings a fresh perspective to the table.
Recently, I spoke with PRIZM about his path to pursuing a career in music, founding the All Around or Not Around lifestyle movement and his latest freestyle track, “Seance Spot”.
Kyla Pearson: For those who are unfamiliar with you and your music, can you tell us a bit more about your path to pursuing a career in music?
PRIZM: I plan on pursuing my music career independently while seeking a distribution deal/endorsement. I am open to hearing what record labels have to offer. In all honesty, rap music wasn’t the goal at first. I ended up expressing myself to instrumentals in a verbally poetic way that is symbiotic with the rap nature. I guess you can say it all happened organically. I sing and produce a lot of my own beats. I’m an all around artist.
Kyla Pearson: You write your own music & compose your own beats, as well as freestyle. What would you say is one challenge of each? How do your skills in each of these 3 areas of creating and performing music translate into the other/impact your skills in another?
PRIZM: I don’t find it challenging writing my own music, but I do love a challenge translating my story into a relatable one to others. Often I don’t think my story is relatable to others but I’ll still give it to my audience so they can understand the life I’m living. Expressing isn’t hard. When it comes to making music it’s like I blackout and when I’m awake the song is done. I’m still learning music theory so I wouldn’t say it’s a challenge creating beats without knowing the theory but it could help the process. The expression of creating art is simultaneous with the art of performing. When you create art you perform it as it’s being created. When it comes to performing my art, I just relive the moments of when I initially created it.
Kyla Pearson: When it comes to your music, what is the primary message you wish to share with the world? Why is this message important to you?
PRIZM: I want everybody to be their peak, authentic self without the fear of being judged because they don’t abide by trending topics and what’s trending in society. I want people to be vulnerable and transparent with who they are that’s why you’ll notice in most of my music I express a lot of personal things. Things people would usually keep as a secret I put on the front burner. I believe transparency is a superpower. We’re all human, we can all relate we just have to stop being someone we’re not.
Kyla Pearson: This past March, you released your latest freestyle track “Seance Spot”. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration behind the song, as well as the recording process? How does the process of releasing a freestyle single differ from a pre-written single?
PRIZM: You see, Seance Spot is a funny story. My producer Apollo left me in his house to pick his mom up from work and I had nothing left to do but make music to take my mind off the fact that It was just me and his uncle in the house. I made the beat in about 5 minutes and I freestyled my current situation in life in about 10 minutes. So it’s less of a freestyle and more of an episode of storytelling. I consider my freestyles an illustrative book filled with pictures and I consider my pre-written singles as a book with all words bringing the audience on an adventure through a descriptive narrative. The releasing process behind it depends on how long I’ve had the track in my vault and what my main goal is with the release whether that is captivating a new audience or connecting with my rapidly growing fanbase.
Kyla Pearson: You’ve previously stated that you are the “CEO of All Around Or Not Around, Toronto’s upcoming creative collective & lifestyle movement”. Can you tell us a bit more about the movement? Why is this goal important to you? What type of impact do you hope to achieve?
PRIZM: All Around or Not Around is the lifestyle of never subjecting yourself to just one profession. You see, I am a jack of all trades myself. All of my brothers and angels resonate with the lifestyle as well and that’s where the All Around or Not Around culture comes about. We believe in the act of being all around creatives and that is the lifestyle we reap and push. The movement touches on another deeper message, a message of never letting anybody or any system suppress you enough to believe you have to dedicate your whole life and leisurely time towards one goal or one career. With all around, I know in the future there will be youth that represent themselves as all around creators because they cannot be boxed. With being all around creative there is no ceiling meaning there is no box to think outside of because you’ve never put yourself in a box to begin with.
Kyla Pearson: You also released the official music video for the song, which was filmed by Devante.swayy and edited by Darius Fisher. Can you tell us a bit more about your creative vision behind the video? What was it like working on set and bringing the video to life?
PRIZM: With Seance Spot and a lot of my other freestyle videos, I create the audio in such quick timing and I am spewing with emotions. I choose to take action and shoot a music video wherever I’m at, right there in then, because I want to give my audience the most authentic, genuine presentation of who I am at that exact moment and what has gone on in my life in that exact time. So a lot of my freestyle videos are just on the spot, running gun, episodes of my present life, I believe in being authentic and in the moment with my pistol videos as well as my audience to understand me more than just giving them audio alone.
Kyla Pearson: Do you have any upcoming shows that fans can catch and hear you perform “Seance Spot” at?
PRIZM: Yes! on May 21 in King City I will be performing for the city of Vaughan along with the rest of All Around or Not Around. If you find me on Instagram and click my bio you will see the ticket sale link. I hope to see you all there. I love performing at shows because it allows me to connect directly with my audience and I would love to speak with you all.
Kyla Pearson: Lastly, what is one goal you hope to achieve by the end of the year? Can you tell us a bit about what’s to come?
PRIZM: By the end of the year, I would like to have a strong growing cult-like fan base, with articles written about me on credible media outlets such as Complex, Noisey, Earmilk, etc., I will also like to do shows throughout Canada and build my Fanbase from Toronto to Canada wide, to North America and Overseas. I want everyone to know who I am, the message I push, and the history I am going to make for Canada. I’m the youngest to do what I’m doing.
Listen to PRIZM’S Debut Project, the “EYES WIDE SHUT” EP Now:
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Works Cited:
PRIZM. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, Mar. 28, 2022.
Unknown. “Featured: Independent artist and multi-disciplinary creative, PRIZM.”. Photo courtesy of PRIZM. Accessed Mar. 28, 2022.
Unknown. “Featured: Independent artist and multi-disciplinary creative, PRIZM.”. Photo courtesy of PRIZM. Accessed Mar. 28, 2022.