Prote-J “Good Hip Hop Meets Radio”
They’re saying that he’s “The Most Talented Musician in Hip Hop” as he’s produced everything on his album “Good Hip Hop Meets Radio,” plays four instruments, and writes his own songs. Prote-J is actively promoting his latest album and I had the chance to speak with him in length about his journey up until this point. It was easy to see what makes Prote-J a standout among the crowd of up-and-coming Central Florida rappers.
Hip hop is moving in a new direction to support more lyrical rappers with artists like Drake, Wale, B.o.B., and J.Cole and it’s a welcome turn. Prote-J, although lyrical, has a sound not heard amongst his peers. His flow is smooth and drawn out, almost as if he’s taking care to lyrically coat every track he approaches. His production style is a lot like a “hip hop Ryan Leslie” and his personality is refreshingly genuine in a genre that is full of fasad. His first single “Here I’m Alone” is almost a declaration of the fact that he’s in his own lane in this hip hop game. Prote-J’s GHHMR album is an honest introduction to who he is as an artist. It’s not full of the typical heavy, drum-filled Southern production and although his lyrical tendencies might be considered “up north” their delivery is unique to Prote-J. It’s clear he is hungry for a position that has yet to be filled in the music industry.
Growing up, Prote-J was musically fed by gospel. Although born in Los Angeles, CA, he was raised in Papua New Guinea (north of Australia) where his uncle is a Pastor. It was church that allowed him to first begin his relationship with music. He learned to play the guitar at 7, played in the church band, and even sang. In 2000 the teenage musician moved to Palm Coast, Florida where he was first introduced to what he called “mainstream” hip hop. He was influenced by rappers like Nas, Common, Mos Def, and Jay Z. Surprisingly, his desire to rap was born out of exposure to Southern rap. Prote-J said, “I felt the music was so simple that I could do it too.”
As Prote-J worked on his skills as an emcee he worked on his skills in the classroom. He went on to graduate high school and attend the prestigious Embry Riddle University in Daytona Beach. It’s not often that a rapper or musician puts their musical goals on hold but Prote-J did just that. While in school, music wasn’t far from the aspiring producer. “College is where I really focused on learning how to produce,” said Prote-J. “I spent a lot of time in my dorm learning how to use production software.” When he graduated in 2009, it was back to the music grind and he hasn’t stopped to look back since.
With a stellar team behind him, the college graduate has his mind-set to “grind hard in more ways than one.” He’s growing his online presence and attacking the city of Orlando with grassroots marketing, setting up interviews, and getting Good Hip Hop Meets Radio out to as many people as possible. Prote-J humbly accepts the role of self-promotion as a part of being an artist–and that’s a testament to his character.
Catch Prote-J LIVE at 57 West on July 28th performing with Leaders of the New Cool.
Follow Prote-J on Twitter: @ProteJ
Download Good Hip Hop Meets Radio on the Eye 4 Muzik homepage
Listen to the single “Here I’m Alone”
Quick listen: Prote-J (DJBooth.net Exclusive Freestyle) - “So Sick”
Mixtape is fiyah, beats is krazy!