Artist Feature: PriZm
Words by cole lampe, photos by lucero dunscombe, interview by lucero dunscombe, cole lampe & jacob wood
Headlining a rap festival deep in the never-ending lonesome fields of central Wisconsin may seem unorthodox, but that’s exactly what Wausau-based rapper PriZm did on Sept. 26, closing out an unforgettable bill at the Q & Z Expo Center in Ringle, Wisconsin that featured five other hip hop artists from around the state.
This show immediately followed the release of PriZm’s debut album, Back 2 Life, which was released only a day prior. The album — sonically inspired by artists such as Logic, Aries and J. Cole — is the result of his growth as an artist and a culmination of his career thus far. “Some of the songs on it are three to four years old, and some of them I finished about a week before release,” PriZm says. “Although the album was mostly singles, I was really looking forward to putting them all together in this big conglomerate.”
Despite the fact that many tracks were previously released, the creation of the album was surprisingly complex, with PriZm employing the help of several producers. “My main producer is Wagz. He’s from Wisconsin and he’s amazing. He’s going to be doing all my mixing from here on out,” PriZm says. “I’m also working with a 16-year-old kid from New Zealand. He’s the producer that made the beat for ‘50/50.’” With the exception of album opener “Midas Touch,” PriZm also mixed the entire album himself.
As is apparent from his extensive catalog, PriZm’s songwriting process is quite efficient. “I have a home studio in my apartment,” he explains. “I’ll often get home from work, lock myself in that room for six hours, and see if I can create something I like. Sometimes I create something that I think is horrible and no one will ever see it. Other times, I create something I really enjoy. It really just depends on the day, how I’m feeling, and who I’ve been around.”
Because of this, a number of tracks on “Back 2 Life” are inspired by those closest to PriZm. Album highlight “Crashout” is a prime example, with the track being written as a means to cope with the death of a coworker. “I was trying to figure out how to put my anger and sadness into words,” PriZm states. “Instead of crashing out, I wrote ‘Crashout,’ and was able to let it out into the world in a positive way.” Elsewhere, PriZm also says that he finds a lot of inspiration through his relationship with his wife Julia. “Everything I do in my day to day life is for her, and she is always supportive of my endeavors.”
One of these endeavors is the aforementioned show at the Q & Z Expo Center, which PriZm heavily promoted on social media with the help of Julia. The bill —- featuring SB Stevie, Devin Griffin, JDMakesMusic, Bares and Jacob Shultz — is a fascinating look into the sonic variety of Wisconsin’s underground hip hop scene. When asked how a lineup of such diverse artists came to be, PriZm cites CWHipHop, an Instagram page and website that he and his friends created about seven years ago, as a key factor. Through CWHipHop, PriZm and co. were able to run an online radio station to expose Wisconsin rap artists to a broader audience, conduct interviews on regional hip hop artists and get these artists connected with one another. “Outside of Milwaukee, how many artists do you know that make rap music in Wisconsin?” PriZm jokes. “You wouldn’t think it’s many, but we found over 200 of them.”
As previously mentioned, five of these artists were invited to share the stage with PriZm that night, with the charismatic SB Stevie kicking off the evening with an enjoyable set that was reminiscent of J. Cole’s best work. From there, Devin Griffin unleashed his hyperpop-influenced take on hip hop, beginning his set with a theatric entrance through the audience and ending it with a rambunctious cover of Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and the Beat.” Then Eau Claire-based rapper Bares took the stage, who delivered a distinctly $uicideboy$-inspired set that was thoroughly entertaining. Following Bares was JDMakesMusic and Jacob Shultz, frequent collaborators of PriZm’s that each incited a rapturous response from the audience.
Around 11 P.M, PriZm took the stage to a modest crowd of die-hard fans. During popular cuts like “Outta Sight” and “NEXT,” the crowd’s eyes followed PriZm’s movements across the stage, their lips mouthing every word. In between songs, PriZm dedicated many songs to fans and loved ones, with the crowd shouting gratitude and love back at him. From the warm reception he received from both fans and other artists on the bill, it is apparent that PriZm plays an integral role in the Wisconsin hip hop scene.
PriZm isn’t alone though. Central Wisconsin may not be known for its hip hop scene in the same way that Milwaukee is, but it’s been rapidly growing this entire time. It resonates out of Wausau, LaCrosse and even in Ringle at the intersection of County Roads Q & Z.
