Being an independent artist is no easy task, but Prof continues to deliver nothing but bangers to his fanbase. Most recently, he dropped a new video for the single “Pack A Lunch” featuring Redman from his album HORSE. The fun, uptempo record is paired with an equally exciting, cinematic visual, with the Wu-Tang Clan affiliate even traveling to Prof’s side of the country for the video shoot.
HORSE, his sixth studio album, boasts additional standout features from Method Man, Kevin Gates and Cozz. Thanks to his loyal fans, Prof already received a Billboard plaque for the album, not even six months into its release.
In addition to the new music, anyone who’s a Prof fan knows how lit his live shows are, one of the most fulfilling parts of his rap career—being able to entertain and lay it all on the stage. The other is making unforgettable music and memories with his loved ones, something that has always fueled his artistry from the jump.
AllHipHop spoke with Prof virtually to discuss his love for performing, collaborating with Redman, the independent grind and more.
AllHipHop: How’s tour been this time around?
Prof: Tour’s crazy. Very, very good. I’m very lucky. It’s wild to see, the growth is crazy. I was at a point where I was getting used to it. I come back to cities again and again and again, the crowds grow. But there was a lot of times during this West Coast tour that I was like, “Wow!” In the middle of my songs, I’d be looking at people like who the f### is she? What is she doing here? She knows all my lyrics! There’s a thousand people in the crowd, over and over and over again every night. I was a little bit taken aback more than usual.
AllHipHop: Especially during a time where some of the newer artists can’t sell out shows. You’ve built a super dedicated fanbase independently, it’s very admirable.
Prof: I appreciate that. I work hard on stage. That’s the one thing I’m grasping at people, like I don’t want to lose you. I got that attitude of doing it all myself. There’s been so many years where I was living in poverty wages, trying to be a rapper. I still have that attitude. I can’t take a show off. I don’t want to lose you as a fan, so I go super hard every night.
AllHipHop: What is the preparation for a show? Do you get nervous?
Prof: I get the butterflies. If you were to be a fly on the wall, you’d probably think I’m a little weirdo. I get pumped up more than usual. I’ll be at festivals, I’ll be backstage and I’ll see a rapper talking to people. “Oh yeah alright, hold up. I’ll holla at you later,” then they go on stage. I can’t be doing that.
I have my routines. I’m back there going crazy like, “Ahhhh!” Like I’m about to play a full contact football game. I’m jumping around. People are looking at me, I’m spitting out water. Pumping my chest, talking s###. People are like, “Look at this f###### idiot, who does this man think he is?” I gotta treat it like every show was the most important show I’ve ever done. I’ve done so many, I don’t want to get disinterested in it. I don’t want that to happen. Be up there just walking back and forth, spitting my s###. I don’t want to be doing that.
AllHipHop: Is performing the best part of the artistry for you?
Prof: No. It’s probably my best part that I’m the best at, but it’s really really hard. I’ve been doing it for so long. Right now, I’m on a little break. I’ll be in Texas performing November 16, 17 and 19. But after that, I’ll have a decent break for winter. It’s a lot of hard work. Last time I was in LA, I stage dove and cracked my ribs. The rest of the tour was super hard for me to breathe and to move around.
My favorite part is making new music, still. It gives me a really fulfilling high. But a huge crack in that show, getting off stage is very rewarding. Putting on an amazing show, a sellout show in front of thousands of people. Getting off stage is a good feeling too.
AllHipHop: Speaking of new music, what’s one thing you want fans to get from HORSE?
Prof: The album [laughs]. Get the album, listen to it. We did this thing where I’d sign every copy. My fans bought a shitload and we charted on Billboard, super independent. It’s the No. 8 record across all genres. The whole world, we were the #8 record for a little bit. I want them to get the record, I want to listen to it. Whatever they want to get from that, that’s up to them. I just made it for me. Whatever they’re going through, they can interpret it however they want.
AllHipHop: I love “Pack A Lunch” with Redman. It’s such a fun song. When was it created?
Prof: I came up with the chorus on a video shoot for “Animal Patrol.” We got my bros together, we rented some huge mansion, cabin. We got drunk for the weekend. We went in not knowing what we’re going to shoot, we just had fun. There was no script, no plans. I came up with the chorus with the homie, my DJ, one of my best friends Willie Wonka. Just waiting, in between takes.
A dance track would be funny. “Pack A Lunch” is funny. Go to work, pop that ass. They’ve all been said before: break it down low, da da da. Go to work, pack a lunch! We started repeating “pack a lunch.” It was born in a really fun party atmosphere. We were having fun, clowning. That was the chorus. I found the beat to it. I listened to my songs and I critique them walking around the block. I go for walks, listening to them. Get the blood moving.
Redman just came down from the heavens. In my head, boom! It’s gotta be him. This will be perfect, because it’s such a silly, stupid, fun song. He came down and bust open my head. I don’t know how I thought of him. Out of all rappers in the whole world, he’d be the one that’d kill this s###. I reached out, cold call through some management. He said, “Can I get this dude’s number?” My manager Mikey’s like, “Can I give him your number? He wants to talk to you.” Say less. Let’s go!
Since then, we’ve been good friends. He was very involved in a song. He took more bars than 16. He’s like “Can I do more?” S###, let’s go. It was incredible working with him. He really is that dude. He’s super low key, low maintenance. Superstar! I love that s###.
AllHipHop: The synergy you guys had in the music video, I would’ve assumed you guys were friends for years.
Prof: I’ve seen him backstage at Red Rocks [Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado]. We performed Red Rocks together. We chopped it up after the song was already made. We’re chillin’ backstage, the vibe is cool. But that was the first time I spent time with him. For him to fly out to Minnesota like that, spend a few days. Not only one day, but two straight full days of shooting. He was with the s###.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot?
Prof: One of my favorite memories was the first time we even sat down in the car. We took this classic car, we were performing the verses to get ready. It was the very first performance, the song went on. Let’s get warmed up, see what happens.
I hadn’t really worked with people of that stature. I’ve been on the grind so long and such a good performance, I take pride in my s###. To have him jump in, he knew all my words. He had the homework done. When it came down to his verse, I knew his s###. I was already answering the lines, we’re going back and forth without even talking about anything. Wow, the dude is a natural born f###### killer.
Everybody started clapping after that first take. That memory, that moment right there, I knew the whole weekend was gonna be s###. Everything is gonna be fine. All the anxiety went away, it was fun after that. We’re gonna kill this s###. The end of that first take was crazy.
AllHipHop: What are “Squad Goals”?
Prof: What good is life if you’re not sharing it with anybody? A good f###### crazy memory. If I’m by myself, if I’m not running around laughing hysterically, I’d much rather share a good moment with people. This wild lifestyle. The song “Squad Goals” is if I’m doing this crazy rap s###, I gotta have everybody involved in this s###. All my best friends are in those. If you do a deep dive on my music videos, you’ll see the same dudes over and over and over again. Because that’s my crew, we have fun.
AllHipHop: Eleven million views on a YouTube video isn’t bad, especially for an independent artist. How does it feel to see those numbers?
Prof: Aw s###, kind of normal. I’ve been doing music videos for a really long time. It’s what I’m best at: coming up with a treatment, working with directors. I’m really really hands on to all that s###. From the beginning of my career, that was what Prof was known for. I’ve been slowly seeing those numbers go up and up and up and up.
My first million view video was super long ago. I had another video that was two million, then another one three million, four million, five million. I have 15 to 20 videos over three to five million. It happened progressively, it’s just numbers to me. It’s hard for me to really get a grasp of what that really means. It’s slow numbers growing for me is all it really is. When I’m doing a live show. I can see the crowd. I can feel the energy, it’s louder and bigger. But as far as YouTube numbers, cool we beat the last one. That’s all it is.
AllHipHop: Do you miss battle rapping?
Prof: Yeah, I do. That was a long time ago, it dates me. Who battle raps anymore? But that’s how I came up. It’s how I made a name for myself in Minneapolis, on the corners. Real grimy ass bars, outside battle rapping. Getting into fist fights, getting drunk and debauchery. The energy was there man, it was crazy. It was how I cut my teeth, how I got confidence in my performance. To control a whole corner with 50 people on there, have everybody screaming “ohhhh!” at the end of it. Pushing me around, capping on someone. That was a crazy feeling. I do miss it.
AllHipHop: Do you prefer freestyles or music videos?
Prof: True freestyling, I miss that s###. I used to do it all the time. I used to do it all the time, 3 or 4 times a week. I’d get together with my best friends. When the night came, time to get turnt up, I wasn’t even trying to holler at no girls or nothing. I was with my bros: let’s go to the basement, smoke some weed. It was my go-to, #1 number one thing to do. It was hot.
But now, all those acquaintances or best friends that were rapping with me, they needed to get jobs and s###. I don’t freestyle anymore. I don’t have anybody I get together with and they’re like “let’s freestyle right now.” Even new rappers. People say I’m an OG. But when it comes down to it, the new rappers don’t know how to freestyle. I haven’t got together and did a true cypher. Tading 8 bars or going around the circle, I haven’t done that in years.
It’s a totally different thing. A freestyle and a music video are two separate worlds I can’t even compare.
AllHipHop: Any goals for yourself at this point of your career?
Prof: I’ve achieved a lot of my goals. I used to write them down. I remember writing down goals like “sell out first show, Minneapolis.” There was one year I thought I was going to do it that year, but then it took 8 or 10 years. But now, that’s 8 or 10 years ago.
I want to tour in an official tour bus. I’ve been the broke man’s version, I’m in a bandwagon right now. That was a huge goal for me. Now I want to be on a bigger bus and tour more comfortably with suspension. I want to be doing 2000 cap venues all across the nation, within a year. I’m doing 1000 cap venues across the nation right now, I never thought I’d do that right now.
But I’m here now. S###, let’s do 2000 cap. Tour more comfortably, eat better on the road. I’m at that moment right now where I’m happy with my money. I’m not worried about s### financially anymore.
AllHipHop: How long into your career until you felt that?
Prof: It’s funny, I was just looking at the breakdown year by year how much I made through Stophouse. It was a long time making poverty wages, 20 grand a year. 25, 30 grand a year for 10 years. After the lockdown, when I released Powderhorn Suites, that was a Billboard charting record. I toured that, that’s when it started. I started getting comfortable around lockdown, 2020. Now, I don’t care about that anymore.
I stopped writing down my goals, I just want to make my art now. I don’t really have financial goals anymore. I’m pretty satisfied with money really quickly. I don’t want a Bentley. I don’t want a Ferrari. If you see me in a Ferrari, something changed my life. Because I’d much rather get a $100,000 car, give the $900,000 in charity. That’s what’s on my mind right now. Or the people around me, getting them straight. It’s not so much goals anymore, it’s continuing to make my art. Making good s###.
AllHipHop: Any dream collabs?
Prof: I’m about to send out some collabs. I released Horse in April or May this year, then I toured all year. I just got back home and started getting creative again. I got eight to 10 songs I got a chorus and a verse on, I want to send them out now. I still haven’t even put anything out there yet, but I have ideas and people I’d love to collab with. But nothing new in the books now.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let the people know?
That I love you. You’re perfect just the way you are.
Keep an eye on Prof’s socials and Youtube for ongoing new content, music videos, freestyles and exclusive story time about the behind-the-scenes of his videos or life on tour.