Manchester’s very own PrinceOfRetro has released his second EP, ‘indeed.2’, and it is not one to be missed!
Hailing from Oldham, PrinceOfRetro is no stranger to creating music with his own unique flair, he first started experimenting with music at the age of 16/17. He said: “I finally found the confidence at 19 and went to a professional studio with my mate 98Tee and recorded a song called Trillster within 40 minutes then carried on from there.”
Inspired by the likes of Skepta, Kanye West, Playboi Carti and Kid Cudi, PrinceOfRetro has created his own lane when it comes to music. He said it’s because of Skepta, Kanye etc that he doesn’t feel a need to fit in and that to him, is the true definition of an artist.
It’s not his first project either, as ‘Indeed.2’ is the follow up to his first ‘indeed’ EP which can be found on Soundcloud. He said: “For me this is a fresh start of my new sound and journey so I hope people take it in and enjoy it as much as I do.”
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Pie Radio got the chance to speak with PrinceOfRetro on his music journey so far as well as his brand new EP ‘indeed.2’.
How did the name PrinceOfRetro come about?
“LOL! It was originally a temporary instagram name because I was bored. I must have been 15, I was getting into Adidas, retro aesthetics and The Fresh Prince is my childhood idol. I came into school for Year 11 and everyone made a fuss about the name and I hate it when people judge others for being different so I kept it as my instagram name to annoy people. My friends would start calling me Prince as a nickname and strangers would say “you’re that PrinceOfRetro guy on instagram init?”. So I decided to use it as my artist name, I love it.”
How did you find your specific style of rap? How would you define your genre?
“My Dad is an old skool Hip Hop head. I grew up on it in my house, specifically American Hip Hop and I used to watch Pop/Chart music on TV so I learned about music from both of those experiences. I wouldn’t say I’m a traditional rapper, I’d say a proper Dave, Lil Baby, Aitch and them man there. I realised I felt more comfortable combining my rapping background with melodies and auto-tune. Most of the artists I listen to are on the same wave, especially the underground ones. My genre is so underground I don’t even think there’s a proper name for it, I know it’s cliche but honestly I’ve got my own sound and lane so it’s hard to say at the moment. I’ll let the listeners decide.”
What was it about the 90s JDM era that inspired you to base you EP around it?
“I was watching this anime called Initial D. It was made in the 90’s, it’s about street racing and drifting and my favourite movie franchise is Fast and Furious, especially the first 3. Me and Trashhwave also have a Playstation 2 in the studio and we play Need For Speed Underground 2. I just think the aesthetics are sick of the culture behind it. The Japanese really care about art in anything they do. I’m definitely gonna go there. I love driving with the music on full blast with heavy bass especially cruising at night so I wanted to bring that energy into a short project. From now on I want all my music and art to express my interest and originality. I think the U.K needs that right now, not everyone is a gangsta on road with loads of money, alpha males being tough and drilling. I want other kids to see me and feel comfortable being different.”
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Tracklist:
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uwannaride? “I really wanted to experiment with psychedelia on here, when Trashhwave sent me the beat I knew what I had to do. I wanted to make a statement saying “this is what I’m on now, I’m on my own vibe”
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Slimeball Sh!t “This was the first beat of Trashhwave’s I recorded on, I feel like that’s where it all began in terms of finding my new sound. I really was vibing recording that, most of it is a freestyle.”
- TOMMY “I wanted to have fun and flex about the things I like and wear on this, I wear something Tommy Hilfiger everyday. All my friends know me for it. It’s a classic retro brand so I had to pay homage, it’s my most versatile track on the tape as well and definitely the most you’ll hear me rap out of every track.
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Señorita “This was probably the most fun I had recording, it’s something new for me, it’s really Pop and a bit of a love song but we still wanted it to have that consistent sound on the whole project. I felt like I wanted to make something girls can vibe to as well”
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Purple N Yellow “Is probably one of my favourite tracks I’ve ever made, it pretty much describes me as a person at my best. It’s laid back, unique and just relaxed.”
- Floater “This one is my favourite track of the whole E.P and I wanted to save the best for last. Trashhwave sent me the beat at like 1am one night while I was playing 2K and as I was listening to the beat I scored a floater (a shot in basketball where you lift the ball high up and let it drop into the net) on the game, the song just made sense after that.”
Take in PrinceOfRetro’s brand new EP and let us know your favourite track @pieradiouk. You can also check out his merch collab with Anoni and find links to his Spotify, Soundcloud and social media here.
