Hip Hop Spotlight: Interview with MAK P of Team Fame GVNG
Which Hip Hop artists influenced you to begin writing and recording?
I’m a fan first like most of not all of us that are a part of this in some way, I’m a ‘90’s baby so I heard what good music sounded like long before I picked up the pen. First, artists I noticed that were doing Hip Hop in a fashion I admired back when I was coming of age has to be Lloyd Banks of G-Unit along with Camron of Dipset. I knew if I ever did rap I would carry my pen the way they did without a doubt. Then about 5 years ago, I caught wind of We$tsideGunn and Conway from Buffalo, NY. Around that time, the only music I was in tune with heavy was Philly emcees like AR-AB and Dark Lo of OBH. That’s when I knew an emcee such as myself eventually could get in the conversation once I started recording, if I ever decided to spit.
What would you say is the most influential non-Hip Hop artist that has inspired you musically.
The most influential non-Hip Hop artist that has inspired me musically is Miles Davis. His autobiography flipped my perspective on so many things, so I keep that in mind when I make my music. No matter how many accolades I acquire in this business, keep striving for more like he did and continue to reinvent myself to become everything I can be for my family my team and community. If you don’t understand my lyrics that’s on you as the listener, I’m the voice of the hungry that eats in silence because it’s respectable. If you don’t believe I really did and do these things or been next to the people doing the things, I say then don’t even listen to me; this is reality. I’m not selling a facade or image wrapped with a bow, my voice and eyes show you that.
What is your biggest strength you bring to the game?
My biggest strength in this bloodsport arena is my originality. I sound like nobody else, shit I don’t even sound like where I’m from, and I’m glad I don’t. Nobody in the entire TF sounds like anybody else in the game. Speaking for me personally, every P in this game was original and a threat because of that, so I carry that torch to the highest degree. Can’t say I rhyme different because that’s a slap to the face of all the craftsmen before me that paved the way with different styles and cadences when they spit it. Every track you hear me on, I’m going to be myself no matter what…I think some artists tend to get away from who they are because of the soundscape they hear. It may work for some, but I know what works for me and it won’t ever be out of pocket.
How did you go about getting together with the Team Fame fam?
I met K. Burns through a mutual relative of his that we have and he told me about Burns. That was around 2017 summertime. I had no songs recorded and didn’t approach him as a rapper. Just seen what he was doing by himself, which was honorable in itself, and reached out to him and started showing love to his music. He told me next time I was back New York to link him just on some regular shit. Later on that year I began writing music after finding out about a producer from Jersey named Revenxnt. I also reached out to Eto of Rochester to get some beats and I got to work. Recorded three songs and sent them to a few emcees I was in tune with at the time, being as through me and Burns already was tapped in I sent them to him also. He showed me love on the first songs I ever made and told me they was hot. I still didn’t release them until March of 2018. After releasing those 3 songs on Soundcloud, K. Burns reached out to me to be on one of his upcoming projects he had titled “RedRum.” It was my first feature and he was the first emcee to actually want to work with me, so I took notice of that being as through I still didn’t even have a catalog of music out, [yet] he still wanted to work with me. I think we charted at number 6 and that was major for me as a new emcee. He called me and told me it’s a seat at the table and if I wanted a chair it’s mines. That was Summer of 2018 and everyone that knows Mak P or Team Fame Music Group knows what happened after I appeared on “RedRum” and signed to TFMG…a wildfire. I wasn’t the first rapper signed to Team Fame, I was the last actually. I’m the last piece to this family as far as emcees go.
Who are your favorite producers to work with and why?
My favorite producers to work with…Quis Star my Baltimore brother, Revenxt, NCL-TM , Sadhu Gold, Brain Orchestra, Stainless Art, Wavy Da Ghawd, Don Carrera, The Artivist, Ecto-84, Eddie Word, Wiardon, HNIC, Zini, Architect, Ralphiie Reese, Grimm Doza, EvillDewer and CrabSkull. These producers because I can fully be myself on they beats, they all give me a push off the ledge to get my shit off how I want and it’s not forced. …got work with them dropping for the people soon.
Today, being in Hip Hop is so much more than writing, recording and performing. Marketing is an essential piece of the puzzle for artists to be successful. Can you share a marketing tactic by an artist or label that you felt was noteworthy or inspiring?
A marketing strategy I noticed last year was what K. Burns did with his projects. A few other emcees who marketed offerings in a fashion I took notice to was Roc Marciano and Griselda. By taking the middleman out of distribution of the music and merch and letting the people cop the product directly from them was a good look regardless of people crying about the prices. I find honor in being self sufficient and all the artist and camps I named were that with how they marketed their projects in 2018. Especially Roc with waiting a few weeks before putting his music up on streaming platforms and letting the real fans spin his shit.
What do you feel is missing from the Hip Hop game today?
I feel like the game [is] missing more women in all aspects and more light on those women. We missing more platforms like a Insomniac Magazine, like a Rap City The Basement, more radio segments and overall a real spotlight on the emcees in the underground. Lack of spotlight and notoriety is the reason it’s not many shows. So a DIY label like us at Team Fame will just have our own tour in a few cities that rock with us. Most importantly we missing more listeners to the art, a lot of us share the same fans for that reason, they are over saturated with music because the masses would rather hear microwaveable music than this home cooked shit that we whipping.
Have you been performing live much? Can you describe your shows?
Nah, I haven’t been performing much at all. New Golden Era was my first show. I performed with no vocals in my background also. Not to slight any other emcees in the building, but I know I get busy at shows. One thing I will describe that I do at my shows is ask everyone in the spot for a moment of silence for the God Sean Price and Prodigy. They the reason the P is even in my name, real shit, it’s only because of them. Me being cool with Rim from Da Villins of Ruckdown means the world to me because that’s how important Sean is to me and my music. Getting a look from Rim means I’m suede regardless of what another rapper says. I already met Prodigy’s seeds in person and told his son who I am and why the P in my name we dapped it up and that’s that. Only thing I can hope for now is brushing shoulders with other individuals that was blessed to know those legends just to get an insight on how ill of an individual those two were.
What’s your workflow process for recording new music?
My workflow is simple. I’m not one that gotta do all types of drugs just to spit my shit, no slight to those who partake but this is already in me. Just give me some smoke, a beat and peace. I used to record anywhere I could before we acquired a own studio at Team Fame. Now I just go to the headquarters and record. Shout out to K. Burns for that too. I was having a real issue being able to record, cats’ studios I was at were tryna put autotune on my vocals and all types of weird Kanye shit that wasn’t my style. Now I don’t have to worry about where I’m recording. I don’t look for specific production either, if I get sent something from a producer that’s hot to me I research the producers prior work and the artist they worked with and then I decide if I’m going to work with them and use that beat or any others.
What are you working on at the moment and what’s next?
At the moment it’s “Hell On Earth,” fully produced by Revenxt…locking in real serious for this one. A lot of features and singles with some names the people familiar with. I know they want to see how I sound next to some of they favorites and the familiar names. I’m more eager than y’all are, trust me…gonna be a lot of surprises. Also, a project with my brother Normal Regular self titled after our group called the Korner Boyz that we doing in honor of our city Baltimore. Other than that, what’s next is TFMG as a whole, that’s my word yo. Peace to the universal family.
