Award winning musician, Payam Abbasi AKA Prynce P has lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over 3 decades. He released one of the biggest Hip-Hop compilations out of Dallas in 2016 featuring 34 musicians where 5 out of 10 songs were featured on the radio. The last song on the album, “My Paradise,” won him an award from Amnesty International, Congresswoman Johnson and The House of Representatives.
After the success of his album which he named “14,” he took a long break, but P started to miss making music and in 2018, he got back in the lab and started to work on one of the biggest cyphers out of his city which he named, “The Triple D Cypher.” This project went on to hit every Dallas radio station and it landed a placement to be in a college movie (Dig Deep). Since then, he has worked on multiple singles that have either won an award or have been heard on the radio.
Besides music, he has a bachelor’s degree in Business Logistics and an M.B.A in Strategic Leadership. He has also owned many successful businesses and travels the world. We at AMPS Dallas were interested in getting to know more about him and find out how he stays so hungry for success.
AMPS: Thank you for giving us this interview. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Prynce P: My childhood was a little different from most. I wasn’t born in America, I was born in Iran and a revolution happened as soon as I was born. In the midst of the revolution, Iraq decided to attack Iran and an 8 year war started between the 2 countries. Although I had many dreams as a child, my family and I were too busy trying to survive. There were bombs being dropped on our homes and schools. Kids as young as 12 were being snatched from the streets and forced to fight in the war. Frankly, I didn’t even go to 3rd or 4th grade because of all the chaos. It was brutal, people couldn’t even find milk, and hot water wasn’t even an option when taking a shower. Imagine sitting with your family and out of nowhere, all the lights go out and all you hear is sirens and screams around the city. Imagine everyone holding hands in fear trying to find comfort in one another. Imagine looking at your loved ones not knowing that this could be the last time that you may ever see them. That’s how I lived for the first 10 years of my life.
Although I grew up in a war, I never felt empty or alone, because through all the madness, my family and I were always together. I honestly think that maybe the war brought us even closer.
So, to answer your question, I just knew I wanted to survive, and more so, live.
AMPS: How did you get into music and what’s the name of your record label?
Prynce P: It all started back in 2001 when I met DJ Royal M in Las Vegas; this was right after I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree. He was originally from Atlanta and when he went back, he asked me to pay him a visit so we could party for his birthday. I was moving to D.C. for a job, so I decided to stop by the ATL to have some fun.
My last night there, he played this instrumental and I just started to vibe and freestyle to it. He stopped the beat and said “Yoooooooo! You can rap?” I smirked and said, “Just for fun.” He then said, “Bro, we need to record you!” I told him that “I’ve never recorded before, but, ok.” Long story short, we recorded my first real verse, he recorded his verse and our friend Kou who was signing a deal with Left Eye from TLC at the time dropped us a hook. Within a month, the song that we had created and recorded was playing all over Atlanta. From there, we decided to start a music label that we named Pohectic Life Records and the rest is history…
AMPS: Who are some of the artists that you have worked with?
Prynce P: I have been blessed and humbled to have been able to collaborate with some of my favorite artists growing up. I have worked with Paul Wall, Spice 1, Bizzy Bone, Lil Flip, Headkrack, Keynote, Point Blank, K-Rino, Mr. Pookie, Mr. Lucci, Big Tuck, Eclipse Darkness, Wolfie Moncler, Alsace Carcione, Flower Child, Teleoso, Flexinfab, DQ Hampton, Motian, Microphone Lewis and Bubba of Loyal Sally, Roosh Williams, Rakim Al-Jabbaar, Miladic, GSpook, Susy Solis, P.Reyes, T-Moe, J Sabin, Krystal Romo, Elise Bishop, Billy Syn, Cloak Beats, Latti, Bahador Mokhtar, Amin Emam and more…
Because of these talented musicians, I have been featured in countless Dallas radio stations and over 85 magazines have written about me.
But more than any award or recognition, we created memories in the studio that are priceless!
AMPS: How did it make you feel working with some of the artists that you grew up listening to?
Prynce P: It’s a dream come true! One of my favorite experiences is my collaboration with Spice 1. He had dropped an album back in 1994 and his lead single was entitled “Jealous Got Me Strapped” featuring 2Pac.
There was a Sound Warehouse store in Carrollton, Texas where people used to purchase tapes from. Every Tuesday, they had new releases and a long line used to form with people. I remember the day that Spice 1’s album dropped, there was a huge line and by the time that I got to the front of the line, they had sold out of his tapes. Imagine waiting in line for an hour for NOTHING. Flash-forward to 2010 and now, I’m in the studio working with him. To make this experience even crazier, our song got picked out of 10,000 submissions by 97.9 The Beat. I was granted an exclusive interview as I premiered my single “My Gift N Curse.” I want to give a big shout out to J-Kruz for giving me my first real radio interview.
AMPS: Tell me about your new single that you have out and what motivated it?
Prynce P: Silent Scream is one of my favorite projects that I’ve probably ever done. I was able to bring 4 different voices, including myself, all from different backgrounds who share the same ideology. We want a world where we can all live in peace. That passion, that fire, all desiring a world where we have freedom. A world where religion is ones choice and not forced upon us.
AMPS: If you had to pick only one job to do for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Prynce P: To help the world become a better place. I feel as we have this beautiful planet and we are destroying it each and every day. If we all start caring more, maybe we can save Earth for the future generations to come. I don’t have a title for this job, but it’s one that we should all have.
AMPS: I know that the Persian New Year is around the corner and you are very proud of your heritage. Tell me about your single Sons of Cyrus?
Prynce P: Well, right now in Iran, one of the biggest revolutions is being led by women, as they are fighting for their basic human rights. This song was dedicated to the ancient Persian king who wrote the first declaration of human rights. Cyrus the Great preached about equality. Now, keep in mind that he was doing this 1000’s of years ago!! Sadly, we are still struggling with this issues today. I wanted to honor Cyrus the Great because of his ideology and my passion for it! I wanted to showcase this project, so non-Persians from around the world would research him and get to know him and what he stood for.
AMPS: What would you tell someone who wants to step out on faith and do their own thing?
Prynce P: DO IT!!! LIFE IS SHORT!!!! The only person who can stop you is YOU!! If you’re going to be an artist, be authentic and write music that relates to you and your life. Don’t ever try to be someone that you’re not. If you are trying to start a business, make sure that you know the business that you are involved in. Also, acknowledge that you will have many sleepless nights. You will have doubts. You will have moments where you question your decisions. Trust me, I’ve been there, done that but in the end, it’s worth it. Stay strong, have faith and know that the best investment that you will ever make is in YOURSELF.
AMPS: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Prynce P: First and foremost, I would like to thank God, my family, my friends and everyone who has ever supported me. I also like to thank AMPS Dallas for reaching out to me and allowing me to tell my story. To wrap this up, we all have a story to tell. We have all faced darkness. We have all had moments where we questioned life. If you are reading this, please know that you are loved and that some of your best days have not happened yet. I love you and as the wise man once said, progress brings happiness.
