PHILADELPHIA, PA – When Nassir Evans was growing up with his mother in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there was one thing he could always count on: that every desk and countertop and table would be covered with sheet music and leaflets with hand-written notes.
That’s because his mother loved writing music and poetry. He said she always seemed to be working on the next big song or creating the next profound poem. But it wasn’t until the age of 8 that Evans said he became curious enough about his mother’s favorite hobby to ask her about it. And what started as an innocent conversation between mother and son soon grew into a passion for music that today is realized in the artist known as ProdoughJ (pronounced Pro-dough-J). His goal is to gain supporters, become a household name and change the music industry with his sound.
At age 12, ProdoughJ helped his mom write a song and was able to go into the studio to record himself rapping a verse. Once the song was released on YouTube, it almost immediately caught the attention of an executive from Jive Records.
“I remember I was in the school yard playing football with some friends when my mom came screaming to the gate,” ProdoughJ recalls of the day the executive from Jive Records came to his town to visit him. “I didn’t know what was going on, but my mom told me she was going to get me out of school early. And when we were walking home she explained to me that Jive Records liked me and liked my verse and they wanted me to perform for them and give them a couple of my rhymes. As a kid that was big motivation. A lot of people work hard to get a label or an A&R, but I wasn’t even trying or looking for it. And here’s this lady rolling up in an Escalade in our neighborhood just to hear me rap. It meant a lot to me, and ever since I’ve been working on my songs.”
Earlier this year ProdoughJ released his first project, a mixtape that he called “Mixed Obsessions.” He said it’s a diverse mixture of rap and R&B that showcases his unique style in a package that has an “industry sound.” He said the theme of the mixtape takes listeners through a variety of different emotions and touches on any number of things that people might be obsessed with – such as love, money, drugs or fame.
His music has a dark edge to it, which ProdoughJ said is intentional. And while his first mixtape features a lot of rapping, he said he’s learned to realize that his singing voice in an R&B genre tends to get more attention from fans … especially the ladies. And while his sound is unique, he said he’d love to work with Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Future, Drake, PartyNextDoor, The Weeknd, Jay-Z, Rae Sremmurd and many more.
“I have a different sound from a lot of people,” he said. “I tend to write to a simple beat – the beats I pick are very different than what most artists would pick. So my voice and the way I organize my music is what makes me unique. Plus, when you hear my music and my sound you can really vibe out. I make long songs that you can lose yourself in. You hear me and you know it’s me … no one else sounds like me. My little signature is to make long songs where you listen and find yourself in this musical journey and at the end you’re like, ‘Where did this song take me?’ I like to say my music really puts you in a trance. That’s what makes me stand out.”
ProdoughJ said he hopes to release his second mixtape, “Mixed Obsessions II,” by mid-summer. He said when it comes to his career, his three boys are his inspiration and motivation, and that he pursues a better life for them and his family through his music. To listen to his music or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links:
SoundCloud – Prodoughj
Instagram- @itsprodough
Facebook- ProdoughJ
Twitter- @darealprodoughj
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