These are my three wishes: One live life to the fullest, two -never let ‘em say I can’t do this, and three is get paid for rap, tell this beautiful young world I’m made for that.
– – “Young Word,” Proficey (youtube.com/watch?v=jsAY6YjzDVs)
Toledo lyrical prodigy, Proficey, pronounced “prophecy,” is an up-and-coming force to be reckoned with in local hip-hop. Born and raised in Toledo, the 25 -year–old’s unique, eclectic style and voice demands attention. Proficey says, “I can do everything from singing country to really aggressive, hardcore rap lyrics.” Engaging a wide variety of topics in his lyrics, Proficey dives deeper into more personal nuances, illustrating an exciting new perspective.
Proficey cites the diverse musical interests of his family as the main influence on his passion and direction in music. A blend of classic rock, country, folk, and foundational rap icons like Tupac, Proficey has derived the inspiration for his style. At the age of 13, he first rapped in front of an audience at a talent show. After receiving admiration from his peers, he realized that he was well suited for this artform. He says, “That was the first live show I ever did and I kinda fell in love [with it] ever since.” While he says that his true ambition was to be a rock singer, rapping arose for Proficey as a more viable form of lyrical expression.
Storyteller
“I’m a storytelling artist,” says Proficey, with his favorite subject matter derived from significant personal events.“My best stories come from pain,” he says.
While many of his songs have a poignant and narrative tone, he is not limited by serious topics which are based on personal experiences. Proficey makes it clear that his style is eclectic and can embody a variation ranging from the grotesque and the silly to the serious. He says, “sometimes I go into my own imaginary world.”
Freestyle
Proficey always spends his time analyzing his surroundings in order to come up with new and creative wordplay for his freestyle rapping. “That’s like me going to the gym if I were an athlete,” he says.
“Nowadays a lot of rappers say things are freestyle when they’re not and I can instantly tell who is or isn’t [freestyling],” said Proficey. A purist when it comes to so–called freeform lyrics being truly off-the-cuff. He applies this approach to writing lyrics, using a backing beat as the inspiration for freeform lyrical improvisation, which will later become the basis of a song’s verses.
“I just let things pour out and see where it goes,” says Proficey.
His upcoming album, Lucid Dream, set to drop in July.
Check out his soundcloud page
(soundcloud.com/proficey), add him on
facebook (proficey419) visit his website
(proficey.com) for more music.
