Dear P-Ro,
Thank you once again for participating in this interview. The year of 2025 was definitely a great year for you. 12 Albums in 12 months is something to be proud of. Your consistency, drive and performance shows, if you work hard, the world is yours.
Questions & Answers:
01 Releasing one album per month for a year is a monumental, almost athletic creative feat. What was the core philosophy or personal need that drove this marathon? Was it to break a habit, prove something, or simply because the music was overflowing?
-It was actually a little bit of all those, and wanting to challenge myself with a goal and try to get better at being organized. The list of projects I made in December looks different than what I ended up doing. If I wasn't dedicated to monthly drops, I probably wouldn't have made 4-5 of the ones I did. It's great to have a team that's like-minded and can dive in with me when I need them and make great, fun music together and share it with the world. I definitely learned a lot and got better at all aspects of what I do because I had no time to slack.
02 How does being from Massachusetts-a place with a rich but less commercially-hyped hip-hop history compared to NYC or LA-seep into your sound and your perspective as an artist? Are there local legends or a specific regional vibe you carry with you?
-I haven't really thought about that in a while. I don't know, there's a grittiness and hunger I think that Boston artists have. I think being here my whole life it's just a part of me. Guru is my biggest influence as an MC even today, I really don't listen to much Hip Hop music, but definitely not a lot from here. I've strayed from the regional thing with the whole crabs in a bucket thing that's never left Boston, and with the internet I speak to people in different states and countries every day. But I love my city and it's always with me in everything I do.
03 The name "P-Ro" - does it have an origin story?
-Honestly that was just a nickname I got that's just a shortened version of my government name. It's short and sweet, (like Rachel- the first person to call me that. RIP) fits easily everywhere and rhymes with a lot of stuff lol, so I ran with it.
04 Being a producer, how does the process start? Do you often begin with a beat that inspires a verse, or does a lyrical concept send you hunting for the right sonic landscape?
-Really I just cook up whatever I feel from the samples I collect and stack beats to inspire whatever may come up. But if I'm producing for someone specifically, I hunt and cook everything according to what I feel I want for that artist. I don't necessarily try to make what they desire.
05 You're also a visual artist. How does the practice of cartooning-thinking in panels, expressions, visual pacing, and narrative arcs-influence how you structure your songs or craft your lyrics?
-That's interesting. I'm not totally sure. I would say that it all is one big bubble feeding each other both ways and adding a little extra that others don't have. I also have Synesthesia - where I hear color, so that's a major factor in the way I write because I write to moods, and a major factor in the artwork I use. Plus where I'm not a drug dealer or criminal, I made myself the artist rapper because it resonated with people's interests and that's fun to weave into everything.
06 Over those 12 months, was there a particular album or month where you hit a wall? What does creative doubt look like in the middle of such a public, scheduled commitment, and how did you push through?
-I'd say there was only one moment where that happened. It was around Spring when I was plotting out the rest of the year and realized I was still waiting on some producers and MCs so I panicked and hit everyone at once! Then they all replied at once and were ready lol, and we were able to make it all happen.
07 Your production style-are you a gearhead with synthesizers and samplers, or more of a minimalist working in-the-box? Did your sound evolve noticeably from Album 1 to Album 12?
-With my production, I've used MPCs exclusively for 20 years and nothing else. I've dabbled with the MASCHINE a little working with CLOAQXDAGGER, and may add one to the mix since I'm the only 'Knuckle Dragguz' producer that doesn't have one. I only produced the last 2 albums of the year, although with Mixing, I've added a lot of elements to my sound, and a big goal for 2026 is to improve on that a lot more. Sound quality, skits, and all the tiny elements nobody notices lol.
08 I'm a huge fan of your art. How did you pair the visual tone with the musical tone month-to-month?
-Thank you man, I've always appreciated your support. It kinda goes back to question 5. Some of the covers were a reaction to the mood and sound of the music, and some happened while we were molding the sound, so they fed off each other. Some were done before the music really formed, so it influenced the music. Although honestly, some were just a dope piece that didn't clash with the music. Then just making videos and merch and kind of making it one big presentation and controlling it all like one big painting, if that makes any sense..
09 Beyond rap, what artists, writers, or filmmakers outside the genre fundamentally shape your creative approach?
-Honestly rap doesn't really influence me at all. I've also slipped a lot on reading the last few years, but most of my inspiration comes from visual art. It’s the only thing that really stimulates my mind and makes me want to make more art and even music. I watch prestige TV shows too which also influence me sometimes. Here’s just a list of artists- Loish, Ryan Ottley, Matteo Scalera, Kano, Uncle Ewan, Adam Hughes, Frank Frazetta, Input2, Skottie Young, Dave Guertin, Kiki Yamada, Ben Oliver, Jeff Dekal, Azram, EKTO, Turkesa, Chris Battle, Nick Runge, and I’ll end with Kosuke Miyagi and there’s so many more.
10 With 12 albums this year, it's a lot to ask of a new listener. If someone wanted to start understanding P-Ro, which one album would you point them to as the best introduction and why?
-This is easily the hardest to answer. I’ve dropped 34 albums since 2020, and each one is like an update of the current me. I think to understand the kinda of rebirth of who I am today, you gotta go back to 2021 “‘98 PROOF” produced by Crack Sizzlack. I could talk about that one for hours but it was a major milestone in my life for personal reasons. The sound quality isn’t as good as today’s, but the content is a big movie the way we built it. I’m glad I have a good mic now lol.
11 Now that the year is done, do you feel a sense of withdrawal from that relentless pace? How has your creative rhythm changed now that the marathon is over?
-So what I didn't expect is that this year only made me want to continue dropping monthly, or at least way more often. I'm someone that has to create every day I breathe. I genuinely have so much fun doing this, and being able to work more specifically with G Fam Black who has the exact same drive (or more), I'm in total control. It hasn't burnt me out in the least. Being so active makes you better at anything, and this has only sparked more ideas, more skills, and other artists wanting to work. I work well under pressure and I found my addiction lol.
12 Are there other artists, collectives, or specific spots in Massachusetts that you feel are essential, undervalued pieces of the current creative puzzle?
I think you’re definitely on that list! Unfortunately between family and work I don’t get out much, and I’m not super tapped into the scene believe it or not. As far as creators though I’d say tap in with everything Brandalizm is doing, you probably seen his murals somewhere. Check for anything producer Mello Dee does, and not to keep tooting the same horn, but I think Knuckle Dragguz has built a body of work over the last 5 years that can’t be matched. Toot toot!
13 After this defining year, what's the next challenge? Is there an even bigger, crazier, or perhaps quieter creative mountain you're looking to climb? Maybe a graphic novel paired with a soundtrack?
So that specific idea has been floated but I’m not sure I could actually pull it off, as the time it would take I'd probably get bored or overwhelmed with it, but you never know. I’m glad you asked this, because I need to make a goal. I don’t have one major mountain yet, but a bunch of smaller ones. Some of which are outdoing myself, which means you can expect more super cool stuff.
14 After dropping 12 albums in a year, you must need to shut the brain off. What's your go-to "comfort" cartoon or album from another artist that you put on to just escape and not analyze?
-I love that you said not analyze! My comfort cartoons are the Spider-Verse movies and the series Arcane. There are so many though, but the thing about those is they still inspire me lol. I can't afford to turn my brain off anymore so I don't see myself stopping yet, but I always find pockets of time to fit these into. And the better I get at it, the more time I can reserve for them! A few more off the top of my head are Primal, Venture Bros, Teen Titans GO! and Rick and Morty. There are so many though.
P-Ro, thank you. This has been insightful. The year of 12 albums is an incredible artifact of discipline and creativity. We'll be listening-and looking-for what comes next.
THE END!
Ceverely Yours,
Marquis Walker
Ceverely Yours,
Marquis Walker
P-Ro Links Below:
Bandcamp: https://tinyurl.com/2p9kaazh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p_ro_kd?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Dope read.
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