This weeks spotlight artist is Francisco Velez Jr., also known by his stage name, Crotona P., and his song, “Let The Horns Go,” is not only a RAPstation song submission, but is currently #3 on the RAPstation, RAP50 countdown. He was born and raised in the Bronx New York up until he was 32 when he moved to his current residency in Rochester NY. As a teenager, he would write and record and even now he has maintained that passion throughout his life. Focusing on music, he picked up a part time job for the cash flow to take care of his family and still be able to write and record, what he expressed was a big part of his life, his music. Getting caught up in street stuff, Crotona P has managed to put that behind him and re-discover his passion. His love for his daughter has made it that much easier to get focused on his music and life in general. Be on the look out for his projects that are available and being promoted online; Road To Recovery, Recoverenhasbin Project, AARP on Soundcloud, and Big Bang Kingsman.
RAPstation (Kianna Woods): Where did your name, Crotona P., come from?
I get my name from the area I’m from in the Bronx, Crotona Ave 179st. The P stands for Pride. I consider myself the pride of my hood.
What role did music play in your life growing up?
Music has played a major part of my life. I started out young listening to LL Cool J “I’m Bad” and when my mom heard a curse word on the track, she cracked the CD and that was it. No more of that for a while, but seeing Latino rappers rapping, that was awesome to me. I saw a rapper by the name of Kurious George who’s also Latino. I heard him say in a song “half Puerto Rican, half Cuban,” and I thought “that’s pretty cool” and after that I just got inspired to start rhyming and start making my own stuff. I was hooked! Being caught up in street stuff, I never took the career too seriously but with time you grow up and grow out of that stuff and I’ve been part of it ever since. Music was always my first love so why not come back to it?
What music influenced or inspired you growing up?
Latin rappers in the game that showed that they could be part of it. Not just people focused on the fact that they were Latin, but focused on the actual skill. I found that incredible and I wanted to be part of that.
Are there any artists that have influenced you or that you greatly look up to?
I would say obviously Big Pun, Fat Joe, Cypress Hill, Nas, Rakim, and Mellow Man Ace when I was younger with the “Mentirosa" song. We’ve got, even, newer artists that still inspire me. Younger than me. I get inspired when I listen to J. Cole, I get inspired when I listen to Kendrick. So you know there are a could of people in the younger generation that have soul, that make good music that I like listening to. Even a young Latin rapper coming up, Nino Bless, he's also a great Latin rapper.
Do you write and record yourself, and how did you get started?
I started writing when I was 15, 16, at studios, other people mixing and recording. 7 years ago, when I moved to Rochester, I had no intention of rapping, just to work the 9-5 thing. After I was let go at my previous job after 3 years, I had nothing but time so I got back into writing and rapping. I was paying for studio time back then but I thought to myself that I could do this on my own, so for the past 3 years I’ve been recording on my own. "Let The Horns Go” is the most recent track that was actually produced by DJ James 90 from the UK and DJ Easy T who linked me up with DJ James 90. He liked what I did and that was actually the first time I went out of house to get something mixed.
How has it changed or evolved over time?
It’s become a lot more free flowing over time. I do sit down and think about what I’m writing, but I don’t sit there and try to analyze so much what I’m saying, I just let it flow naturally now. It’s made me more comfortable with myself as an artist. It’s ok to just let your thoughts flow onto the paper and sometime you get the best work like that.
Do you write or record with any specific theme in mind?
Honesty. When I sit down to write a song, I want to make sure that what I’m putting on the paper is either 100% my story or 100% someone close to me, but not something that I’m just making up. That’s what I hold to heart the most.
Tell me about an event that you feel changed you as a person or artist?
Having my first daughter. It changed me heavily because before that I was living for myself and I was living recklessly, so when I had my kid it made me want to just be a better person and it reflected in my music as well. She’s 11 and will be 12 next month. On YouTube there’s a song called “Victory's Confession” which is my confession to her. It’s just me rapping straight through about things between her mom and I. It’s my story to my kid.
What are your goals in music and life?
To have a healthy life and live long, as long as I possibly can for my kids. In music, I wanna get to the next level, which is the level of actually getting paid, booked shows. Getting residual, income off the music and all of that is fine, but actually going out and getting paid for shows, that’s my goal. I also want to be able to put out good, honest music that’s not following a particular script that people can still gravitate towards.
Lastly do you have any projects that we should be on the lookout for?
At the moment we are promoting a lot of the stuff we already have online. The album and music that is on YouTube, Soundcloud and iTunes as well.
Crotona P. is definitely an artist to look into, for those of you who have not heard of him yet. His honesty is not only apparent in his music but also in his presence if you are ever given the opportunity to meet him.
