Whether one likes it or not, Hip-Hop has changed. The cultural landscape no longer belongs to a single coast; rappers are pushing boundaries in music like never before and the digital age has taken over quicker than you can say “Twitter©”. New artists are emerging from all over the country, not only repping their respective hometowns but making music that is an unapologetic portrait of who they are and what they’ve seen. Today, the more diverse an artist is, the better.
Diverse is just one word to describe rapper/producer P.Watts. Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, dubbed by natives as “The Metro”, P. Watts is currently making noise with his regional smash single “Grown Man” (featuring South Carolina rap legend Piazo and rapper Pachino Dino) which has become the anthem of the “Official Carolina Movement.” As “Grown Man” gains popularity with Southern and Midwest rap fans, the single’s video and P. Watts’ live performances at the 2009 South Carolina Music Awards have amassed over 5,000 combined hits on www.YouTube.com (courtesy of www.BuckTV.tv and A-Frame Media) without the backing of any record label or promotions team.
While Watts has previously worked with a who’s who list of artists including Pastor Troy, Consequence and Bad Boy’s own Red Café, this rapper/producer is set on establishing his under-represented hometown as a force to be reckoned with in the rap game. Using his broad spectrum of life experiences (P. Watts has lived in both Houston, Texas and New York City) coupled with his knowledge of the music business as a burgeoning producer/artist (he was once signed to Salt of Salt‘N’ Pepa’s label Gav Fam/Rap-A-Lot/Virgin and cites Salt as a personal mentor), P. Watts is out to prove he is more than your average Southern rapper.
“I grew up on Hip-Hop,” P Watts, who cites Gang Starr, Travis Porter and UGK as musical influences, explains.
“I transcend so many genres of Hip-Hop due to the people I grew up around and the places I’ve been, [therefore], you can’t pigeonhole my sound.”
In addition to his musical background, past industry experience with corporate record labels has taught P. Watts to think outside of the box and take control of his imaging and marketing. Recently, P. Watts created and executed his own television advertising campaign, “I Am P. Watts” to expand his presence within the digital world outside of the local music scene. Taking full advantage of the electronic media takeover of music, the
campaign stars the everyday folks of Columbia, South Carolina, making it both grassroots yet innovative.
P. Watts admits, “When the commercials started airing heavy, I couldn’t walk anywhere without being recognized. This type of marketing has never been done by any artist, large or small, in the city of Columbia.”
With his flexibility, business savvy and talent P. Watts’ plans for expansion look promising. His upcoming projects include the mixtape “Raw Wattage, Vol. 1” with DJ Cannon Banyon and DJ Dyce set for release this spring and an upcoming single with super-producer Zaytoven (Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy), Rasheeda, Lola Monroe and singer Kalenna of Bad Boy Records’ girl group, Dirty Money. Some of the many other notable producers P. Watts has worked with include Mista Raja (Maino, BG, Lil Kim), Koko of Basement Beats (Nelly, P. Diddy, Chingy), Nine Mil (Lil Ru, Collard Green, Lil Brod), Dj Burnone (Freddie Gibbs, Alley Boy, Yelawolf and Pill) and Ed Roc (Mobb Deep, Erykah Badu, Consequence and Wyclef).
In the midst of re-establishing himself as an artist and putting his hometown on the map, P. Watts remains true to traditional self-promotion tactics as well as new trends in today’s current digital age. He shares this philosophy on today’s music industry: “[Right now] we’re in a digital world so a lot of emphasis is placed on effectively branding yourself using digital means, however sitting in front of a computer all day doesn’t equate to guaranteed success. People still have to see and feel you.”
With the rising success of “Grown Man” and a clear understanding of the business of music, one thing is clear: P. Watts is about to make the rap fans of South Carolina very proud. And make Hip-Hop history at the same time.
