An Atlanta rapper with a distinctive sound, PBR has a lot of high quality work out. With his upcoming project with friend/collaborator VNUS808 on the way, we only have more to look forward to.
1. You told me that you most frequently work with VNUS808, and in your collabs like ‘ZIP’ and ‘John Wick’ I can see that there’s an undeniable chemistry. Will we see more work from you two soon?
Of course. Vnus is my man dude were actually good friends outside of the music. Only person I make time to talk to on Instagram video because I hate video chat with a fucking passion. We be making hits all the time. Remixxxes Vol.3 coming soon
2. Why are there two versions of ‘CRUSH UHH’? Both versions are fire, but I’ve never seen anyone drop different takes on the same song (and over different beats) before.
It’s pretty much become tradition to send vnus all my verses so he can do cool shit to them. There’s so much you can get out of one verse. You can change pitch, speed, add nu adlibs, loop/distort it. Music is amazing dude
3. Your X project with VNUS is a cool EP, and it tells me that you could easily carry a longer project of about 7-8 songs. Is there anything like that in the works?
Our next project SATURN V is definitely going to be over 7 tracks. I like to keep it brief and never go 3 minutes on a song because in real life I get bored fast so I want it to reflect my attention span. I make up for short length with the many different versions I release of the same verse so we all win. Variation is key.
4. Who inspires your rapping? There’s something extremely distinctive about your flow that’s a little hard to place.
Honestly there’s no person that inspires my raps. I feel like there’s an inherent Three-Six Mafia influence because I like 99% of the underground am obsessed with them. I also came up on a lot of their more popular stuff from the 2000s. I always just listen to the beat and think of what it makes me feel like, create the scene, a flow pops up immediately and I insert words. Project Pat is my favorite rapper ever though.
5. How long have you been making music in the way you do now? Has hip-hop always been a major part of your life?
It’s going on a year of me making music once April hit. I started off chopping x screwing shit which I still do every now and then. Hip-Hop has always been a major part of my life. My mom and dad had me hella young so I got to hear all the big underground and mainstream releases fresh. My dad is super underground like Wu-Tang Clan, Pete Rock, Beatnuts, ya know “Golden Age” hip hop. My mom is super into down south acts like UGK, Outkast, Goodie Mob, real down south playaz ya know what I’m saying so I’m pretty well rounded.
6. You seem to have an interest in chopped n screwed or ‘slowed’ music, is this something you’ve always been influenced by?
Hell yeah dude there’s nothing like gettin’ lit and hearing slowed up shit ya know. I started putting out slowed versions because I used to sit in my room with all the lights out and slow the songs down to molasses tempo and just chill. So I said shit I should release these and boom. S/O Texas mane they usually spinning me out there I appreciate the love. RIP DJ SCREW
7. What does PBR stand for? I’ve been wondering since I first saw your name.
Pussy Boy Records… I got that name from my uncle Johnny. He got this funny ass way of saying pussy boy and I said I like that shit. It also rings to my more sensitive side when I was young and many people would call me a pussy for my extreme angst and love for animals and such. Wanted to flip it into a term of endearment and embrace my more new masochistic side. Shit just fye dude.
8. What’s it like being from Atlanta from an artist’s perspective? Do you collaborate with others from your city much?
Everybody out here rappin’ wanna be lucchi so bad and it’s annoying. I would collaborate with people out here if we were on the same page but we literally in space. Deez boys ain’t on that at all.
9. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to add/anybody you’d like to shout out?
S/O my favorite artist Lil Ugly Mane dude. He will always be one of my favorite artists. I love how he moves in the real too that man really made a stand fo what he believes in and pulled out of Secret Circle. Big respect.
S/O my mom and dad for giving me the blessing when I showed the “HEIST”.
S/O my boys for riding out to all the new jams when they drop.
S/O me for getting over my nerves and actually rapping because I definitely could not of done this 2 years ago.
S/O you for the interview these questions was OD. I’m gone man PBR X VNUS:808 got more shit on the way all the time. Salute.
Listen to PBR on Soundcloud. Follow him on Twitter at @FlexxxSteele.
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