PremRock is one of those artists I can listen to talk about music all day long. Granted, here we’re reading him talk about music, and that music is of his own creation, but that, in many ways, makes it all the better. Whether breaking down how he linked up with producers on his new record Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…? or the shreds of inspiration that he then turns into masterfully painted tableaus, his perspective is endlessly informative and translates both on record and on paper.
Both as a solo artist and with SharpKnel, the duo he rocks with Curly Castro, Prem is one of rap’s premier lyricists. On “Void Lacquer,” which features production from Child Actor, he started with a prompt: “Have you ever seen someone really well put together physically but the inside is tarnished beyond repair? Putting makeup over a chasm…applying lacquer to a void?” he contemplated. From there, he spits: “A finishing touch only matters if you finish enough / Like I’ma finish you and still get us through this dinner rush.” On the Blockhead-produced next track, Prem begins in media res, rapping: “Arrive five years older, three years late / Salt and pepper smolder, California sober.”
I could quote all day. Or, you could just read Prem explaining what all these dense bars and knotty narratives actually mean. I trust him just a little bit more.
1. “Angel’s Share” (prod. Controller 7)
I forget the impetus of Tommy [McMahon] sending me this beat, but I immediately fell in love with it. It had to have been after the Nobody Planning to Leave sessions, but I probably asked for something to complete the solo production roster. It felt triumphant, but in a mundane way—like when you make the subway right when the A pulls up—but gradually feels more important as it rolls on.
2. “Void Lacquer” (prod. Child Actor)
I think I met Max [Heath] in, like, 2011 at SXSW. Willie Green always spoke highly of him but, like many, it wasn’t until I heard Armand Hammer’s “Charms” that I was like, “Well who is that?” I needed to find out the deal. Max wasn’t hard to reach, given our slew of IRL mutuals (namely Ceschi and pickle magnate Mo Niklz), so I reached out for some work for ShrapKnel and Max fleshed out some incredibly memorable moments on Metal Lung. This made it really easy to streamline some more work together. I settled on two, and this is the first of them. Have you ever seen someone really well put together physically, but the inside is tarnished beyond repair? Putting makeup over a chasm, applying lacquer to a void? You can probably apply this to one of the many layers of failed state we’re experiencing as well, sadly. But this one—I knew I needed the emotion behind it on here, and needed it early in the tracklisting
3. “California Sober” (prod. Blockhead)
I was a massive Blockhead fan in both high school and college. One night on my porch in the late spring I showed my friend Corey as we drank Bombay Sapphire and Sprite (as kids do) a song I’d written, set to “Cherry Picker.” He was a supportive guy and told me, “That was great, you’re going to actually work with him, it’s just a matter of time.” I remember it sounding just so far-fetched to me. I thought, “Well, he’s a good friend, but that’s delusional.” Now I can text Tony [Simon] anytime I find a sample he flipped, or just to bullshit about basketball. It isn’t lost on me how far I’ve come. He’s a great guy and still has his fastball as a producer. I think Green didn’t see the light on this beat until I showed him what I wrote. Then he was converted. This is classic Tony, in my opinion. I tried to summarize the feeling of an inevitable demise, but the fleeting joys in between.
4. “Steal Wool” (feat. Pink Siifu, prod. Sebb Bash)
I was fortunate enough to meet the legendary Sebb Bash in his Geneva studio on a night off during ShrapKnel’s first EU journey with Fresh Kils. Watching that man work was something else, I tell you—special skills and a wellspring of knowledge you simply can’t replicate. We were all a little bit in awe just watching his routine of spliffs, diggin’, and flippin’. Pink Siifu, for my money, is the most electric artist out right now. Anything he tries seems to succeed at a high level. It was a blessing to make this happen. The concept is funny, and although you have to parse through a lot, it’s simple: Folks could have the wool pulled over their eyes and instead of fighting the blindness they’d check for the brand.
5. “Plunder!” (prod. Child Actor)
The second of the Child Actor pair. Green took some liberties vocally, and I let him cook, which is always a wise decision.The off-kilter hypnosis of this one [made] writing pretty easy. Parsing through the headlines can drain you before your day even starts, and then you look at your life and you don’t have to worry about Israel bombing your house and you have water and shelter and you recognize the abundance. But man, if it doesn’t stir you up, I’m not sure you have a spirit left to guide you. It’s looking grim, friends, I do agree with that—but nihilism sure doesn’t serve me.
6. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (feat. Cavalier, prod By ELUCID)
ELUCID is a great producer and doesn’t get mentioned as such enough for my tastes. Cavalier, plainly put, is one of the best rappers alive. Put this together and you got a special track. I love the sounds ELUCID gravitates toward as a producer, and once you find the groove, it’s off to the races. Cav has never had a lackluster verse in his entire life. I think we achieved a special track here.
7. “Doubt Mountain” (prod. YUNGMORPHEUS)
Big fan of YUNGMORPHEUS. I reached out for some beats not even being fully sure what they’d sound like, but they really hit the mark of what I was looking for. These are probably the oldest tracks on the record, I think. “Doubt Mountain” kind of came to me as a phrase I kept repeating in my head as a way to describe a day in the life of an artist. Climbing doubt mountain is a daily task: you have to find the footing! It’s getting harder, but I’m feeling up to it these days more so than ever.
8. “Flight Risk” (prod. Blockhead)
Uncle Tony strikes again! This song was initially two beats he’d sent and I convinced him to weave the two together for the only official beat switch–type joint on the album. I really love the imagery of getting high meaning actually high. An old adage, to be sure, but like the idea of bothersome people in your life actually getting much, much smaller as you ascend. It’s a temporary fix, obviously, but a way to play with the theme of substance abuse. We shot a video for this that was a blast to put together, and hopefully you all agree as it was an ambitious undertaking that really came together nicely.
9. “Potemkin Village Voice” (prod. Small Professor)
Smalls has been on every one of my last three solo [records], and I’d almost completed this record before realizing that I hadn’t gotten [a beat from him] yet. We’ve been building a collaborative record together for a while now, and I stole this one. He didn’t realize I was heisting it for my solo until it was nearly too late. He was fine with it! It was the very last song recorded and I fell in love with it, so it had to be the finishing touch on this album. I like the idea of running the newspaper of a fake town. The stories could be whatever you wanted them to be. It wouldn't matter!
10. “Aim’s True” (feat. AJ Suede and Curly Castro, prod. Sebb Bash)
Album ain’t an album without Castro on it. Suede and I did a great run on the West Coast two years ago that featured some incredible challenges, but it really brought us closer. I loved the way “Joel Osteen” turned out on the last record, so this was already on the radar of things to try to replicate. Tons o’ guns, it never really changes. The two voices contrasted are interesting. One was a white governor saying “This is not who we are” and the other voice is a Black mother of a mass shooting victim telling the plain truth: “This is who we are as a country.” The beat itself kind of reminded me of Hell Hath No Fury era Neptunes. I mean, that’s crazy high praise, but listen again and let me know.
11. “Love Is a Battlefield Simulation” (feat. Mary Esther Carter, prod. Jeff Markey)
In simple terms, this is a love song. Not unrequited love or longing for a time that passed, but rather lamenting the differences that lead people to a logical ending, how love isn’t rooted in logical thought. If you ran one million simulations, do the same two people meet? Impossible, but say they do meet in every one of those simulations—do they fall in love every time? Probably not. But one thing is for certain: they don’t end up happily-ever-after in this lifetime, and hard to argue they would in any other. The question can remain, though: Did either of you enjoy your time here?
12. “Crueler Walls” (feat. Nappy Nina, prod. YUNGMORPHEUS)
I didn’t read a whole lot during this recording process, but one book I did read (and it certainly stuck with me) was Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. It directly inspired this song, hook, and overall idea. He’s a brilliant writer and worth studying. Nappy Nina is certainly one of the best doing it right now, so to get her on something was a huge blessing for this album. Another YUNGMORPHEUS beat here that really felt like the pen was gliding.
13. “Camel Cash” (feat. Illogic, prod. Jeff Markey)
Illogic was one of the first rappers I heard in my most formative years that really embodied the skillset I wanted to acquire. A poetic soul in touch with vulnerability, but an absolute motherfucker in a battle. I told him this myself! So I knew I had to reach out and get him on something, and this Jeff Markey beat is such a unique banger—it suited him well, so I figured a couple Ohio guys would make good here and they sure did. For those who don’t remember what Camel Cash was, it was effectively a reward system for smoking cigarettes. One of the most dystopian concepts I can think of. Shorten your life for a tote bag! Or keep trying for a puffer jacket! Just an insanely American concept. And shoutout Marlboro Miles—you’re in second place, though, I’m sorry. Joe Camel was too damn cool.
14. “Fever Dream” (prod. Fines Double)
Fines is a super talented producer and is starting to get some deserved due. He probably sent me a pack of, like, 50 beats when we started this process. Fines, if you're reading this, that is too much for me—I get overwhelmed! But in all seriousness, I loved this beat from the jump. I thought it was interesting Tony Soprano had this wild drug experience reaching heights he never knew possible and then came back down unchanged, essentially. He was the same ol’ Tony. I should rewatch that episode, maybe I missed the point. But the point remains: Epiphanies do often get wasted. It isn’t so much having one, but also utilizing it.
15. “Receipts” (feat. billy woods, prod. Controller 7)
We are trying to break your heart. No, not really, but this beat made me truly emotional when I first heard it and I wrote it pretty much immediately. Why did I only write one verse, I wondered? It was because I heard woods the entire time. He didn’t appear on Load Bearing Crow’s Feet because I never saw the fit, but this one felt right immediately. He didn’t disappoint with his verse whatsoever as his sentimental tone is sometimes my favorite of his. I think this song will make you emotional. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever made, and when you play it you’ll think of somebody. Controller 7 really crafted something beautiful and lasting here. I hope this song stays with people.
16. “Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?” (prod. Sebb Bash)
Backwoodz closers ain’t no joke. We take the craft seriously. In the streaming era, the last song is essentially the least played on nearly every record unless it’s a single or a high-profile feature of some kind. But fuck that. The record must end on a high note and be a brief signal of what’s potentially to come next. The last of the Sebb trifecta always felt like the final piece of the sonic puzzle. Sequencing is a major chore of most records, and I belabor over it more than most, I imagine. This, however, always felt like the closer. I had this part figured out. RIP to Saafir who was a huge influence on me. I felt it was right to pay homage to him.
