Don Prynce – Lynn Hazan

Shot by Greg Pallante

I heard about Don Prynce about a year ago around the Jersey City hip hop scene and through social media… Before I took notice of his music, I took notice of his style. Don Prynce is one fashionable dude, he dresses to the nines in Panama Hats, Bow Ties and fitted clothes. Don Prynce is Jersey City’s Pharell, and one day he will be a hip hop mogul in his own right.

I saw him perform a few months ago at a Wolf Juice open mic and was blown away by his energy, it wasn’t just him rapping, it was a whole performance suitable for a venue like Madison Square Garden. I knew I had to interview him before he would be too famous!!

Before the scheduled interview I got to know Don Prynce and his crew and they are all extremely passionate individuals who work really hard and will stop at nothing to succeed. This is something I truly respect in artists, that drive and discipline… so naturally him and his crew are officially part of the ChicpeaJC family.

Since Don Prynce’s style is so impeccable, I wanted to also do a fashion style shoot with him. We decided to meet at Riverview Park in the Heights which has the most incredible views. It was a foggy/rainy day and when I showed up Don was there with his entourage; His producer Kash Billionaire, friend and rapper TTG (JC’s Lil Wayne), and his equally fashionable twin Dominic (who joined us for the shoot).

Don Prynce has become a close friend, and I am not just saying that. He is so sweet, respectful and extremely passionate. You can tell that he takes his art form very seriously…He isn’t just about making music, he is about making it big which he will one day and I can’t wait to be part of it.

What’s your name? Don Prynce

What do you do? I’m a musician, an entertainer, I make music, I also do photography…

So you do everything? Everything, literally everything

I should just call you an entertainer? Yeah I’m an entertainer.

When did you start? Started back in high school in my freshman year. I fell in love with hip hop way before that because of my dad..He loves R&B and Hip hop, he has literally over a million CDs…I’m talking Mary J Blige, Heavy D, Rakim, Big L….. Actually he knew Wu-Tang; Red Man and Method Man, so I met them both at my uncles corner store. Before he died, they gave me some great advice, to keep doing what I’m doing….

So who do you prefer Biggie or 2pac? 2Pac, I love Biggie but 2Pac is on another level and nobody expected that, some guy from California to that. He took it on another level because he did movies, music, he had businesses that people didn’t know about [laughs] , you got to do some research on that.

Can you define your style of music? My style of music is Don Prynce.

That’s it? It’s a new lane, like I said im from Cold Coast so everything that you get from us is cold.

What is Cold Coast? Original people getting together, putting out original music, no more going into music industry beats. We make our own beats shouts to Walt Genius and Kash Billionaire…

What is your creative process? Usually I like to be alone, I just get in to the vibe of the beat, the choices of beats I pick are usually laid back. I love party music as well…. as a rapper I want to step in every genre, I don’t always want just hip hop, I love EDM, I love country music, I love it all.

You said you have an EP coming out. Yes on the first week of June it’s called “Coming to America” and that’s with DJ Midnight he’s hosting the EP and it’s coming out really good!

Can you tell more about how it was making your E.P? I got that whole idea when I went to Las Vegas back in January. There was an airplane with an American Flag… and I thought it would be dope if I called it “Coming to America”.

“Coming to America” you mean like the movie with Eddie Murphy? Yeah I used his character on the cover which was designed by one of the artists you interviewed, Kid Kold. So this project is going to be me re-introducing myself . Right now I got two mixtapes out right now, which are “Dreams Work” and “ In My Own Words” and those were just my first time doing mixtapes but this one explains me. Everybody is going to love it.

Everytime I see you perform you always have a ton of people on stage with you, its crazy, it’s like a party within itself can you tell me about that? [Laughs] When I perform, I start solo, the next two tracks I like to have the crowd involved, getting everybody up.

How do you feel on stage? I love it. It feels like home actually, it feels like the only place where I don’t get jitters. I really feel at home, and that’s where I need to be. When I came back from Vegas in January I had this one set plan to grind. No more procrastinating…

Just do it. Yeah and so far in a month and a half look where I’m at. I’m getting interviewed by Chicpea!

Wow, I’m flattered, well I see you out there every day, posting, working on your stuff its great.

Can you tell me about your fashion, you’re extremely fashionable. That’s the other thing about me… like once I make it into the hip hop world I don’t want to stay in that I want to venture off into the fashion, I love fashion, I love shopping , I’m a shopaholic [laughs] . I like changing styles I like putting different things together…

Where do you shop? Gorin Brothers is where I go to get my hats , DON’T SHOP THERE PEOPLE [laughs], I shop at H&M, and various clothing lines that are online.

I love it you’re really stylish you know like the emoji, that’s why normally when I do interviews I don’t do a whole fashion shoot but I was like I needed to collab, I love it. So what are you wearing now? Right now I got some boots from Aldo, these jeans are from H&M, so is the jacket.

Love it . Let’s talk with your twin…

Whats your name? I go by D Twin

What do you do? I’m behind the scenes, the man behind the camera , so that’s where you’ll see me

Any gossip on your twin? …….. Has a twin that’s the gossip [laughs] I really don’t got a story

So wait you guys are twins but you are fraternal. Yes

But you both look exactly alike . I don’t know what my doctor was thinking , so I really think we are identical , I think he was drunk that day and he came in an told my mom we were fraternal so im going to ride with that story…

But are you alike? Yeah we are very much alike other than the fact I don’t rap… ladies I sing….I’m lying [laughs]

Do you guys get along? Yeah we do. He has his music thing and I try to support him as much as I can.

That’s great. What are you wearing? G by Guess, I love the blue/purple shirt everything is G by Guess I just don’t want everyone copying my style!

What is your favorite spot in Jersey City? I would say the waterfront, downtown and all of the bars.

Don, you were born and raised in Jersey City ? Yes born and raised.

How do you feel Jersey City has changed in a couple of years? Jersey City has come a long way. You got various artist that really want to work together, previously the problem was everybody wanted to fight for the top spot, when everyone can share it . There’s no need for beefing we should be coming together. That’s also why I venture off and do my own thing on a new lane I just want to give Jersey City a new view, a new flow, something brand new.

I call you the Jersey City Pharrell. That’s was sup! But I’m Don Prynce, Jersey City’s Don Prynce.

Yeah that’s true, I see that you are different , you’re stylish, you’re trendy, you’re your own person , you’re a brand. Yeah that’s what I learned at the Inspired Artist Movement , “Brand Yourself”

Do you have a favorite spot in Jersey City? Well if it isn’t at Me Casa, I like going to modcup, I like hanging out over here and Pershing Field Park.

What about food and bars? The Dopeness downtown you gotta get the cinnamon toast crunch chicken tenders.

So good oh my God I had those, they are insane. You also got Barcade downtown, I love it I just love downtown. Which changed a lot… Shout out Mayor Fulop [laughs]

Nice! I love it that you shouted out Mayor Fulop.

Now what about the hip hop scene in Jersey City? There are so many artist out here, artist I never thought would rap are coming out of the blue and they are doing their thing… you got Designer Boyz, we got Hero he got that track “Momma Rich” out there…

That song is so good. It’s crazy cause me and him have been doing music since day one together and for both of us to have these powerful tracks that about to come out is very different. There are other artists as well, you have TTG, you got Corey Ironside from Cold Coast, KKimmestry.

She’s amazing, can you tell me a little more about her. She’s a dope artist out of Somerset, actually Raquel brought her through … she came to record at the studio and the rest was history her flow is just different she just reminds me of Da Brat.

I WAS THINKING OF THAT , I DIDN’T WANT TO SAY IT. Yeah there is a lot of dope artist from Jersey City, Nizz Sentine is a great rapper, Vincent the Owl, OWL Gang, Petey x Kraze, TJAY, Enigma, Digga and Gold Dynasty… there’s so many artist out here.

Shout out to Wolf Juice and Mega Mission..they really believed in me… Wolf is one of the reasons why I kept going with the Dopeness cause nobody wanted to hear me out and he did and I’ve been rocking at The Dopeness ever since, it has really been a blessing.

Now what do you have coming up? Any plans? I got 5 shows in April , I got one at the Coffee Cave, on the 17^th I’m at Allure Lounge, Bloomfield College April 10th May 9^th at the Life Lab for the Domain Wave for Wolf Juice, I got one more but I forgot!

I’m sure the ladies want to know are you single ? Yes I am single.

Anything else you want people to know about Don Prynce? Yeah check out DonPynce.com, Cold Coast Music we got so much music coming out Kkhimestry got an EP coming out in May, Corey Ironside is coming out with a mixtape, Just Jay he’s a Cold Coast artist he’s going to drop his mixtape just get ready the summer is going to be hot…. shout out to JR The Beast we are going out to Miami, in May so check him out.

Why are you called Don Prynce? I don’t know, my first rap name was Holiday and I had to change that, I got that name because I was born around Christmas. I changed it to Don Prynce because I feel like a Prince.

And it suits you perfectly, any last words? I want to give a big shout out to ChicPea I LOVE HER SO MUCH!! [Laughs] check her website….

Haha you are too sweet. thanks!! shout out to Greg for doing the photography, I want to shout Jersey City I just want you to know we are coming with something some new, and different. Get in tune with it .