Prometheus Brown is a rapper, hip-hop artist and DJ in Seattle.
He will be performing at R-Day in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Seattle Refined: How long have you been writing/performing?
DJ Prometheus Brown: I’ve been actively writing and performing as a hip-hop artist, first as a hobby with friends since middle school in the mid-90s, then as an active participant in the local Seattle hip-hop scene during my college years before co-founding Blue Scholars in 2002 and going full-time as a musician in 2006.
Tell us about the artistic process and the different stages that work into it.
I’m very collaborative, idea-driven, balancing instinct and intellect. Trying to not overthink it while being intentional at the same time. I’m open to many starting points, drawing from both internal feelings and whatever is going on outside and honoring both through the process. I tend to start from processing ideas and inspiration in solitude, absorbing others’ artistic works, experiencing life, but the real work starts when I take that energy into spaces with other creative folk with different skill sets to create something together.
Where does your inspiration come from? What artists have influenced you?
For most of my journey, I’ve been inspired by artists who challenged the status quo and embedded their political stances through their art. Public Enemy, The Coup, NWA were early influences (still are). But through the years, I’ve learned that if I’m open to it, inspiration can literally come from anywhere, even in the most mundane settings. Today I was inspired by coming across an old receipt that I used as a bookmark for a book I never finished, which triggered a visceral memory of the day I stopped reading the book and remembering actually buying the things on the receipt.
What kind of genre is your music? What kinds of things do you write about?
I am most known for my work as a rapper and a hip-hop vocalist, but as a DJ I’m eclectic, genre-wise, while still upholding the spirit of the DJ as a hip-hop artist. I’ve written much about what’s going on in my city, local and global struggles of colonized and marginalized peoples, and commenting on media and culture throughout. Those are all still subject matters that I approach, but more recently, I’ve opened up to share a more personal story.
Do you have one song that means more to you or is extremely special to you?
I have so many songs that mean so many things to me that it’s hard to pick one. Or, if there is one, it depends on what I’m experiencing at the time and how the song relates to it. Then it’ll change to something else.
What experiences in your life have shaped your music?
Growing up in a first-generation immigrant household with working-class parents from the Philippines and a father who was always blasting music loud in the house, in hindsight, played a big role in my music. I’ve tried to tell their and many other families’ stories and experiences of being displaced and rebuilding a sense of home and community in new places in my own work.
If we want to hear more of your work, where should we go to find it? What about upcoming shows?
Check out prometheusbrown.wtf for links to all my previous body of work, and KEXP.org for upcoming and archived shows where I’m a fill-in DJ! You can find my work with Blue Scholars around the internet on various streaming platforms or, better yet, find a hard vinyl or CD copy through the secondary market. As for my solo rap stuff, check out BeatrockMusic.com, where I have a handful of EPs, a collaborative project with Bambu & DJ Nphared (The Bar) and guest appearances on many of my labelmates’ records. As for upcoming shows, I usually post them in my Instagram stories (@prometheusbrown).
What is next for you? Anything you’re working on right now that you’re really excited about?
Right now, I’m working on a solo EP (fourth in a series of four) as Prometheus Brown, the rapper. I’m also performing more these days as a live DJ, in addition to continuing to do on-air shows at KEXP.
What’s the story behind when you cracked open your first-ever Rainier Beer?
I’m actually not sure if it was my first Rainier Beer, but it was definitely one of my earliest memories of actually drinking it — a house party during my early college years in Lake City, circa 1998-99. I distinctly remember that someone from the neighborhood who wasn’t even invited to the party showed up with a case of Rainier, and it was all good.
What can folks expect from your upcoming performance at Rainier’s R-Day event?
Since it’s the last full day of summer, I’ll be bringing a summer vibe one last time to hold us over until next June. Whether that’s Hip-hop, House, R&B or Rock — you’ll likely hear it all, similar to what you’d hear during one of my Variety Mix fill-in shows at KEXP.
Lastly, how do you take your coffee? We ask everyone!
Depends on the circumstances — straight black, drip for times where I just need the jolt, an oat milk latte if I wanna carry a drink around. But the ideal version is a pour-over on a calm morning where I’m not rushing into something.
About ‘Artist of the Week’: This city is packed with artists we love to feature weekly on Seattle Refined! If you have a local artist in mind that you would like to see featured, let us know at hello@seattlerefined.com. And if you’re wondering just what constitutes art, that’s the beauty of it; it’s up to you! See all of our past Artists of the Week in our dedicated section.
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