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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT—SOULJA P aka S. P
By: Terrance Hazly
SOULJA-P AKA S.P is a Tampa Bay Area based Rap Artist who has risen to the spot-
light of the Tampa music scene in the last three years and signed with independent
record label 'Money Makin Muzik' alongside artist Lil Zane and others.
By the age of eight, with influence from his parents, S.P began performing in front of
large audiences and started writing his own lyrics. By eighth grade, playing the drums
in his jazz band at his middle school, he participated in over 100 shows around the
state of Florida and music became the spotlight of his life. With the experience of
playing difficult drum solos, classic jazz/blues rhythms, and high speed rock beats, he
began free styling and writing his own Hip-Hop songs soon after.
I sat down with Soulja P and here is the interview:
How did you get started? What is it like working with Lil Zane?
My Father got me started singing and playing the drums when I was about seven, and I took that knowledge and began rap-
ping seriously at the age of 17. Music was just always the aspect of life that drew me in, and every form of music I have partic-
ipated in fit my life during that time.
Working with Zane has been an amazing experience for me. I was already getting my name hot in the city, working on my
music independently, with a couple independent label situations available when he and I crossed paths and it’s like everything
just clicked with the Money Makin Muzik team from the moment I stepped in the studio with them. It’s been a really blessing
for me and has opened a lot of doors to say the least.
Describe the Soulja P style.
My style could be described as fast-paced rap, mixed with melodic breakdowns and switching flows. If you listen to my music
from song to song you will hear differences in the flow and delivery. I like to stay versatile but still remain me and I think that’s
what makes my mixtapes unique.
Tell us about your writing abilities & flow style.
I started writing my first lyrics in about fifth grade and wrote my first song in sixth grade, so I think my exposure to music at
such a young age really helped my writing abilities as I've gotten older. Writing comes pretty natural to me, especially when
I'm feeling the production. My flow style varies from bar to bar and song to song. I played the drums seriously for seven years
and that really gives me the edge when it comes to timing and manipulating the beat. I like to flip my words and use different
notes like triplets, with unique rhythms to make my words come out differently than the song before it.
What type of obstacles have you encountered getting to where you are?
I think my biggest obstacle as an artist was the passing of my mother, early on in my rap career. They always say what
doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Mentally, it felt like it killed me. It was definitely the toughest thing I have dealt with in
my life. The music really took the backseat for a while and it was overwhelming to even begin to refocus on it. Once I was
finally able to get back in the studio and begin working on my next project, it was like something came over me and I was
bound and determined to prove myself and make her proud!
Name your three biggest musical influences and they affect you.
The biggest musical influences for me growing up were Tupac, Bone Thugs and Harmony, and Twista. I first heard Tupac right
around the time he passed away, I was eight years old. I was amazed by the messages he always portrayed within hit
songs. Bone Thugs was always the musical masterminds of the industry to me. They took rap and basically created their own