The Hitchcock of Hip Hop Experience, by Javon Merritt

As a longtime follower of hip hop who never quite appreciated wicked hip hop, I admit to skepticism when I was invited to see the Hitchcock of Hip Hop - Prozak - perform at Clutch Cargos in Pontiac.  I was most definitely unsure of myself when we arrived and witnessed a line wrapped around the block of people with faces painted, strange clothing, and what I would consider Halloween costumes amongst a crowd in the beginning of June. 

When we got to the gate, we found that all press passes for the evening had been revoked by the promotion company of the event, which also featured performances by Twiztid, Boondox, Potluck, and Moonshine Bandits.  Within minutes of our denial at the door, someone from Prozak’s crew approached us, apologized for the misunderstanding, and ushered us through the door while purchasing our tickets in cash.

As we walked in, it was a strange mix of feelings; appreciation of Prozak and his crew for the quick response and hospitality, the “outsider” feeling of sticking out like a sore thumb with a majority of the wicked fans, and all the while being pulled in by some good beats and basslines from the opening group that was already playing. 

When Prozak’s show started, there was immediately an intensity and level of energy that led to the wildest mosh pits of the evening.  Joining Prozak on stage was a hype man, and two others in gas masks with video cameras.  The visual of him and his entourage as they performed was quite dynamic in connection with the very diverse set of beats his set was composed of.   Prozak demonstrated a unique brand of raw hip-hop talent as he performed “Go To Hell”, showing solid crowd control and mic skills amongst the complete madness of a mosh pit in the middle of the 1^st floor.

After the performance, we met Prozak, who was surrounded by a mob of fans next to one of the more professional merchandising booths I’ve seen, even at national concerts.  As I spoke with Prozak and a few of his crew, I was a bit amazed at the intensity of hustle that is Prozak and how much of his behind the scenes work he himself handles.  

Very impressed from this sub-genre that I originally found myself uneasy to review and feature as my first issue of ‘The HitList’, I was suddenly anxious to pop in Prozak’s CD ‘Tales from the Sick’ for the first time on the way back to the tri cities.   The release itself, a double disc with an audio CD and a DVD, was highly impressive, from the album art to the quality and diverse soundscape that he presented.  There were many tracks that caught my attention, but one of the tracks that really stuck in my head is “Why???” featuring TECH N9NE and Twista that makes for a legendary, and classic, yes I said it - classic track.  I will love this track 5 years from now, without a doubt.

Just by watching the DVD he produced, which in itself was a well created project, it brought out another song that I didn’t realize would be as catchy to me as when I first heard it on the CD.  The track “Good Enough” featuring Mike E. Clark, in which Prozak shot the entire music video in Saginaw, presented itself as a unique theatrical narrative which in itself is a ground breaking rap video, as he did not even put himself in front of the camera until the last second.  Literally.  And at that it is one of the most impressive music videos I’ve witnessed in a few years.

Regardless of my initial reluctance, it was actually a great pleasure getting the chance to meet Prozak and write this review.  Amongst all his accomplishments and  visibility on the Billboard charts, he is a down-to-earth and humble guy. 
 

Winning four awards at the 2009 Review Music Awards for Best Rap/Hip Hop Artist of the Year, Best CD Release of the Year, Review Artist of the Year, and Artist or Individual Making the Biggest Impact On the Local Music Scene in the Past 20 Years, Prozak’s career is now in full motion amongst his local and national recognition. 

If you don’t go pick up a copy of “Tales From The Sick” after you read this, you can’t even consider yourself a true hip hop head!  That’s my word.  You heard it here first at the HITLIST in Review Magazine.