Denver rapper Play Pat likes to stick to his friends, family, music and not much else. The stay-in-your-own lane mentality has worked for him so far, leading him to success in a city that he is not from. By the show of his hefty following on Soundcloud, Instagram and Twitter, the masses have spoken that there is much on the horizon of this rapper.
However, being a lyricist is not the only hat Play Pat claims. As an audio engineer by day, the musician knows he is going to spend his life in music, it just will not be down one single avenue. We sat down with him to find out the directions of those avenues in this upcoming year.
303 Magazine: How would you describe life as a rapper in Denver?
Play Pat: For me, being a rapper in Denver is difficult. I’m from the Bay Area, it is similar out there how artists compete with each other. Denver is full of talent and no one notices. It feels like all of these big companies just want to jump on what everyone else is doing. They want to ride Atlanta’s wave or see what is going on in L.A., we have talent right here so we should try to grow here. That’s how I feel.
It’s hard when people lie and do things out of self-interest and leave you in the dust. You need to stick out in 2018. If you don’t have dyed hair or a face tattoo, it’s three times as hard to get noticed.
303: You put out a lot of music in 2017. What does 2018 have in store?
PP: I have probably over 1,000 songs and put out maybe 10 of them. I’m a perfectionist and I engineer my own music. It’s hard because you might be in the mood for something one day, but by the time you’re done, you want something different. If people listened to all of the songs that I had listened to by myself, they would know why I’m doing what I’m doing.
303: Do you have any upcoming performances that we can put on our calendar?
PP: I have a lot of things that I can’t say. 2018 is probably going to come with a West Coast tour. I can’t announce the artist yet. I am going on tour in the summer across California, Oregon and Washington. I have three music videos in the works right now for all unreleased songs. I am waiting until later in February and March to start releasing my first ones so that I can have content all year. I’m straight on the shows right now until the price is either right or I’m part of something.
303: You got a lot of attention for your music video for “Solo.” What opportunities did you see come from that success?
PP: I had a lot of blogs hit me up like The Daily Loud. The next song I am releasing is through The Daily Loud, they’re premiering my new song called “Hit The Gas.” That should do well, it is a new style that I am going with.
Play Pat, photo courtesy of Play Pat
303: What brought you to Denver?
PP: I was born in Hawaii, but grew up in the Bay Area. I moved out to Colorado to go to CU Boulder for school. Two years after I moved out here my parents moved here. I am looking to move to L.A. or wherever my audio engineering takes me — whatever way I can be in music. I like the whole process. I don’t think I would be alive without music
303: Do you find inspiration in Denver? If so, when and where?
PP: I really like nature. I like hikes. I just like surrounding myself with people who like music. Most of my time I’m alone. There is no bias, no one to argue with, no one to distract me from what I want to do. Music is fun and stuff but I need to make some money. Like people say, “you gotta be rich before rap.” [Laughs]
303: Are there any Denver people who have inspired you in your career?
PP: There are a lot that inspire me. I don’t work with too many of them. I haven’t worked in Denver for too long. There are a lot of talented artists in Denver, I’m just doing my own thing. I feel like my sound is different than what is being accepted right now.
303: What else do you want fans at home want to know what you have to come?
PP: A couple of months ago I started DFRNT, which is my label, my group [and] my lifestyle. It just means be different or live differently. I’m really weird, you know? I hang by myself, I don’t have too many friends. People think I’m weird but that’s fine. I don’t let it get to me. The weirder you are, the better. I just want people to know that being different is cool. Being different is relatable, not being the same.
Also, be on the lookout for my music. I promise it is going to get better and better as we ride along.