Meet YP The Prophet | Founder of ESPE & Beat Roulette

We had the good fortune of connecting with YP The Prophet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi YP, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Initially I didn’t have a thought process behind starting up. Beat Roulette started out as a creative way to hone my craft of creating and performing. It started as something I just loved to do. I would Recite original poetry on crowded trains of Washington, Dc many would listen and some wouldn’t. However, that never deterred me. I decided to go bigger by incorporating music into it. As I took to the streets I realized what I was doing made people feel, smile, laugh and enjoy that moment. It kind of took on a life of its own as on-lookers turned into artists. Then one day a woman stopped me and thanked me for a piece of poetry I performed on the train a few weeks prior. I believe that is when I truly realized that I had something great that needed to be shared with the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a jack of many trades. I’m a writer, poet, hip-hop artist, audio engineer, graphic designer, fashion designer, media distributor, videographer, and I’m picking up photography as well. My art in all forms whether its music, poetry, or clothes is universal. The common goal is positivity. What sets me apart from others is my duality. A lot of artists will say they can’t be placed in a box while offering little variety. I focus on being versatile while never losing my core values. I can switch through genres, styles, and sounds. However, you will always know its YP. Although my music has been played on national radio stations and I’ve performed in venues all over the country, what I’m most proud about is how “Beat Roulette” makes people smile. It brings strangers together and gives people an outlet to share their art. There is nothing greater than that. I’m really excited that we are in production of season 1 Beat Roulette. It’s a series that needs to be shared with the world. I got to where I am today by being consistent. If you are consistent you think of new ways to change things up so your business never becomes stale and predictable. Instead it stays vibrant and new. Also that is how you can measure the growth within yourself. As any artist will tell you, being an artist is far from easy by itself. Couple that with starting a platform for other artists. Time management is crucial. Also with being an artist or starting a business you have to take risks. In the entertainment world you have to be extremely careful. It’s an industry full of sharks and scammers. I’ve overcome challenges by staying focused. I have a vision and goals to meet. If something didn’t go as planned I learned from it. Next time the situation came about I was prepared and handled it accordingly. I’ve learned some hard lessons along the way. One is you can’t help everybody regardless of the relationship. If it’s your vision you have to protect it. Get rid of people who aren’t contributing to it. Another lesson is always have your paperwork in order whether its contracts, permits, split sheets, or ect. A conversation isn’t binding. I want the world to know this is just the beginning of what ESPE has in store. We have goals to expand into education ultimately one day opening a school.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There is so much to do in Atlanta so I’ll narrow it down. If my best friend was visiting we are definitely going to eat good. We would stop pass Atlanta Breakfast Club, Paschal’s, Barber Bistro, Bar Vegan, and of course Slutty Vegan. We would take in the sun and some nature at Piedmont Park. We would walk the belt-line to enjoy some art. Then finish the night enjoying ATL’s nightlife. One stop during that would always be Bonfire ATL.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a huge shoutout to Tenable Music’s founder Amos Drummond. Over the years we’ve been working together I’ve learned a great deal of knowledge. For that I am truly grateful. I also wanted to give a shoutout to my homie and brother Tone Butta founder of Real Business. I remember when we first connected and the conversations we would have. Now we are enjoying the fruits of our work.

Website: https://tenablemusic.com/y-p-the-prophet

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Yptheprophet/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ESPEBangers/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZTq4U-Po2iDilx4nXx1CGA

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WvqLg9z9aDgwZ4c8nWGmL?si=yZJqAgNPRO6POzaYjsjGEQ&nd=1′ https://music.apple.com/us/artist/yp-the-prophet/901590173 https://www.pandora.com/artist/yp-the-prophet/ARk5xkzpwhXXx92?corr=68433472&part=ug&_height=1440&_width=2560&_branch_match_id=929903262645029022&utm_source=User%20Shared&utm_medium=artist

Image Credits
YP The Prophet