PRIME & PM'S "CREATURES FROM THE BASEMENT" REVIEW

The dynamic duo of the Prime & P.M. recently dropped “Creatures from the Basement,” on the first of April. If you don’t know which is which; Zaximus Prime is the mischievous, but bluntly charming emcee that acts as the narrator for this little tour of the dark and dingy basement of two hip-hop abominations. Jake P.M. the producer/DJ takes care of the soundtrack for this 8 track, 33 minute tour.
Before I get into the project itself, I have to highlight the unique style of the duo's live performances. I’ve been good homies with the record label B&E, who house Prime & P.M., for a minute so I’ve seen these two perform quite a bit. It’s no ordinary set. P.M. isn’t just blending each track together for a smooth transition. He’s doing each track LIVE. On the DJ table, P.M. uses his drum pad to recreate the beat in real time as Zaximus navigates the ever chopping sea of samples coming his way. In my opinion, Prime & P.M. have one of the most unique hip-hop performances in the Twin Cities today.
“Creatures from the Basement,” starts with “Darkside” which has been in their live set rotation for a minute. P.M comes with an animated and ominous beat that should have a rightful place in a classic horror-action video game. Zaximus Prime introduces you to, well, his dark side. Prime casually lists his mischievous rapsheet in fluent boombap fashion.
The second track, “Party Fowl,” comes in as one of my favorites on this project. The beat feels like it was laced with the sonic influence of the “Felt” series from Atmosphere and Murs in the mid 2000’s. The high paced, quickly rifting guitar samples married with the funky sporadic drums is reminiscent of Ant giving Slug and Murs a layup in 2005. But this is 2020 and it is Prime accompanied by fellow label mate and everyone's favorite anthropomorphic rapper “Walrus the Human.” Prime spits unapologetic admittance of his reckless behavior while he’s getting loose at a party. Walrus comes in with a classic verse to compliment this fun, funky track. This track makes me want to drunkenly put this on a jukebox at a bar. And if I ever get the chance again, I most certainly will.
The third track, “It Ain’t that Hard,” creates a shift in tempo and energy that contrasts the upbeat opening tracks. The beat coincides best with the title of the project as it feels dark and underground. But as rough as basements be, the elegantly placed saxophone samples smooth out this instrumental to create a slick dark alley-cat zoot suit-type beat. Prime comes with the smoothest vocal performance on the project with precisely sharp lyrics and crisp confidence. Prime comes with slick lines like:

“Mediocrity and flow won’t pass/
I’m rhyming everyday at home with a full bowl packed/
You dodos don’t know Zax/
I huff propane torches/
Tell em’ so jo jack.”

This one has also been in their live set rotation for a grip. One of my favorites on the project and on stage.
“Unrelatable,” is the most poignant and emotionally revealing track on the project. P.M. comes with this instrumental that is a mix of a funky bass line and an emotionally gripping rhythm and melody. This beat serves as a beautiful platter for an emcee to profess things they wouldn’t say to anyone except this track. And that’s what Zaximus does. Zaximus acknowledges his moments, memories, and imagination exiling him from having anything in common with the norm. He affirms that his sexual energy differs from the rest of the culture recognizing his prowess and his skill. He says this, and his says this bluntly:

“A lot of people will detest that I’m great/
Just because they cant accept that I’m gay.”

Zaximus Prime has, yet again, an exceptional lyrical performance. Prime lays it all on the table with no hesitation. With bars like:

“Now even though you worthless bastards/
Know I’m the sickest fire like burning plastic.”

And:

“To defeat me, you need to team up/
You suck more dick than I can dream of.”

Prime demands a moment of your attention to declare his prowess and influence.
“New Design” is a special track on this project as it features a rare vocal performance from P.M. With an introductory verse and and supply of the hook, P.M. helps makes this track a special treat on the in an unconventional way. PM has the line in his verse which is the most relatable to every underground Hip-Hop cat:

“Your career is big, cause your distorting/
We play the same dive bars and bowling alleys homie.”

But after the first hook finishes, Zaximus reappears and shows why he grips the mic more, commanding another slick PM beat with ease.
The final two tracks “Outlaw” and “Keep it Up” are strong statements to the end of the album. “Outlaw” sounds like the title: a western dirty style beat with Prime spits like a filthy cowboy with bars like:

“Ain’t no playing with me/
I keep an ace in my sleeve/
I take a shot of Jameson,
And chase it with weed/
And if the bathrooms occupied,
I ain’t waiting to pee.”

“Keep it up” proceeds with my favorite instrumental on the album from PM. Luscious piano chops combined with organic drums make this a slick exit. Prime unleashes an unforgivably fast and rich cadence. Prime & PM end this Album with their biggest flex to leave a lasting impression; a stain in your memory from the dark and grimy basement of two unruly hip-hip creatures.

Check out “Creatures From the Basement” on all streaming Platforms:

<a href="http://primeandpm.bandcamp.com/album/creatures-from-the-basement">Creatures from the Basement by PRiME &amp; PM</a>

(Melodic Noise) Name?
Prime & PM

(MN) Origin Story?
(PM) He [Prime] was working with another producer and I started making beats. Then via Facebook he saw that I made beats, then I hit him up... or did I hit you up?
(Prime) I hit you up. We did “Darkside.” That was the first song we made together before we knew we’re gonna be a band. We just thought it was gonna be a one off. Then we made an EP.
(PM) We made the EP to try to send to labels (without knowing how it works) From there, he was having problems with his producer, and we were working steady. So we were like, “I guess were a band now.” *laughs*
(MN) So “Darkside” was made before your last EP was real released? So it’s been sitting for a while?
(Prime) It has been, it’s been marinating.
(PM) That one finally got some radio time on Chaz Kangas’ First Impressions. I was pumped about it, cause that one holds a special spot. It was our first one, and it’s a banger.

(MN) Were you apart of B&E before or after you guys became a group?
(PM) After. We were a group about a year and half before. We got hooked up with Tic Toc from our one of friends, Osiris from Chicago. He was doing a B&E show and he went to see Tic Toc and he ended up meeting PJ. We went to a monthly Ziggy’s residency (B&E) and they booked us for one. After that we played every show they booked.
(Prime) With the residency that had at Ziggys, they were basically like, “Do you guys wanna play once a month for the next year?” And we we’re like... “Yeah we do.” So we hung around them a lot. They were booking us and we were booking their guys.
(PM) So we’ve been apart of B&E for about a year and half, roughly. Around the time of the first Hip-Hop Hoe Down.

(MN) Let’s talk about the album art, cause I think it represents Prime & PM, beautifully.
(Prime) We were trying to find a way to engage with people on adjacent things. We reference a lot of cartoons, movies, old video games. We needed some album art. I was experimenting with new programs and I had drew that up. I scanned it converted into a line drawing, and colored it and we finished it with orientation and everything. That took so long to make.
(PM) And it’s a good representation of our work space. Just food, a bunch of cans around.
(Prime) If ya can’t tell, that’s the exact scene from “Canned Fish Jams.” I’m a super die hard fan of Scooby Doo. All of the colors in our art (The album cover, our logo, etc) are from a Scooby Doo Encyclopedia that came out in the 70’s.

(MN) Favorite Track on the album?
(PM) Mine is Darkside. But my favorite beat I made on the album is “Party Fowl.”
(Prime) That is very funky. Mine is “Darkside.” But my favorite one I wrote was “Keep it up.” It took me months to write so I’m proud out that.
(PM) I think that’s the slowest beat I ever made too.
(Prime) 76 [BPM] I actually asked you to spread it up to 78. I wonder if I actually noticed that day or if I was being picky that day.
(PM) It could be picky, could be both.

(MN) Inspiration behind the Album?
(Prime) It’s kind of like a part 2. We learned how to mix on our first project. We were gonna mix this one, but we had I/O (B&E Label mate.) He’s fast and efficient.
(PM) With the title, we were looking at movie poster like “Creatures form the Black Lagoon.”
(Prime) And it’s kind of like our lifestyle. We don’t have an immaculate studio. Everyone’s just using what they can. It has that home grown feel to it.

(MN) What do you want fans to take away from the album?
(Prime) We kind of sit in a spot where people who don’t like Hip-Hop like our music. We try and show people there’s different aspects to it. The average person doesn’t dig deep in a style a music. They think it’s the same style over and over again. It’s a diverse style of music. It can be seen from many different perspectives.

(MN) Where do you reside?
(PM) I grew up in Cottage Grove.
(Prime) I moved to Cottage Grove all the way from Newport. *laughs* We went to same school. He was two grades ahead of me.

(MN) So you went to the same school but you didn’t know each other?
(Prime) Nope, we started hanging out after we graduated... Well he graduated, I’m still trying to work on that. *laughs* Are dads were actually friends before we were. My dad lived at yours (PM) dads place when they were young.

(MN) What are your influences and MN influences?
(Prime) When I first started I was really into Atmosphere and Musab. Since then, some of my favorite artist I strive to be as good as is: Big Wax, Spose, and Palmers Squares from Chicago.
(PM) Big Wax probably has the best Instagram in Hip- Hop. *laughs* I was a punk kid so I was into Black Flag, Misfits, Dead Kennedy’s. That’s how I got into Hip-Hop. Brother Ali’s Album, “Dreaming in a America: Living in Color” influenced me mostly because of Jake Ones’s beats. The production was so dope on it. I wanted to be a rapper when I was 19, but when I got my maschine micro and production took off from there.
(Prime) The two favorite artists since high school is Carnage and Big Jess.

(MN) Favorite TC artists?
(Prime) Definitely Carnage the Executioner and Big Jess.
(PM) It’s like a goal of ours to outdo Carnage’s show.

(MN) You guys have the same style of set as Carnage. Let’s touch on your live set.
(PM) It’s a lot of practice. A lot of shows that have been flubs. When we first started, we practice 3 times a week. When toured starting out, you don’t know when your next show is gonna be so you want to be prepared. But how we have a rhythm with each other so if either of us fuck up, we can adjust to it.
(Prime) Practice now is me rapping, but doing whatever I can to get him to fuck up, I love it. Our set will breath a bit. But we’re both easy with it. We make adjustments here and there. It’s impossible to be the exact same every time.
(PM) You really have to learn to roll with it on stage too.

(MN) Favorite venue to play at?
(Prime & PM) Can Can. That place was dope.
(PM) Palmer’s is one of mine too.
(Prime) That place is like a home venue. I have the Cadence jacket on right now. I like that place.
(PM) Twelve Eyes was cool.
(Prime) Twelves Eyes was really cool.

(MN) Crazy Show moment?
(Prime) There was one time in Chicago I might have gotten drugged. Everything was starting to get weird. Then the dude comes right up to us and “Are you guys ready?” So we did and it went fine.
(PM) I kind saw him snap in and out of it on stage. That was a wild one. *laughs*

(MN) Dream tourmates?
(Prime) Obviously B&E. Anybody outside our our team. Capacity, Professor Fresh, and Mosiris.

(MN) What’s your mandatory state to tour in?
(Prime) New York. East coast would be cool.
(PM) Billings Montana. *laughs* Any shitty small town with a dive bar we would do good in.

(MN) What would be in your rider?
(PM) Vegetables, juice. *laughs* tub socks, packs of cigarettes.
(Prime) Underwear.
(PM) Bang energy.
(Prime) We eat a lot of canned fish so definitely tuna in that bitch.
(PM) King Oscars, yo.
(MN) Would you need a can opener?
(PM) Yeah, a custom can opener from Billings, Montana... in Atlanta.

(MN) Favorite Place to grab food/drink?
(Prime) Hard Times. That place has the best vegan biscuits and gravy on the planet. Holy shit it’s incredible.
(PM) Sewer Cafe is really good.
(Prime) another place is Foxy Falafel.

Review and interview by: Paul Thorson, Hip-Hop Writer @PaulyT03
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner @PlaylistTC