You may recognize Prada Leary from articles we’ve done about his music. Now we’re bringing you an exclusive look into Detroit is Purple, his latest venture as a label-head, inspired by his creative journey and centered around a particular artist on his roster, Sadboytripp.
“Originally I was branding my latest album as Deep Purple, and when I first got back in Detroit I started throwing a party called “DETROIT is Purple.” As I was creating the merch for the event, I got really excited about starting my own company and legally trademarking the phrase. Fast forward to a few months later, I met Tripp out on Melrose while he was working at our friend Sahar’s store “Pop Up La.” After chopping it up a few times, I knew Tripp was the right fit to be the first major protegé that I brought on to DETROIT is Purple.” – Prada Leary
Guided by his own life experiences and his spiritual nature, Prada has felt called to start this label and to bring on a young artist that he sees a lot of potential in. “The label’s sound contains bits and pieces of me. So like Sadboytripp is one part of the Prada Leary sound, he he has the power to be a global star on his own. It feels surreal to be starting this new part of my musical journey because it’s been happening so fast and graceful.”
Of course, at EMCEE you know we have to ask the serious questions, so we asked Prada the following:
Broccoli: If your label could be described as an animal, what would it be?”
Prada: “If my label was an animal it would be an eagle, because we have a bird’s eye view on life and any situation. We travel so much around the world, we fly, we have no enemy and we move how we please in the sky. We will be one of the first labels to stream a show in outer space, mark my words.”
Sadboytripp’s story is inspiring in and of itself. With only a book bag and a dream, at 18 years old Sadboytripp took a bus to LA, bringing his roots in midwest emo to meet his passion for west coast rap. From that point onward, Tripp has studiously crafted a unique and impassioned sound, one that brings a vibrant and accessible energy to the music that inspired him to become an artist.
“I started by just doing a lot of underground shows, and lately I’ve been meeting all sorts of different influencers and trying to build my name and recognition around LA. Probably the biggest turning point for me was when I decided to drop everything and move to LA; nothing’s been the same ever since.” – Sadboytripp
One of our first questions for Tripp was this: If you had to imagine watching yourself perform, what do you hope that experience would feel like?
Tripp: “When you watch me perform I want you to feel all of my emotions, and feel like you’re in another world with me. I want it to be the best night of your life, something that you’ll tell your kids about.”
By acknowledging the depth of negative experience while putting a focus on hope and progression, Sadboytripp hopes to be a voice for those that feel alone and an inspiration for people that want to follow their dreams. When asked if there is anything that people should know about his music, the answer is simple:
“I just want everyone to know that I’m here for them; I love you all so so much and I hope you find comfort and safety in my music!”
