Introduce yourself, crew, affiliations etc...

I'm Max Prime, rapper/freestyler, beat maker. I'm part of the Low Budget Affiliates hip hop crew, which belongs to Busshaak Records. I'm on DJ Nato's Up in Arms Recordings. I recently formed a group with DJ Jon B to create a duo called Hardly Novices.

Who is Max Prime and what makes him tick?

The love of rap to start. Max Prime is a rap alias with calculus connotations. As an MC, he is a person with punchlines in every single song, whether the verse is serious, fun, heartfelt, or a battle rap. That's what he began as for my first EP and my upcoming up in arms album. In the future however, it will be whatever decides come out my pen. At this point I'm moving toward just writing for the moment.

Are you a long time Edmontonian?

Yeah, born here. Whyte Ave south side area, over by the tip of a river valley vein. Never lived anywhere else yet.

How has growing up in Edmonton helped or hindered you as an MC?

Helped: the MC's. I currently know some of my favorite MCs in Canada. I'm not joking. At least 7 of them live here. Inspiration basically. Hindered: Love is hard earned here. If you want to rap, you can be an awesome artist, people aren't necessarily going to automatically flock to you. Also, community isolation. Not too many of us have really worked with anyone from the Canadian or international rap community. Thus, out here, we tend to make the music that we like foremost, and let it take us wherever it takes us. That might be changing soon however.

What inspired you to pick up a mic?

One inspiration was the Wake Up show. Back in its prime, the radio show hosted some of favorite ciphers in hip hop, and it inspired me to start writing and learn delivery. After some time writing and recording on shitty headphones solo, I started ciphering at house parties as well as the old Black Dog hip hop night where I encountered many of today's Edmonton MCs. They told me to keep it up. There was no turning back after that.

What is your all time favourite rap moment?

One moment was when P.E.A.C.E. nearly won scribble jam. I swear he was one of the few who refused to freestyle in the normal battle cadence that everyone else does, or come up with those normal repetitive jokes. He had this one quote to the effect of "I leave you surprised like� BOING BOING BOING BOING DING DING DING DING!!!!" with perfect timing.

If you took beer out of the equation of Canadian hip hop what would the result be?

I predict Low Pressure's business stocks would drop. Most of us would be blazed out of our face. My own crew would have 10 albums out. Half of our community would be rapping like Saul Williams. And sushi would be the new food staple of Canadian hip hop. Rap shows would have more chairs. In fact I have a bunch of old songs from before I was introduced to alcohol, and my pronunciation actually sounds a bit clearer.

You have just teamed up with the relatively unkown producer Jon B to make your debut Hardly Novices, how did this come together.

Through ugsmag. I was ready to make albums long long ago.