{{short description|American rapper, producer, singer and songwriter}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = | birth_place = Los Angeles, California | occupation = Rapper, producer, singer, songwriter | years_active = 2012–present | website = {{URL|https://princeharvey.com}} }} '''Prince Harvey''' is an American rapper, producer, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his album ''PHATASS'' which he recorded at an Apple Store in New York City.
==Early life== Prince Harvey was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in the Caribbean, on the island of Dominica. He wrote his first song at the age of eight, inspired by the rapper, Juvenile's song "Back That Azz Up". At age 14, he moved to the Bronx, New York City with his family.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/prince-harvey-video/|title=Prince Harvey Loves His Mom and the Future of Humanity; Watch His New Video for "Sometimes"|date=2015-04-05|work=Noisey|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en-us}}</ref>
==Career== On July 7, 2012, Prince Harvey released "No Music" on SoundCloud.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/bradesposito/prince-harvey|title=When His Computer Broke And His Hard Drive Was Stolen, This Rapper Recorded His Entire Album At The Apple Store|last=Esposito|first=Brad|website=BuzzFeed|date=7 July 2015 |access-date=2017-11-28}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=NO MUSIC|url=https://soundcloud.com/princeharvey/no-music|language=en|accessdate=2017-11-28}}</ref> The song is completely a cappella, and re-appropriates a popular New York City clap-and-chant routine.<ref name="auto"/> In a recent documentary, Harvey stated that he wanted to showcase the voice as "the most important instrument", and decided to make an entire a cappella album. While recording the album, Harvey ran into an obstacle when a friend offered to transfer an apartment in his name. Within three days of moving in, he received a notice from the landlord that the rent on the apartment was outstanding. The locks were changed, and all his belongings were seized, including his computer with all of his recordings. Unable to afford a new computer, he visited the Apple Store for four months and used their display computers to create his album.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/shortcuts/2015/jul/12/prince-harvey-rapper-secret-apple-album-apple-store-garageband|title=No studio? No problem. Meet Prince Harvey, the man who secretly recorded an album at the Apple store|last=Beaumont-Thomas|first=Ben|date=2015-07-12|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Watkins |first=S. Craig |title=Don't Knock The Hustle |publisher=Beacon Press |year=2019 |isbn=9780807035306 |location=United States |pages=15–17, 18, 196 |language=English}}</ref>
In November 2014, Harvey released "Sometimes" as the first single from ''PHATASS.'' In January 2015, he released an accompanying video, shot in the New York City Subway, where he jumps in and out of subway tracks, sails a paper boat, and drops cue cards while walking through the train cars similar to Bob Dylan's ''Subterranean Homesick Blues'' video.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/soundclouds-of-the-underground-new-york-edition|title=Soundclouds of the Underground: New York Edition - Interview Magazine|date=2015-01-22|work=Interview Magazine|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/prince-harvey-video/|title=Prince Harvey Loves His Mom and the Future of Humanity; Watch His New Video for "Sometimes"|date=2015-04-05|work=Noisey|access-date=2017-12-04|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Prince Harvey|title=Prince Harvey - Sometimes|date=2015-01-12|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFHV5jAajHQ|accessdate=2017-11-28}}</ref>
On May 27, 2015, he released "The New Black" as the second single from ''PHATASS'' (acronym for Prince Harvey At The Apple Store: Soho)'','' and announced that the album would be coming out that July.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bullettmedia.com/article/bullett-premiere-prince-harveys-the-new-black/|title=BULLETT Premiere: Prince Harvey's "The New Black"|access-date=2017-11-29|language=en-US}}</ref>
On July 5, 2015, ''The Daily Beast'' published an article titled "He Made a Secret Album in an Apple Store" written by Matthew Narvin. The piece chronicles Harvey's experiences making ''PHATASS'' and announces the release date set for later that month.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/05/he-made-a-secret-album-in-an-apple-store|title=He Made a Secret Album in an Apple Store|last=Narvin|first=Matthew|date=2015-07-05|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref> Within hours of publication the article had gone viral, being shared on social media by celebrities like Talib Kweli, Russell Simmons, Lil Wayne<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TalibKweli/status/617826760332312576|title=After reading about @princeharveynyc recording an entire album in Apple Stores I don't want to hear yall lazy ass excuses!|last=Greene|first=Talib Kweli|date=<!--3:45 PM - -->5 July 2015|website=@TalibKweli|language=en|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/RussellSimmons/posts/10153122059033759|title=Russell Simmons|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/LilWayne/posts/10150596208469959|title=Lil Wayne|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref> and news outlets and magazines like ''The Guardian'' and ''Billboard''. Once word had gotten out about ''PHATASS'', numerous publications proclaimed Prince Harvey a genius.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.elitedaily.com/music/rapper-made-album-entirely-apple-store/1102314|title=This Genius Rapper Actually Made His Entire Album In An Apple Store|last=Levine|first=Eitan|work=Elite Daily|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nylon.com/articles/prince-harvey-album-apple-store|title=rapper secretly records album in an apple store|date=2015-07-06|work=NYLON|access-date=2017-11-28|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/05/he-made-a-secret-album-in-an-apple-store|title=He Made a Secret Album in an Apple Store|last=Narvin|first=Matthew|date=2015-07-05|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=2017-11-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/apple-store-genius-facebook-evangelicals-other-john-c-abell|title=An Apple Store Genius, Facebook for Evangelicals & Other Must-Reads}}</ref>
Harvey used this new attention to tour the United States and Europe. In October 2016, he released "Sorry" and announced that he had been working on a new EP titled ''Golden Child''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nylon.com/articles/prince-harvey-sorry-song-premiere|title=After Going Viral Last Year, Brooklyn Rapper Prince Harvey Is Back With "Sorry"|date=2016-10-10|work=NYLON|access-date=2017-12-01|language=en}}</ref> On November 8, 2016, the day of the US Presidential Election, Harvey released "Stay Gold" as the first single from ''Golden Child.'' He also spoke about the election, indicating that he was not particularly excited about either candidate. "One wants me in jail, the other wants to kick me out of the country", he told ''Paper'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.papermag.com/prince-harvey-2085003169.html|title=PREMIERE: Listen To Prince Harvey's Optimism-Fueled Election Day Anthem, "Stay Gold"|date=2016-11-08|work=PAPERMAG|access-date=2017-11-29|language=en}}</ref> In Spring 2017, he released the EP ''Golden Child'', a collaborative project with producer Holly.
On July 17, 2017, Harvey released "R.I.P. 2016" on SoundCloud, a song that told the story of the death of his step-father and his friend, Dorian, who died of a drug overdose while sleeping in the same bed with Harvey. That same day, he announced that he would be releasing a song a day for the next 100 days as a protest against Trump.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7874230/prince-harvey-apple-store-rapper-100-new-songs-trump-protest|title='Apple Store Rapper' Prince Harvey Stands Up to Trump by Releasing 100 Songs in 100 Days|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2017-11-29}}</ref>
== Discography ==
=== Studio albums === * ''PHATASS'' (2015)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/nytnow/your-monday-briefing.html|title=Your Monday Briefing|last=Shannon|first=Victoria|date=2015-07-27|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-12-04|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
=== Mixtapes ===
* ''400+'' (2023)
=== Extended plays === * ''Golden Child'' (with Holly) (2016) * ''SSICC'' (2019) * ''SSICC II: Self Care As Warfare'' (2021) * ''Physical Nomad'' (2024)
=== Singles === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Song !Year !Album |- |"Sometimes" | rowspan="2" |2015 | rowspan="2" |''PHATASS'' |- |"The New Black" |- |"Sorry"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nylon.com/articles/prince-harvey-sorry-song-premiere|title=After Going Viral Last Year, Brooklyn Rapper Prince Harvey Is Back With "Sorry"|date=2016-10-10|work=NYLON|access-date=2018-04-09|language=en}}</ref> | rowspan="2" |2016 | Non-album single |- |"Stay Gold" |''Golden Child'' |- |"101" |2017 |Non-album single |- |"2020 And Mariah |2020 | rowspan="2" |''SSICC II'' |- |"SCAW" |2021 |- |"Aqueerius" | rowspan="3" |2022 | rowspan="3" |''400+'' |- |"Hold My Hand" |- |"Van Gogh" |}
=== Music videos === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Song !Year !Director !Description |- |"Sometimes" | rowspan="2" |2015 | rowspan="2" |Prince Harvey |Shot entirely in the New York subway Prince is navigating the gritty subway while holding signs that contain song lyrics, sailing a paper boat.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-22 |title=Soundclouds of the Underground: New York Edition |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/soundclouds-of-the-underground-new-york-edition |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=Interview Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Prince Harvey, The New Black">{{Cite web |date=2016-02-09 |title=Prince Harvey, "The New Black" |url=https://imposemagazine.com/tv/prince-harvey-the-new-black |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=IMPOSE |language=en}}</ref> |- |"We Real Cool (Gwendolyn Brooks Cover)" | |- |"The New Black" |2016 |Prince Harvey, Julie Malice |Prince and friends, are filmed alternately in black and white and against bright colors, posing and dancing. Prince raps with a cloud of tulle around his neck, arms in white fishnets, at one point shown breaking out of handcuffs.<ref name="Prince Harvey, The New Black"/> |- |[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PihuZ-Ce9AU&ab_channel=PrinceHarvey "Aqueerius"] |2022 |Herman Jean-Noël, Prince Harvey |Prince is sleeping on a mattress on the beach and is awoken by an incoming wave. He dances around while singing on the and at a construction site. |- |"Hold My Hand" |2023 |Herman Jean-Noël, Prince Harvey |Prince zooms through New York City on a moped, courting multiple people. |- |"E.T." |2026 |Herman Jean-Noël, Prince Harvey |Shot entirely in black (save for one small clip) Prince is scene in multiple scenes including behind bars, in a vintage London phone booth and wearing a plague doctor mask. Kyle Kidd is also featured in the video. |}
== External links == {{URL|princeharvey.com}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harvey, Prince}} Category:Living people Category:American activists Category:American male artists Category:American male rappers Category:Rappers from Los Angeles Category:Rappers from the Bronx Category:Record producers from California Category:21st-century American rappers Category:21st-century American male musicians Category:Year of birth missing (living people)