Pressa sits down with AllHipHop and talks Drake vs Kendrick, why town didn’t take the meat private, and the way Tory Lanez didn’t crack till 10 years in. He breaks down the actual Toronto sound, being from Jane and Finch, going unbiased, and why outsiders have to cease making an attempt to “figure out” town.

SlopsShotYa talks to the Canadian star with no business polish, no protected solutions and pure actual dwell at GainedWorld Studios. Pressa merely provides his uncooked perspective on Hip-Hop, beef, enterprise, and tradition straight from Toronto.

AllHipHop: Do you hearken to dancehall?

Pressa: Yeah, on a regular basis.

AllHipHop: Anybody ever examine you to Alkaline? You sound like a rapping Alkaline.

Pressa: What’s loopy about it, my grandma talked about, my grandma tells me I’m by some means sort of associated to Alkaline, however probably not. Like, you already know, I don’t know. I believe like my cousin’s cousin or one thing, you already know, in yard. My grandma stated, “Yeah, Alkaline,” she like, “His family, his auntie,” da da da da.

AllHipHop: West Indian individuals don’t bought not one particular person not associated to somebody. They bought to ask the final title, some on the market cousins.

Pressa: Yeah, I do know precisely how that go.

AllHipHop: Press Machine 2 is a good physique of labor. Long time coming. What took so lengthy to prepare dinner it up?

Pressa: I used to be going via a state of affairs on the time and I simply needed to reset every thing. My enterprise was all tousled. I had to return, my company, my taxes, all that stuff. So I reset and bought stuff rolling. Put my workforce again collectively, restructured my workforce, and now it’s objective time. You’re gonna see much more music from me.

AllHipHop: That’s a option to come again. On the intro “Machine Gun,” it had that “Went Legit” pattern vibe, additionally “Drop Slow” by Kanye. Was that on function?

Pressa: I actually didn’t know. I didn’t know what was on there. I’m tuned out just a little bit. As a lot as he say I be smoking and tuned out, I don’t actually discover a whole lot of issues. I bought selective listening to, selective ideas. Sometimes I am going on the beat and I’m simply doing my very own factor. I wasn’t actually conscious of sure issues.

AllHipHop: So how lengthy did it take to get the venture collectively?

Pressa: The venture’s simple. It was extra my enterprise. I could make music each day. It wasn’t the music holding me again. It was my enterprise, and the way I needed to come out my label deal. I used to be signed to RCA earlier than, simply transitioning from there. I needed to get my bag proper as a result of I’m unbiased. You really feel me?

AllHipHop: Is there an enormous distinction between Canadian legal guidelines and the American music enterprise?

Pressa: In Toronto we get grants. They fund us. Artists in Canada, they’ll give us 20, 30, 40, 50 G’s as funding. Even after I used to tour, after I did the 50 Cent tour, I used to be doing it out of affection. But they’ll give me cash every date. Like a stipend. It’s like grants, cash from the federal government.

AllHipHop: So it comes out the tax cash?

Pressa: Yeah. They help their native artists and stuff. Shout out to FACTOR and shout out to the entire Canadian grant workforce. They at all times look out for me and all of the artists developing. That’s how a whole lot of Canadian artists are capable of put out initiatives and get just a little help and push. 

AllHipHop: You’re one of many originators of that newer Toronto sound. Do you are feeling such as you get sufficient credit score?

Pressa: I’m not entitled to credit score. If they offer me my flowers, they offer me my flowers. I used to be by no means the entitled sort. I simply bought to do my half and hold it coming, be a part of the tradition. It’ll be dope.

AllHipHop: Explain Toronto’s signature sound to individuals who aren’t tapped in.

Pressa: The signature sound is that melodic sound. Like Houdini, Robin Banks, me, even like Burna, you are feeling me, my brother Burna Bandz. That’s the sound. There’s naked of us. There’s QTB, there’s a lot of us that really have affect onto town. I really feel like we’re a part of the principle tradition.

AllHipHop: When you collab with an American artist, do you attempt to “Americanize” it?

Pressa: I sort of simply do my very own factor. People gonna really feel me regardless. I attempt American fashion beats typically, like a Lil Baby sort beat, however I by no means swap up my lingo or disguise the place I’m from. I make everyone know I’m from Canada. Toronto, the trenches, Jane and Finch. Why would I come to America and attempt to steal their tradition? Obviously you guys bought mad affect in us. I may need took a few of the tradition on accident, jewellery or no matter, simply being influenced. But by no means deliberately like, “Yo, I want to be American today.” I’m proud to be Canadian, bro. We bought manners. We respectful. You know what it’s.

AllHipHop: Put me on some Toronto lingo.

Pressa: “Wasa demiana.”

AllHipHop: What’s that?

Pressa: It’s like useless man marijuana. It’s weed. Like go the demi.

AllHipHop: That’s clear. But the web, Reddit, YouTube, all that. How do you are feeling about outsiders being nosy, making an attempt to determine what’s occurring behind the music?

Pressa: Hopefully they don’t work out the items of the puzzle. Hopefully they by no means determine it out.

AllHipHop: I get it. As a New Yorker, it could possibly really feel predatory when individuals “solve” your neighborhood prefer it’s content material. Toronto and New York bought similarities although.

Pressa: Toronto and New York is far alike. You guys bought sturdy Caribbean tradition. I bought household in Toronto, a lot cousins. I used to come back to New York on a regular basis as just a little boy. Jamaica Avenue, purchase just a little chain. Shout out to the Coliseum.

AllHipHop: The Coliseum, sure. Jewelry downstairs, jackets upstairs.

Pressa: Facts. I used to be like 10, 11. My uncle introduced me. Outside bought the mixtapes. It was lit. Toronto is closely influenced in Caribbean tradition, in order that’s why I say Toronto and New York is far alike. Just just a little colder. It’s like a 6 hour drive.

AllHipHop: 2026 trying like what?

Pressa: I’m engaged on my album proper now.

AllHipHop: So what’s Press Machine immediately, mixtape or album?

Pressa: A mixtape.

AllHipHop: I’m nonetheless confused on the distinction these days.

Pressa: Same. I nonetheless don’t even know.

AllHipHop: Back within the day mixtape was free music to get the album scorching. Now it’s like YouTube and SoundCloud, and perhaps “less effort” than an album.

Pressa: Oh okay. I get it. Press Machine was positively a mixtape.

AllHipHop: You bought a reputation for the album?

Pressa: Nah, I’m nonetheless engaged on it. I bought some dope data within the stash.

AllHipHop: We ready on that subsequent Drake characteristic.

Pressa: I don’t know, man. Go test it out on Press Machine II. It’s most likely on there.

AllHipHop: I wished to ask anyone from Toronto. Did y’all take “Not Like Us” private?

Pressa: It’s music on the finish of the day. But I really feel like Drake’s a greater artist throughout. Kendrick had that one tune, it was scorching, however Drake has one million of these. Hundred million slaps. You really feel me? Like what are we competing with proper now? We need to hear stuff too, for the women. I didn’t know a Kendrick tune till “B,” after which “Not Like Us.” That’s most likely the one two songs off the highest of my head. “Poetic Justice” laborious although.

AllHipHop: The battle fed YouTube too. People ate off that.

Pressa: Oh yeah. It was good for town, good for music, good for Hip-Hop. Lots of people say we didn’t have an enormous second, and that was an enormous second.

AllHipHop: Before we go, I’m nonetheless mad about that World Series, bro.

Pressa: The best World Series of all time. Seven video games. Crazy. We folded. They ought to have put me on the sector, bro. I’d have by no means fumbled that. Put me on third base, I’d’ve made it house. These guys receives a commission to be stars. You higher hit that ball.

AllHipHop: Baseball is a sport of failure although. They say you good in the event you fail seven out of ten.

Pressa: That’s a reality.

AllHipHop: Last factor. Drake is principally the OG of Toronto now. You need that sort of longevity?

Pressa: Yeah. Remember Tory Lanez didn’t crack until 10 years later.

Related