Prof

Fantastical and irreverent levels of hedonism and satire are displayed across the discography of Prof, an underground rapper with releases on his own Stophouse label and Rhymesayers Entertainment. The artist’s prolific knack for ebullient absurdity, on full display since the full-length Rahzwell collaboration Absolutely (2006), has necessitated loosely conceptual characters and releases such as Kaiser Von Powderhorn (2008), King Gampo (2011), and Pookie Baby (2018). Although he hasn’t avoided touching upon his tough Midwest upbringing, Prof is known most for cartoonish output, termed by multiple outlets as “trash-rap,” and high-octane live performances. While attending high school in his native Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prof, born Jacob Anderson, formed a duo with friend and fellow student Rahzwell. A few years later, they made their debut with Absolutely (2006). Though Prof subsequently went solo in name, he and Rahzwell continued to work closely with one another. Following the release of Project Gampo (2007), the first proper solo album from Prof, the rapper co-founded Stophouse Music Group, his primary outlet well into the early 2010s. Among the Stophouse solo releases were three volumes of his short-form Kaiser Von Powderhorn series (2008-2012), titled in reference to the Powderhorn community in which he was raised, and King Gampo (2011), which featured appearances from Brother Ali and Riff Raff. During this period, he also recorded Recession Music (2009) with St. Paul Slim. Prof’s profile steadily increased with each release and concert, and it got another push from Slug and Siddiq’s Rhymesayers Entertainment. After signing with the Minneapolis-based label, Prof issued the singles “The Reply” and “Farout,” then completed Liability (2015), on which he was joined by Tech N9ne, Petey Pablo, and Waka Flocka Flame. Within three years, he was back with his fourth solo album, named after yet another colorful character, Pookie Baby (2018). ~ Andy Kellman