Certified Fresh: P. Reign – Limitless, Despite Limitations

There’s an underlying power in the phrase “Dear America,” as it often foreshadows that a purposeful statement is forthcoming. Toronto’s own P. Reign, a bubbling rapper you may recognize from his affiliation with longtime friend Drake, appropriated said phrase on his recent Dear America mixtape and EP.

Though separate bodies of work, both projects are inspired by a single fact: Reign is a Canadian artist, who can travel to any country in the world but the United States. Pending charges from his days as a hustler are to blame for the rapper being denied entry into the country. “I had nothing to do but hustle, and I ended up getting caught up with that,” Reign told Complex. “I caught a few crack charges here and there. Most of them got tossed out but there is still some pending charges. So for that reason, that’s why they are denying me entrance into the States.”

A presence in the States, the premiere market for rap music, is essential for any artist to attain success. Knowing this, Reign joined the RCA roster. With proper label backing, he waves the flag for his Reps-Up clique and gives listeners his life on wax in one fell swoop, on both Dear America projects.

Stories of strife are a familiar aspect of Hip-Hop; one that allows the listener to empathize with MCs. Reign’s backstory has familiar roots, but at its current point, this scenario is one that’s rarely seen from an artist with such high affiliations.

Who: P. Reign, born Raynford Humphrey, has been waxing poetics for over 10 years and developing a name in Canada in the process. Now, signed to RCA records, the wordsmith is getting his affairs in order as he continues to combat his issues with crossing the U.S. border. Hailing from Scarborough, a rough section of Toronto, the experiences Reign gained in the streets translates into rhymes with authentic feel and melodic cadence, in part due to his Guyanese roots.

Credentials: Reign attained notoriety as a transparent figure in Toronto. Projects like Canadian Dream and When it Reigns it Pours allotted him enough popular material to join Drake on the Canadian leg of his first solo tour, “Away From Home.” Through the years Reign has collaborated with the likes of Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, and of course, Drizzy himself.

Fun Fact: Before visiting the States became implausible, P Reign spent two years living in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he attended middle school.

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Photo: Matt Barnes

Hip-Hop Wired: Considering your current status with not being able to cross the border, how much did that weigh in on titling the project Dear America?

P. Reign: We had about 100 names picked out prior to us coming up with the title Dear America. But because of my current situation with not being able to cross the border, the name kind of picked itself. A lot of my music is based on the fact that I can’t cross it.

Being a Canadian artist, the ability to cross the border is everything if you’d like to reach a certain level of success. The concept came about naturally. I was kind of forced to choose that name. I’ve been doing my thing in Canada for the past 10 years, crossing the border is needed to get to the next level.

HHW: You separated Dear America into an EP and a mixtape. What was the significance of that move?

P. Reign: It was originally one project. Then we took records that we thought would do better commercially and packaged them into an EP to give fans something to purchase. We didn’t want to give away too much music for free.

HHW: From your perspective, what inspires that dreary sound Toronto has contributed to Hip-Hop?

P. Reign: Life for us on a day-to-day basis. They say Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world, so there’s an array of different backgrounds in one city. Even back in junior high school, you’re exposed to a lot of ethnicities in your classrooms; you’re exposed to a lot of backgrounds at once.

HHW: Drake and you tell uniquely different stories in your music, despite being from the same city. Considering your life’s story, what’s one misconception people have of life in Canada?

P. Reign: Not to say that Drake created a misconception, but he and I walked a different path in our lives. He tells his story, and he does that very well. I do the same. But we come from two completely different ends of the spectrum.

I’m from the side of Toronto where a lot of sh*t goes down. His side of Toronto is variably quiet. I can only tell the story as best as I can. I grew up experiencing a lot of things that he didn’t. When we crossed paths, we’re probably 18 or 19 years old. He ended up seeing a lot of things through me, and I saw a lot things coming from his side through him.

One misconception is that there’s no hoods. When you think of Chicago and L.A., the gangs, and the violence, not to say that we’re on that level as far as the media coverage and the amount of violence, you have to understand that we have a smaller population. It may not happen as often, but it happens.

It’s frustrating when people don’t believe the story, or they have a notion that you may be lying before listening to your music, because you don’t understand. Scarborough, where I’m from, or the other parts of the city where we have poverty, drugs, and gangs, that’s the story I tell, because that was my life.

HHW: You lived in New York City for a while, correct?

P. Reign: I actually lived there for two years in Brownsville, Brooklyn. I went to junior high school out there.

HHW: How much did your time in NYC shape you as a rapper or how you’d rhyme in the future?

P. Reign: I think that’s where a lot of my inspiration came from at a young age. I’m from a huge family; my mom is one of 13 children. When we ended up moving to NYC, that’s where I actually fell in love with rap, because my family was into it and I didn’t have much family in Toronto. I would have to take a couple trains and buses to get to school each the morning, so that Walkman saved my life.

You could feel that energy in NYC. I remember growing up in the hood, and they [family] were like M.O.P. is from here [Brownsville] and Mobb Deep live in Queens where your cousin lives. No matter where we went, it seemed like a rapper was from there. It was inspirational to see artists come from those places, because I lived on Riverdale Avenue in a sh*tty two bedroom apartment in the projects with four other kids, my mom, my stepdad. It was very inspirational for me.

HHW: I understand that you’re Guyanese. Can you speak on the Caribbean influence on Toronto’s culture that goes understated and how it affects your music?

P. Reign: There’s a lot of Toronto rappers that came before me, especially Kardinal Offishall, that played into merging Hip-Hop with Caribbean based music, so that was something I tried not to heavily get involved with. But coming from Toronto, it’s nearly impossible. You can’t go to school or anywhere without meeting someone from some kind of island.

I grew up going to Dancehall parties, not to say that I was a huge fan of Reggae, but that’s just where we were at. That’s were all the thugs would be to be honest. They weren’t in the clubs downtown; instead, they’d rent out these huge halls. But that’s where all the shootouts would be. It’s almost impossible not to be influenced by those experiences

HHW: You represent a side of lyricism that’s authentic.

P. Reign: It’s so encouraging to here you say that, because it’s a conversation that I have with my peers all my time: Do you think the real Hip-Hop is coming back? Back when ni**as were rapping about their lives, talking that real sh*t, and people were buying into your story.

Where Hip-Hop’s going, it so Southern-based or hipster-based. It’s kind of hard to be successful if you’re not weird nowadays. That isn’t me, so I’m at a disadvantage. I always say that I hope that real Hip-Hop comes back –– it doesn’t have to be gangster, it has to be real, where rappers speak from a real place.

HHW: How does it feel to see Toronto get its just due?

P. Reign: It’s an amazing feeling, because I don’t think we ever knew if it would happen. To see Drake reach the level of success that he’s reached, it’s amazing to see. I was at his birthday, and I looked at him, still amazed at what he’s achieved. He was like, “f*ck it, we made it.” The city as a whole has a new energy –– a level of confidence we’ve never had before.

Then you have artists like PARTYNEXTDOOR and The Weeknd who are encouraging other artists in the city. Toronto was once the “screw face capital,” where everyone hated on each other. I also think Drake helped to break down that wall. Artists are supporting each other now. That energy wasn’t there before Drake blew up.

HHW: Circling back to the project, what are three things you want listeners to get from Dear America?

P. Reign: Number one would definitely be that the story I’m telling is real. There’s no facade. I haven’t been able to get on plane and come to America in 10 years. The project is based on my life, and so will all the music I make in the future. In fact, I’d skip the rest of the list, if listeners could appreciate that one thing. Everything else will come as they become fans of my music.

Essentials:

“We Them Ni**as” ft. A$AP Rocky

“Chickens” ft. Waka Flocka Flame

“Where You Been”