Pimpton

Holding it down: Pimpton is Regina rap's next great hope
Now that he's on top of the Regina rap scene, can Pimpton become the next hip-hop superstar?

Author of the article:Austin M. Davis • Regina Leader-Post
Publishing date:Aug 25, 2017 • Last Updated 3 years ago • 11 minute read
REGINA, SASK : August 4, 2017 - Kyriel Roberts AKA Pimpton. MICHAEL BELL / Regina Leader-Post.
Michael Bell, Regina Leader-Post
Kyriel Roberts AKA Pimpton. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BELL /Regina Leader-Post
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Pimpton has so much to say, his joint won’t stay lit.

The Regina rapper is describing recent career choices, getting more animated as he talks, and the weed he rolled a minute ago is not getting his full attention. There’s a new album to discuss. And there’s a tour coming, too.


Pimpton’s ambition and hustle have landed him as the de facto leader of Regina’s rap scene. He’s building an empire, he says, and this is just the start.

The joint goes out, so he lights it again — one of a dozen times Pimpton, who has a medical marijuana card, repeats the action — and then digs into a story that illustrates his new plateau.

Pimpton starts by saying he doesn’t go to every show when rap artists play Regina or Saskatoon, but he decided to see Riff Raff at The Pump Roadhouse in April. Riff Raff and Pimpton have worked with the same video director, Stuey Kubrick. So, when Pimpton went to the show, he found himself backstage.

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“So, I’m chilling with Riff Raff in the VIP, smoking and stuff, and I rolled up on him and I was like, ‘So, you know Stuey.’ And the dude looked at me, he didn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes was like, ‘You’re already here.’ ”

Pimpton got the point: He didn’t need to name-drop. Pimpton has earned access to VIP rooms and other luxuries on his own terms.

“I definitely have those moments that are like ‘OK, it’s working.’ But at the same time, my drive is so big and I want to provide for so many people right now that it’s like, I know how much more work I have to do,” Pimpton says. “As comfortable as I am with the fact that I’m succeeding to an extent and I’m seeing progression and stuff, I’m still hungrier than ever.”

That hunger continues to manifest itself in 20-track albums, like the upcoming The Pimpton LP, and cross-country tours. He has tens of thousands of views on his many YouTube videos and has made rap and merch sales into his livelihood. He says his clothing line amounts for about half of his income. Combined with selling verses to other artists, he’s able to provide for himself. But there is no success without setbacks.


Pimpton performs during the 2015 Cathedral Village Arts Festival held along 13th Ave. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BELL /Regina Leader-Post
While rap music is steeped in rags-to-riches stories, it’s taboo to speak about taking a loss. Hip-hop mogul DJ Khaled claims to have never “taken an L.” But on one of Pimpton’s new singles, “Pg,” (it would not garner a PG rating, by the way) the chorus features the line: “took a loss and made it back, you’d think I had a genie.” This particular L wasn’t business — it was personal.

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“When we came off tour, we were paid up,” Pimpton says of his standing in early 2017. “I wasted a little bit of money on Hennessy and partying and s–t, but nevertheless, I came back racked up. And then, I was just being too generous, essentially. I lent a friend some money (and) thought he was going to give it back immediately. It turned into this huge, huge ordeal that honestly was unnecessary,”

It forced Pimpton to quickly cover the debt (“double up, triple up”) before he could go back on tour, while also paying for beats.

It was a race against time. The grind doesn’t stop. There were bills to pay.

He allowed the friend to re-enter his life after repaying the undisclosed amount of cash and apologizing.

“It just brought my mood down. I was like, ‘I’m not even there yet!’ I’m not even there yet but the closest people to me just all of a sudden think I’m not in the struggle because I made a little bit of money,” Pimpton says.

Like the encounter with Riff Raff, this new experience caused Pimpton to reflect on his status. After coming off a high from getting paid well to play 40 shows, he was forced to confront the fact that the closest people to him would try to take advantage of his success.

“It made me stronger because I had to endure this journey,” Pimpton says. “I’m not some gangster. I’m not kicking down (doors). I just had to take the spiritual route, essentially, and be like ‘life is life, karma is karma, now I’m down but I have to come back up,’ and that’s all I know.”

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Lesson learned: If you’re plotting an empire, you can’t act like a charity.

REGINA, SASK : August 4, 2017 - Kyriel Roberts AKA Pimpton. MICHAEL BELL / Regina Leader-Post.
Michael Bell, Regina Leader-Post
Kyriel Roberts AKA Pimpton. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BELL /Regina Leader-Post
Pimpton was born Kyriel Roberts in Trinidad and Tobago. His family moved to Canada in 1994, when he was three years old, so most of his memories are of growing up in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood. He started dancing to hip-hop at nine and created his first journal of lyrics shortly after.

But he didn’t write Kyriel on the front. He wrote Pimpton.

Then he started writing it on everything, including his workbooks and binders — a touch his fifth grade teacher didn’t quite appreciate. “Pimpton” got covered up, but Pimpton didn’t.

He was writing and performing poems for his mom, with his early fascination with rap fuelled by a gift from his father: Big Willie Style by Will Smith. The CD was an offering of meeting in the middle, the elder Roberts being a now-retired priest and Will Smith being famous for having squeaky-clean lyrics.

All this time, the young Pimpton was aware of the cultural difference between him and his classmates and friends.

“My level of discipline was a lot more firm and hands-on,” he says of his childhood.

“It’s why I have grown up so appreciative and so aware of what’s around me, because not only am I from the outside, but where I come from I’m also from the outside now.”

When 8 Mile came out, Pimpton was poised to stand out when battle rapping suddenly became popular.

He believes it was music that kept him from becoming anything more than a schoolyard bully.

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“A lot of my friends were getting arrested. A lot of my friends were part of that life,” he says.

But he spent a year at Luther College High School before switching to Campbell Collegiate, so he was also connected to a more “prim and proper” crowd.

“I have friends that are lawyers and I have friends that would have to be defended by them,” Pimpton says succinctly.

One of his more business-minded friends from high school was Awet Mehari, who quickly recognized Pimpton’s gift and has been his manager since those early days.

“He was always rapping. That’s just what he was always doing — especially at that time,” Mehari says.

“He just had that presence, there was just something completely different about him, you could tell just from the jump. He was definitely special.”

While plenty of kids around them were rapping, Mehari says Pimpton was already at a different level. But the young rapper was putting in his work when no one was looking.

“He opened up a file and just kept scrolling down on files of lyrics that he had written so I could tell this guy was serious. He wasn’t just talking. This is what he wanted to do. This is what he was going to do,” Mehari says.

The two teenagers partnered to play all-ages cabarets at places like Tumbler’s, Gabbo’s and SoHo.

“He was selling tickets to everybody,” Mehari says.

Pimpton’s natural popularity across the city helped get the word out of his short 15-minute sets.

The two became partners in Crown Jewel Entertainment (CJE) and Propagate Records. Nowadays, the CJE logo of a gorilla wearing a crown that’s tattooed on Pimpton’s chest can be seen on hoodies and sweatpants around Regina.

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Awet Mehari, Mikal “Mikz” Gonzales and Kyriel “Pimpton” Roberts at the 2012 Western Canadian Music Awards gala held at Casino Regina. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BELL /Regina Leader-Post
But before the young upstarts caught their momentum, Mehari didn’t believe there was a market for hip-hop in Saskatchewan. When Pimpton was sneaking into clubs to play 19+ shows, the rap scene in Regina wasn’t well known — it’s not particularly controversial to say rappers Def 3 and InfoRed and DJ Merky Waters carried most of the weight.

Before MySpace and Facebook, there was an Internet forum for kids from Saskatchewan who liked or performed rap to connect with each other, but it certainly wasn’t mainstream.

“Saskatoon always had a bigger following, a bigger presence when it came to hip-hop,” says InfoRed.

In the mid-2000s, Info (AKA Brad Bellegarde) started hosting rap battles to packed venues. But his account of the 8 Mile effect differs from Kyriel’s: InfoRed says it killed his scene.

“You’d think it would get people more involved,” he says, pointing to the humiliation of losing explored in the movie as a possible explanation.

Before InfoRed heard Pimpton rap, he heard him play steel drums in Def 3’s band Oye! The Latin-influenced group, formed by Def 3 (AKA Danny Fernandez) and his father in 2005, ballooned to include 16 members, including a horn section and Chilean instruments. During a moment of downtime at Def 3’s house, Pimpton rapped in front of the city’s best-known hip-hop artists. Shortly after, he would record tracks with both InfoRed and Def 3.

Even as a teenager, InfoRed recognized Pimpton’s skill and intelligence and the two worked on a project together. In the decade since, InfoRed and others have watched Pimpton rise to the top.

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“It’s a privilege to see someone gain such a following, doing songs with artists like Future. It’s really cool,” InfoRed says.

“I’ve reached that age now where I don’t worry about animosity or have any feelings toward any artist that has gone or to do big things or (is) starting to do big things. I’m just happy. I’m happy that he’s staying true to the Queen City, staying true to Regina, and ensuring that his ability to make music is rooted in his community.”

InfoRed believes Pimpton is keeping Regina rap relevant and keeping the culture alive.

But is being the reigning king of Regina rap enough? What’s the next move?

Well, Mehari believes Pimpton is going to be the next big thing — not just in Regina — and he’s not alone.

Madchild, of the pioneering Canadian rap group Swollen Members and a respected solo artist, calls Pimpton family after going on multiple tours together.

“I’m excited to see what happens with his career,” Madchild says.


Madchild and Pimpton. Machild is holding a copy of Pimpton’s 2014 CD “Killa Call Me Killa Vol. 2.” PHOTO BY PIMPTON /Facebook
While he loves playing shows in the prairies and offers nothing but praise for the province’s rap scene, Madchild acknowledges Saskatchewan is slept on. He chalks it up to Toronto being the hub of Canadian music and credits the rise of scenes in Alberta and B.C. to the attention gained by a handful of artists.

“I think it’s just a matter of somebody breaking from the prairies, you know? And I think Pimpton’s the guy to do it, to be honest with you,” Madchild says.

“He put in the work. He’s super talented. He makes great music. He puts on one hell of a life show. It’s always been a pleasure — I think we’ve done four tours together in total. He’s got a great attitude. I’d like nothing more than to see him be the one to really blow up from there.”

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But can a rap artist from Regina break onto a national or international stage from Regina? Or do they have to go east? Or south? Or any other direction?

Madchild, who says his move meant no disrespect to Canada, now lives in West Hollywood. With an 18-year career in the industry already under his belt and popularity in both countries, he’s in a good position to answer the geographic question.

“I think that he can achieve full Canadian support from Regina, especially with the Internet and with touring,” Madchild says.

“I think to really garner a lot of US fans, you kind of have to be down here.”

Pimpton’s not entirely convinced, though he’s open to staying in L.A. for a year to work. He loves Regina — it’s where his friends and family are. He also wants to be the guy to take the city on his back and lift it with him into the spotlight. He’s confident in his ability to travel to where he needs to be, knowing he has to keep playing shows outside of Saskatchewan to keep building his fan base.

“I’m not a caged bird,” Pimpton says.

“There’s no limitation, except what you think.”


Chiso AKA “Blacktop!” (left) and Kyriel Roberts AKA “Pimpton” (right) perform hiphop at the Cathedral Arts Festival on Saturday May 28, 2011. PHOTO BY MICHAEL BELL /Regina Leader-Post
If you have reached this point in the story, there’s a good chance you think you have Pimpton figured out.

Then you must have also guessed that he recently took his Law School Admission Test (LSAT) after finishing a philosophy major with a minor in English at the University of Regina.

His score came up a few points short but he has plans to try again.

That, too, is another variable in the trajectory of his rap career. If he decides to, at some point, move toward law and away from music, it’ll be on his terms.

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But with his public speaking experience and natural charisma, it’s not hard to imagine him stepping into politics at some point.

Being Pimpton, and the connotations of the name, used to be a point of contention. People around him doubted he could play local TV morning shows or get mainstream attention based on his name alone. But he’s done that and more.

Sure, he says, there are days when pursuing rap was harder than he expected, but he never doubted his potential. And he has converted some important people along the way.

His dad, the occasional substitute teacher and retired priest, had mixed feelings about the name Pimpton. And in turn, Pimpton was concerned about lyrical content his dad would hear, the reason Pimpton’s first album has minimal cussing. But, Mr. Roberts still came out to shows and supported his son. In time, Pimpton would stop censoring himself and became entirely confident in his direction and in his goal of being remembered.

“My dad wears Pimpton shirts when he substitute teaches,” Pimpton says.

“I had to tell him, I was like, ‘Dad, maybe only at high schools.”

Chances are good that young kids will find out about Pimpton anyway, because when it comes to Regina rap, his name is currently the biggest one. - Leader Post

Song of the Day: Pimpton releases new video for “Pullin’ me Back” featuring King Kwame by @HipHopCanadaOctober 9, 2020
Our Song of the Day is the latest from budding Regina star Pimpton.

“Pullin’ Me Back,” directed by K. Roberts, features fellow Canadian artist King Kwame. The song was produced by HearonTrackz EL, who produced all of Pimpton’s forthcoming EP, TUNNELZ.

The video is Pimpton’s second in just over a week, after dropping the Be El Be-directed visual for “Don’t Stare At The Light” back on Sept. 29.

“Pullin’ me Back” was recently added to our official Spotify playlist, Canadian Fresh. Along with Spotify, you can find the single on various other digital streaming platforms including Apple Music and TIDAL. - HipHopCanada

Pimpton inches closer to the release of his next studio album with the release of new visuals in support of the project’s lead single.

The HearonTrackz EL-produced “Don’t Stare At The Light,” which premiered on HipHopCanada on Sept. 11th, is sort of mantra reminding the audience/listeners to focus on the goal at hand. Do not get distracted by bright and shiny things in the distance. Allow the light to shine down and shed light on your path so you may avoid obstacles, however, whatever you do, Don’t stare at the light.

Sonically, this production has no 808s, which is definitely not typical of Pimpton’s past compositions. Here we find Pimpton return to his conscious offset, and presents a compelling mood and experience for his audience. Pimpton’s clever lyrics and precise delivery are sure to make the heads nod and hips shake.


Pimpton releases new visuals for Dont Stare At The Light single
Scene from “Don’t Stare at the Light”

Visually, this production gives us a vibrant light show with various displays of extraterrestrial elements. Combined with the songs vibe, the music production, and the lyrics, this video single is a certified banger! The video’s director, Be El Be, also shot, directed and edited videos for Young Thug in support of Thugger’s latest album, So Much Fun.

You can find “Don’t Stare at the Light” (featuring cuts by Regina’s own MerkyWaters Music) on various digital streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.

Check out the new video below and stay tuned for the Tunnelz. - HipHopCanada

We Spoke to Pimpton About the Hip-Hop Empire He’s Building in the Middle of Canada
A prairie emcee’s insights on how to get rappers paid and his favourite weed strain.
Devin Pacholik
By Devin Pacholik
August 7, 2015, 8:00am

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All photos by Stephen Simons

This article originally appeared on Noisey Canada

People recognize Pimpton on the streets of his home city Regina, Saskatchewan, where the rapper consistently packs shows. His fans know his lyrics and buy his branded clothing. As someone who grew up in the same province—a place mostly known for country music and the Roughriders CFL team—it seems improbable for anyone to launch a hip-hop career on the prairies. However, the scene is growing and so is Pimpton’s influence.

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During a late-July concert at The Artful Dodger, a chill Regina venue, Pimpton touted his status as a Saskatchewan emcee. Singer Shantel Stuart, emcees Markout Music, Blacktop‬, Ursa Maja‬, Kwame Dolo‬ and other members of the CJE crew– Pimpton’s hip-hop affiliation–opened the night. The event kicked off a round of upcoming CJE tours, including a stretch with Demrick, Adlib and Battle Axe Warrior Madchild starting in September. Last year, Pimpton released the KCMKV2 album, which includes Madchild on the amped up track “The Roaches Vs The Chosen.” Other songs feature Canadian artists like Joey Stylez and Andre Nickatina.

The audience got jumping when Pimpton took the stage with the hard-hitting bars of “All Men are Mortal.” Periodically, he would cut the music for shout outs and to hand out tequila shots. The night felt like a private party, complete with an on-stage twerker wearing Pimpton-brand booty shorts. Backstage, it was nearly impossible to be alone with the man for more than a few minutes. Women, hungry emcees, and fans wanted to be around him. They lined up for photos and passed him lit joints. Not that Pimpton is short on weed: he is a medical marijuana advocate with a preference for small-batch, seasonal pink kush. Before the show, we spoke to Pimpton over the phone to find out what it takes to elevate hip-hop on the Canadian plains.


Noisey: You get pretty philosophical in your music but still do the party rap thing.
Pimpton: I’m a philosopher. That’s my university degree. A lot of the stuff you’re hearing now is closer to my commercial sound. When you’re having drinks and whatnot, you don’t want to talk about your life. You just want to have fun. That’s a huge market… I try to infuse thought-provoking lyrics in my songs because that’s just me.


A song like “The Roaches Vs The Chosen” seems like a good example.
That one has a bunch of commentary about a certain kind of status reinforced in hip-hop. As soon as I heard that beat, I felt like Madchild would be hella good on that. He ripped it. I toured with him through Saskatchewan around 2013 for the Dope Sick Tour, and I saw the way he moved the crowd and rocked shit… That verse he sent back [for The Roaches] – I was stoked. Madchild was being competitive back with me on this track. He caught the vibe. I was on my KCMKV2 tour out west, and we linked up with him and played a few shows. He’s the homie now. We’re going to be on a 40-show tour across Canada and the US in September. He’s got that new album out, Silver Tongue Devil. Definitely check that shit out.

What’s it like being a Saskatchewan rapper? Some people might think that’s an oxymoron. Is there a rap scene in Saskatchewan?
We definitely have a rap scene. In comparison to any other rap scene in any major city, per capita we’re pretty close. Haha! It’s small, but because there are shy people. The amount of rappers that live in Saskatchewan is next level. The rappers here never consider it as a viable income. But you go to the parties, they’re rapping. You go to the clubs, they’re playing rap music. There’s a fuckin’ rap scene here. Apart from me and the other pioneers like Def3, no one else has stepped up to the plate. People get consumed with their nine to five; they don’t consider this a source of income.


Is rap your primary job?
That and the clothing. We have the Greater Than Potential Clothing line now. Basically, touring, the clothing and selling verses. There’s a demand but it takes the youth coming into power. The only thing that holds the scene back is us.

Any comment on that photo circulating online? It’s of a guy wearing your branded pants around his ankles while having sex with a lady at the Craven Country Jamboree festival this year.
Haha! Hope it goes viral.

Do you care about putting Saskatchewan on the map?
Absolutely. That’s the goal. I want to make it a major player. I want the music big shots to come here and invest here.


Quality wise, your early videos were surprisingly good for an indie artist. When did that become important?
When we started shooting these videos, it was two of us. Just me and the camera guy. Then we would get the homies out to come kick it with us. Maybe throw a barbeque and just do it like that. The internet was really fucking happening for independent rap artists. This was around 2010. Soulja Boy was big at the time, and everyone realized we could do this ourselves.

Then we wondered what it would take to compete with those guys from California and Atlanta and whatnot. They’re using the same equipment, but what’s the difference? We basically studied the shit and realized we need more money so we can invest in ourselves to make better products. My manager went and worked on the [oil] rigs for a bit just to get more money. We live for this shit. What happened was we ended up linking up with a producer named Be El Be. We flew them out here and shot a couple videos. Now he works for Birdman. Then we linked up with Andre Nickatina and did a video with him and got our budget up. Be El Be warned us–he’s calling me right now. That’s hilarious.

Really?
Yeah. He’s literally calling me right now. I’m not gonna answer it. Anyway, he warned us that once you get that high, you might plateau and start overspending.


I heard you have a reputation of getting artists paid. How the fuck do you that in Saskatchewan?
Ultimately, we created a demand and now we have our base rate. We can turn people out to a show. We get our team on it. CJE is a Saskatchewan-based hip-hop collective. It was started to develop a notable scene. We grew up together. We got a skate team now. We got homies who rap. We got Taylor Mabbott, Killah Ralph, my homie Leroy–man, we got members. That’s the crew. We have weekly meetings and shit, you know? To make sure we don’t have overlapping album releases or whatever. Awet Mehari is my manager. We were the minds that said "Fuck everything. Let’s just do it." Propagate Records is the label.

Do you feel the odds are against you?
I do, but it’s fun. They say Pimpton on the news now. We’re making the scene and establishing the city. We’re projecting an identity.


Tell me about your weed obsession. You like weed.
Like is not the right word. I love weed. I’m very much a part of the weed culture. I play at the annual Prairie Cannabis Cup. I’ve had my medicinal marijuana license for the past four years. Where I grew up, I went to a community school and had struggles there. I needed a different route, or I would have been one of those kids getting arrested. Me smoking weed was something that stopped me from buying into that shit. I just didn’t give a fuck about those negative things.

What are you smoking right now?
I have countless medicinal strains. My favourite is a pink kush my grower, Tim Selenski, does at The Green Canvas. That was one of the first local dispensaries in the province. Tim was one of my first sponsors. That’s one way we started getting the homies paid. We went around town to people who claimed to be lovers of hip-hop and asked them to sponsor us. They knew this little pimp was gonna get it, so they invested. - Vice

Pimpton
Straight Outta Pimpton
by Craig Silliphant
October 7, 2014

Pimpin’ ain’t easy --- or so the saying goes. Being Pimpton isn’t always easy either, but it definitely has its payoffs. Regina-based, 23-year-old Kyriel ‘Pimpton’ Roberts has been getting a lot of attention as of late, having released not one, but two albums last year, The Deal Breaker: Manifest Destiny and Killa Call Me Killa, Vol. 1. His single Pom Pom Wit Killa Inside is currently in rotation on MuchMusic’s MuchVibe. He’s been plugging away since high school, and he’s part of the rap crew Crown Jewel Entertainment [CJE], and he’s opened for rap icons like both Raekwon and Gza from The Wu Tang Clan, Swollen Members, Bone Thugz N’ Harmony, and more.

Pimpton’s MC flow is tight, whether he’s rapping about social ills or just throwing down a party cut. His production is a hybrid of old school sounds and new school techniques, with the aim of pushing the envelope on the genre of hip hop. I recently chatted with Pimpton and we talked about his childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, why he loves rap, and being in the rap game in The SK.

CRAIG SILLIPHANT: Let’s take it all the way back --- how did you get into hip hop?

PIMPTON: I always had a love for poetry and the arts and had a natural talent for rap as a kid. Also hip hop music was

strong and vibrant in the black community during the early ‘90s, driven by the breakthroughs of the civil rights movements, and also what I would classify as an identity crisis among the black youth of America. In identifying with the struggles that surfaced within the black community, I began to identify with the black people I saw on TV, who appeared to have overcome the struggle, who for the most part were rappers and other kinds of hip hop artists. It was a medium through which I felt I could express my situation and experiences. Even though as a kid I had a lot of friends, I was always the only black kid in my class. So I often felt lonely and out of place. This loneliness caused me to spend a lot of time by myself, in which I would council myself by writing poems and songs. Long story short hip hop offered me an escape from the struggle.

CS: Whom did you first respond to in rap? Who are your influences?

PIMPTON: Will Smith, because he was one of the more popular rap artists of the 90s who didn’t cuss in his music and so my dad bought me his CD Big Willy Style. It was the first rap CD I ever owned. Dr. Dre’s Chronic was the first rap CD I ever borrowed from the public library and so that also played a lead role in my love for rap. My early influences would include the Hot Boys [Lil’ Wayne], Outkast, the Fugees, Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West when he came out with The College Dropout. Just based on my lifestyle, my experiences and surroundings, these artists all had lyrics that caught my attention and they became people I looked up to.

CS: What about strong influences outside of hip hop?

PIMPTON: I would have to say my friends and family. Simply because I am influenced by my experiences and those are the people with whom I’ve shared most experiences.

CS: Where did the name Pimpton come from?

PIMPTON: The name Pimpton is a self-title that I came up with when I created my first [journal] of lyrics. I was a hip hop dancer between the ages of 9 and 17 years old. So from a very young age I had a favorable female following and the name Pimpton just seemed appropriate. I remember my grade 5 elementary school teach would catch feelings every time I would sign my name as Pimpton on my work books and dossiers. I used to sign it on everything.

CS: You are originally from Trinidad and Tobago. What was your life like there?

PIMPTON: It was beautiful. It’s an amazing place. The island itself is visually euphoric, and it’s filled with generally energetic, happy, and helpful people. I left when I was very young though so most of my memories are of my current life. [I] still try to visit home every other year.

CS: When did you move to Saskatchewan?

PIMPTON: I moved to [Saskatchewan] in ‘94. There was a lot of turbulence in the government of Trinidad that year and my parents decided we should move. The decision was made with the goal of giving my sister and I better opportunities than those which were offered in T&T.

CS: What differences do you notice in terms of music between Trinidad and Canada? What other differences stand out to you, aside from music?

PIMPTON: In my opinion the musical genre and lyrical content would stand out first. In Trinidad the more dominant styles of music are Calypso and Soca. Aside from music I would have to say the delivery. Trinidadians have an art for saying big things and touching on very controversial points in a very subtle way. Canadian artist to me seem to a little more blunt.

CS: What process do you go through to craft your rhymes?

PIMPTON: I turn up the beat, bunn up, and allow myself to get lost in the music until I catch the vibe. Sometimes the vibe isn’t always as apparent as other times so in those situations I try to interpret the beat and most likely will end up experimenting with some new flows or patterns. I am 100% for experimentation. I’m really big on the technical aspects of lyricism. So finding a unique flow I can manipulate and play with is generally my goal. Once I lock that down I just lose myself in the music and write whatever expresses my current state of mind or mood.

CS: How can you tell if the flow is working once you’ve written some lyrics?

PIMPTON: I just keep writing until I know I got it. I also have my Grade 3 Harmony in Classical Music Theory, so I’m familiar with tempo structures and rhythms. Tempo, Rhythm, Vocabulary and Practice are the key ingredients to having a perfect flow in my opinion. Beyond that all you can do is experiment.

CS: How important is reading and knowledge of culture to you in writing lyrics?

PIMPTON: Reading and knowledge of culture is important in life period. Being an artist consists of expressing life situations and experiences through an artificial medium or an utterance. Reading enables a person to have a greater vocabulary, which allows the person the ability to express themselves in a more widely comprehensible way.

CS: How do your beats come about? Who produces your stuff?

PIMPTON: At this point I definitely have a list of producers that I have a strong [working] relation with, many of whom reside in Saskatchewan. I just check my email and write raps. My dudes send me beats constantly. I think it’s because I have such a strong work ethic and my turn around time is always on point. Also I have a distinct style that seems to blend with a myriad of production styles. Most of the time producers send me beats saying that they already heard me flowing on it as soon as they finished making it. Manifest destiny.

CS: Tell me about CJE.

PIMPTON: CJE is a collective of Saskatchewan based hip hop artists, producers, and musicians who came together in late 2010 in attempts to create and establish a Saskatchewan hip hop and rap scene. To my knowledge the majority of mainstream artists that have passed though Saskatchewan in the last four years, we have opened for. If you’re a hip hop artist and you’re in Saskatchewan, you’re gonna hear about CJE.

For the most part we all grew up together and have been rapping and performing together since we were young teens. Currently we are working on a new compilation album project that will feature some of our favorite heavy hitting producers and beat makers as well as a kaleidoscope of flavorful styles that each artist brings to the table laced with the smooth lyrics, confident delivery and jaw-breaking punchlines that our fans have grown to love and respect. CJEsus!

CS: Who is the coolest person you’ve been able to play?

PIMPTON: Opening for Andre Nickatina and recording a track with him, because he’s one of my top five favorite artists and it’s just a next level experience to watch your goals manifest. I also drove out to California where I filmed a video for our song entitled Little Darrell (prod. Suede) which is from The Deal Breaker: Manifest Destiny. It was just an all around positive experience kickin’ it with King Nicky. It’s all love in the Bay Area for CJE now, because Nickatina is considered one of the hip-hop legends of the Bay. When you’re able to gain the respect of some one like that, your network expands exponentially, and everything else just falls into place.

CS: Most people don’t think of the prairie as a place where you’re going to find a wealth of good hip hop, but I’d disagree. There are tons of great acts. Why do you think we make good hip hop on the prairie?

PIMPTON: Hip hop music is a global phenomenon. There are no geographical limitations. The only flaw in the prairies is that hip hop music isn’t a popular style among the older generation who control the radio stations’ output. As far as why we make good hip hop music in the prairies, all I can say is why not? Good hip hop exists where good people exist.

CS: What does the perfect Pimpton party look like?

PIMPTON: The perfect Pimpton party looks like trophies and plaques on the walls, friends and family in the hall, bottles, free medical marijuana and good DJs.

CS: Speaking of blunts, does rapping about blunts, or even sex, ever get you in trouble in a conservative environment like Saskatchewan?

PIMPTON: It’s definitely caused some folks to turn up their noses and expose their dirty nostrils. But to me once again it’s about expressing myself. Blunts happen to be a part of my lifestyle. I am a government issued medicinal marijuana smoker. And as for sex, I’m a young man with a healthy sexual appetite. Times are changing and I would just like to remind my conservative friends to keep up. When the older generation was my age, the same rock n’ roll music that they now praise as Hall of Fame-worthy and the expressive behaviors that went hand in hand with the spirit of rock n’ roll were frowned upon and considered radical.

CS: Do you feel like you encounter racism locally?

PIMPTON: Without a doubt. Just like most forms of oppression there are degrees to local racism. The extremities ranging from intentional to ignorance. So maximum racism in Saskatchewan would be an individual intentionally behaving in a way that exhibits racially based beliefs. And minimal racism would consist of an individual behaving in a way that exhibits racially based beliefs, where the cause is a lack of information or misinformation.

CS: How has your music been received outside of North America?

PIMPTON: Surpassing expectations. I ended up linking with a producer in Norway named Kholebeatz who has done wonders for my career and network. So Pimpton is definitely poppin’ in Europe! It’s crazy when you start getting fans and people reaching out to you from places you’ve never even Googled or seen on a map, let alone visited.

CS: What are your plans for the near future?

PIMPTON: This year I plan to record new material and shoot and release more high quality music videos. I also plan to do some traveling and play shows in new cities as well as cities I have previously visited to increase and improve my fan base and to strengthen network. I’ll be attending all major Canadian music related festivals and conferences including Canadian Music Week [CMW 2014] in Toronto where I will be [showcasing]. To all my fans, be on the look out for Killa Call Me Killa Vol. 2, set to be released in the fall of 2014, as well as a new CJE compilation disc later in the year.

CS: How do you measure your own success?

PIMPTON: By the people I have positive impacts on and by my level of happiness. Every time some person older or younger approaches me and tells me that I inspired them to do better, or to [pursue] their dreams or helped them through a rough time, I know I’m successful. My long-term goals include being able to provide for my family strictly by means of an income generated from doing what I love, and also becoming an internationally established and respected hip hop artist. Another goal of mine is to show the world that hip-hop exists in Saskatchewan, and that Saskatchewan hip hop is as good if not better than a lot of the stuff that gets attention these days. So when that happens, we’re gold.

CS: And lastly, the clichéd question --- what advice would you give to other young rappers out there?

PIMPTON: Believe in yourself. Practice hard to perfect your skill. Take every opportunity that seems to you to be beneficial. And don’t compromise your belief in yourself. - Sask Music

Along with sharing his latest single and video, “Off Top,” we recently connected with Regina recording artist Pimpton to look at the future of hip-hop in Saskatchewan.

For this new feature, Pimpton handpicked 6 artists and/or producers from his province that he thinks should be on people’s radar.

“I’ve always felt like Sask was largely overlooked when it comes to music, and in particular hip-hop music,” explained Pimpton. “So, in the wake of my new video release, I decided to team up with HipHopCanada to highlight hip-hop’s up-and-coming 6 from the 306. Enjoy.”

Check out Pimpton’s list below. Pimpton’s “Off Top” is available now on Spotify, and other digital streaming platforms via Gorilla Clan Records.

6 From The 306

Coleman Williams & Yohan Yemba

A dynamic rap-duo based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Regina is known for its old-school approach to hip-hop, but Coleman Williams and Yohan Yemba consider themselves as outliers.

Performing in front of hundreds at Briercrest’s YouthQuake and recently winning the SaskMusic Award for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year Award, these are definitely two artists to look out for in the coming year.

Their debut collaborative album, 3Stock, is infused with a strange mix of electronic music, boom-bap, trap, and hyper-pop, along with references to anime and gaming culture. The title track “3Stock” features a 3 part beat switch-up, bouncing between rapid fire trap beats and gritty, lyrical boom-bap. The duo doesn’t shy away from their electro-pop influences on tracks like “ABILITIES” featuring an ethereal pop chorus and a guest appearance from well-known rapper 350.

Coleman and Yohan believe in the potential of Regina’s underground talent. Their goal is to open doors for a new wave of Regina artistry, and to honor God every step of the way.
Follow @Cman.Willy and @YohanYemba on Instagram.

Dyelle

Dyelle; a young artist originally from Nigeria: “I grew up in Kuwait (Middle East) but currently staying in Canada pursuing my music career. It all started in 2014 when I performed an original song I wrote at my high school talent show. It went so well that I had to do it again in 2015. In 2018, I released my first mixtape, Late Night, which opened up a lot of opportunities for me. I’ve done multiple shows and opened for multiple artists such as: Merkules, Rich the Kid, Houdini (from Toronto), Smiley, Pimpton and a few other local artists like LiL Windex and Mitchell Lawler. I fell in love with music at a young age but my shows and stage presence was always the talk around the city. I plan to keep pushing and finding ways and opportunities to take my career to the next level. That’s fosho.”
Follow @im_dyelle101 on Instagram.

Rooky

Rooky is an Afrocentric and enigmatic singer, songwriter and record producer who expresses his emotions through rhythmic melodies, passionate lyricism and solemn poetry. His style of infusing Afro elements with rhythm and blues, hip-hop and soul gives his musical expression a unique taste.

With four EPs and numerous singles released and grossing up to 200,000 streams on streaming platforms overall, he has successfully headlined various shows and usually performs with a unique band called, The Bad Hvbits.

Rooky has also scored multiple nominations for the prestigious Saskatchewan Music Awards including a 2022 nomination for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. You can discover more about Rooky on iamRooky.com.
Follow @Rookyjegede on Instagram.

Nigel Childs

Nigel Childs is a Indigenous record producer from Regina, Saskatchewan. Nigel has produced music across the globe; from places like New Zealand, Brazil and as well as North America. His production has more than 250+ million streams/views, and he’s continuing to build on his impressive discography. His production helped earn Merkules and Stevie Ross their first Platinum record, and he recently produced on the debut album from OVO artist Smiley, Buy or Bye 2 (“Trippie”).

It took Nigel 15 years of producing music to be where he is at now. Earlier this year, he was nominated for an Industry Achievement Award at the Saskatchewan Music Awards. Nigel continues to sharpen his production skills and is hungry to build further within the industry. When people congratulate him on his success, his reply is always the same: “I’m just warming up/ this is just the beginning.” No doubt this Regina beatsmith has a ton in store for 2023.
Follow @NigelChilds on Instagram.

T Deniro

Regina’s own T Deniro has been making music for five years, building up his portfolio while collaborating with local and known artist/producers such as Young Moe, and LongMoneyKese from the DMV area. T Deniro’s music varies from chill riding music to upbeat tunes that motivate. His inspirations range from new and old—Biggie, Nas and 50 Cent to Kevin Gates, BabyFace Ray, and Jay Critch—which has helped him carve out a wide range of vibes within his sound.

T Deniro’s latest release is the “Whole Dash” single which is available now across digital streaming platforms. The accompanying video, available for viewing below, was directed by Drew Orthner.
Follow @TDeniro.Official on Instagram.

THINKTANK

2022 Sask Music Awards nominees for Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. THINKTANK is a creative collective based out of Regina, Saskatchewan. They hover between introspective and political realms—while maintaining an air of light-heartedness. Visit linktr.ee/THINKTANKMUSIC for music and more information.

Follow @THINKTANKLtd on Instagram. - HipHopCanada