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It’s been said that “If Usher, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury had a baby, it would be PRIME.”
His Official Bio
Calling himself a ‘citizen of the world’, PRIME is of Filipino, Spanish, Chinese, and Indian descent. Born in The Philippines and raised in New York City, he has always believed that the world holds music as its common language.
After high school, PRIME attended college for Multimedia Arts in preparation for pursuing his dream. He then devoted his full energy to song-writing, music production, and the visual aesthetics that would best illustrate PRIME’s sound and lifestyle.
Following the release of the single “Heartbeat,” and the positive press it received, he built a strong and engaged community on Facebook. PRIME touts an undeniable connection between his music and fans. “I do my best to connect with my fans at a personal level by replying to each and every comment/message I receive. I’m eternally grateful to the people that have allowed my music to become my PRIME mode of expression. They bring my dream closer to reality.”
We hope you enjoy this interview with a remarkable young man.
So PRIME, we’d love to know the answers to a few quirky questions –
Have you ever built a snowman?
*sings* “Do you wanna build a snowman?” Yes I have. I built one recently this past snowstorm with my 5-year-old neighbor. Sadly, it was short-lived coz once we finished the head section; my 5-year-old neighbor murdered it.
Do you have magnets on your fridge door and if so, what are they?
Tons. Back home (at my parents house), we have a collection of magnets from countries we’ve visited. It’s the easiest to take home; and most importantly, the least headache with the TSA.
What’s your favourite smell/scent?
“Wet road” smell when it rains. Clean wet road though lol
What historical Figure would you love to see in 21st century life?
I’d like to bring a Neanderthal to see our current world and how he/she would react to us and our environment.
Oh wait, we already have one in the white house! 😉
Do you know the dance steps to an annoying cheesy pop song?
I love to sing cheesy pop songs lol. But if I have to learn a dance step, I must also love the song. I attempted to learn Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. Yeah, I’m a little monster.
If you could talk to one species of animal, which would it be?
I’d love to talk to insects, specifically ants. I’m curious to know how they manage to effectively work together.
Now we’ll ask you some more serious stuff. Thanks for playing along.
You began singing at age 3 and playing the piano at age 7. Your natural talent got you enlisted in many musicals in your youth, culminating in your admission to the acclaimed LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. We understand from this you’ve always been creative and musical, but tell us what the actual path -obstacles and successes- has been like to get where you are today.
Talent is one thing but surely something else is needed to make a success of a career like this? The words, tenacity, determination and strength spring to mind. What qualities would you say someone needs to succeed in this business?
I would love to know the answer to this question too! Lol I do know that you need creativity, to constantly come up with new looks and new wrinkles… and you certainly need to be resilient, so that you can keep going!
We assume Usher, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury influenced your music. If you had the chance to collaborate with someone today, who would that be?
It would be great to collaborate with Freddie Mercury. I wish I could just witness his processes and see what he’d be able to produce.
We have to ask this seeing as how we are an LGBTQ magazine and our readers will be interested. How have you found the industry as a whole with regards to current LGBT issues and how supportive are they?
On the whole, the music industry has seemed to be very supportive of LGBT causes and issues. And I’m excited at the positive and supportive response from this generation. LGBT artists are speaking up and making the LGBT lifestyle not just an “alternative lifestyle” but as part of the norm.
Do you have a favourite charity or organisation you like to work with and if so, what was it that you liked about it? If not, what sort of organisations would you see yourself working with?
“God’s Love We Deliver.” It’s a program that delivers nutritionally tailored meals, specific to the patient’s medical treatment, to people with severe illnesses (like HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, etc) who are too sick to cook for themselves. It’s a service provided free of charge regardless of age and income. Volunteers are always welcome and you can donate to support their mission by clicking here: https://www.glwd.org/give/donate.jsp
Currently, they only deliver in New York City, Westchester, Nassau Counties, Hudson County, and New Jersey. It’s an amazing charity that I wish would expand nationwide.
Last question- what is the origination of your name PRIME, can you share this with us?
PRIME is a reference to the period of time in each person’s life where they are at their very best. My hope is for people to think about and feel the word so that they might be inspired by it.
Divine would like to thank PRIME for being such a sport with this interview and we’ve loved talking to him.
PRIME’s songs hold listeners rapt with its blend of edgy pop tunes, high-energy beats, and heartfelt ballads. His soulful voice brims with honesty, inviting listeners to follow him on his journey. PRIME’s eclectic musical taste spans pop, rock, R&B, electronic, and dance music; a taste of each can be heard in his songs.
Quote about the video-
“I wanted the music video to portray the complexity of falling love – the vulnerability, the uncertainty, the insecurity. Love can be the most beautiful thing and the most painful thing at the same time. The push and pull between the dancers portrays lovers’ frustrations, while their tenderness displays what we all ultimately want.” – PRIME
Where to find PRIME
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz_yxoF29juk-mjdcqJGwoQ
https://www.facebook.com/primetheband
https://twitter.com/primetheband
https://www.instagram.com/iam_prime/
https://www.snapchat.com/add/paul.benedict
Thanks so much to www.Lafamos.com for facilitating this Q and A session with PRIME.