After dropping three stellar albums as a member of the Wu-Tang affiliate Killarmy, 9th Prince is by no means new to the rap game. "I've been doing this for 12 years," says 9th, "since I was 12 or 13 with Ol' Dirty, Genius, and RZA in the lab." Apparently that perseverance paid off: since he formed the Killarmy collective and inked a deal with Priority Records at the age of 19. Now 9th has just released his solo debut, Grandaddy Flow, through his own ArmYourself Entertainment imprint. Boasting production from True Master, 4th Disciple and RZA, the album retains the grimey edge the fans of Killarmy expect, but also allows 9th to showcase himself as an MC. "People get to see me on this album," he explains, "They won't confuse me with Killa Sin or Baretta 9. Distinguishing himself has been important for him, since the Wu-Tang's Abbott just happens to be his older brother. "People are like, 'He tryin' to sound like RZA, he tryin' to look like RZA.' My mother had eight boys, so I got a couple of brothers that I look like and we all sound alike, too." But, he quickly acknowledges RZA's role in his success. "He definitley influenced me as an MC. He's like, 'Yo, go ahead and do your thing. Get in the studio.'" With plans for a new Killarmy album on deck through ArmYourself, 9th Prince continues to prove he can do his thing both in and out of the studio.
