BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Hip-hop and R&B artist Jerrell Lanos, known by his stage name Pr0 Social, has an album release scheduled to release in January.
He has been working on the album for just over two years. In addition to the album, he has several shows and music video releases lined up for the month, as well as a line of merch that recently dropped.
Pr0 Social began his music career as a songwriter and as he got confident in his singing and rapping around 2017, started performing as well.
Pr0 Social started as a singer-songwriter, blending elements of hip-hop into his music as he progressed.
“I’ve always been a hip-hop head at my core, so rapping came very, very easy and almost poetic to me,” he said. “The thing that makes people like Drake or Bryson Tiller — that makes them so popular — is because they can shift gears and do that R&B and hip-hop simultaneously. That’s that kind of secret sauce that gives me that edge over your traditional rapper, your traditional singer.”
He said he tries to use both effectively to create an enjoyable listening experience.
“Starting out, I didn’t really know if I wanted to take an all-R&B or an all-hip-hop route,” he said. “Then I realized that doing both kind of sets me apart.”
Pr0 Social said his dream in music is to have access to any artist or producer he’s always wanted to work with.
How he came up with his name: He took the name from his pro-social behavior psychology class, in which he learned about altruism and doing things for the greater good and the benefit of other people.
What artists inspire Pr0 Social: Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd
His favorite venue to play: Town Ballroom
His favorite song to perform live: Chainsm oking
His favorite artists to work with: Free Music Party, Grace Greenan, Megan Brown, stinlo, Freak the Mighty
His dream concert lineup:
Smino
SZA
Pr0 Social
For more information about Pr0 Social and his music, visit the following links:
Music Monday #18 was filmed at Twin Petrels Seltzer Co., a recent addition to Buffalo’s local bar and eatery scene, which serves up a fresh take on seltzer. To learn more about Twin Petrels, click here to visit the bar’s website.
Music Monday is a weekly series created and produced by Adam Duke to showcase artists from Western New York and their work. To be considered for a feature, email Adam at adam.duke@wivb.com.