Born and raised in Pinole, California, P-Lo (Paolo Rodriguez) is a rapper, producer, and creator who helped shape the modern sound of Bay Area Hip Hop.
Blending rich hyphy-rooted bounce, trunk-rattling bass, and infectious melody, the Filipino-American artist eventually stepped out from behind the controls into the spotlight with breakout solo hits like “Put Me On Somethin'” featuring Bay Area legend E-40. Known for his high-energy positivity, deep sports fandom, and undeniable Bay Area pride, P-Lo stands as a crucial bridge between West Coast Hip Hop heritage and its contemporary, multicultural future.
As he prepares to release his new album ‘Out The Box’ on August 14th, The Hip Hop Museum caught up with P-Lo to talk about the story behind producing Drake’s “2 Hard 4 The Radio”, the Bay Area Hip Hop scene today, his new album, and much more.
Adam Aziz: You’re in a unique position having started as a producer before stepping up as an MC. Who is your favorite producer-rapper, and what makes them stand out to you?
P-Lo: Kanye West for sure. I modelled what I wanted to be as an artist and creative after him and Pharrell. Those are really my GOATs when it comes to producing and being artists.
AA: What specifically did you take from both of them?
P-Lo: They both have their own unique things going, whether it’s producing, songwriting, fashion. I found interest in all those same things, and I wanted to model myself after their careers.
AA: I love Bay Area, Hip Hop. One of my favorite albums is ‘Rick Rock Presents: The Federation’…
P-Lo: Rick Rock is a huge influence to this day. He was able to come out of the Bay, put other Bay Area artists on, and also do hella mainstream records with people like Mariah Carey and Jay-Z. A lot of the records he’s been part of are timeless. He was so ahead of the curve with his production style. He’s a legend.
AA: Why is Bay Area Hip Hop universally respected, yet still feels so regionally contained compared to scenes like Chicago, LA, or New York?
P-Lo: It’s interesting. That’s a code that I’ve been trying to crack as an artist and producer. What’s that threshold that isn’t being crossed?
So many people pull inspiration from the Bay. It’s like people want to keep us a secret. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like sometimes we are unique to a fault. I feel like when people talk about Bay Area music, they like, “Oh, it’s too Bay Area,” or some people regionalize it like, “Oh, that’s just Bay Area stuff,” which is wild because when Houston was rolling, and everywhere, the sound was very Houston, right? Like, it wasn’t like they watered it down to hit the mainstream.
For some years, there wasn’t much industry in the Bay, like, you know? Over the past 10 or so years, there’s been a lot more infrastructure to help take all this to the next level.
AA: Switching gears. How did you come to produce Drake’s “2 Hard 4 The Radio” on his ‘ICEMAN’ album?
P-Lo: It really happened through Karri, who is from the Bay Area. He’s like an R&B dude, and he’s signed to Chubbs. Karri and I have been working together for some years now.
When he got the opportunity to start working on some Drake stuff, he hit me and said: “Yo, Drake wants to do some Bay shit.” So for maybe a week or two, we were spamming him with stuff like crazy. This was like a week before the Super Bowl in the Bay. We were in LA working.
We still hadn’t heard anything a week before the Super Bowl, and I’m driving up to the Bay from LA. It’s about 9 am, and Karri texts me, saying, “Drake likes this sample.” He sends me the sample while I’m driving and asks me to put some drums on it. I pulled my car over on the highway, and told my homie, “You got to drive.” I have to make this beat real quick. I’m literally on the highway cooking up the beat. I send it over, and some of the other producers did their thing on it. By the time I get to the Bay maybe three or four hours later, they’re like “Drake cut the record.” And that’s pretty much how it happened.
I put my laptop through the Tesla Bluetooth, and I was making it on the shit, and like, my laptop was going to die while I was, like, exporting stems. I was like, “Oh shit, oh shit.” I was like—it was like—it was crazy. But man, like it was crazy. Like, man, like if I literally didn’t like—I feel like if I didn’t like seize that moment, it—it probably would have never happened.
AA: That record is unique because you’re from the Bay, from the West Coast. The record itself is one of the records on the album that directly references “Not Like Us,” where Kendrick says, “that Oakland show going to be your last stop.” And then Drake, on “2 Hard 4 The Radio,” says, “I got an Oakland show tonight, baby.” What were your thoughts when you heard the final record given it’s so newsworthy?
P-Lo: I’m just making music. I’m not really involved in the beef stuff. It’s not relevant to me. I’m just trying to make the best music possible. Like, I feel like that whole beef shit is like—that’s, you feel me? That’s to me, that’s really like—I’m not really involved in that. I’m not—it’s not really relevant to me, you know what I’m saying? I’m literally trying to make the best music possible. Drake is one of the artists that I’ve always wanted to work with. And not only that, but he knew he wanted to flip a Mac Dre song. So, for me, him wanting to flip a Mac Dre song and bring Mac Dre’s legacy to the masses, that was an opportunity I really couldn’t pass up.
So, the whole beef thing is like, man, I’m not necessarily involved in that. I am from the West Coast, but I got love for everybody.
We didn’t hear the final record until Drake’s ‘ICEMAN’ stream the night of the release.
AA: Compared to the era of Mac Dre and E-40, today’s music landscape is driven by viral moments and TikTok. As a producer and artist, do you enjoy navigating that, or do you hate it, as many artists do?
P-Lo: There are pros and cons to all things. I’ve not necessarily chased virality or all that, but I’ve had things go viral. I just had a song on TikTok that went hella viral from a song I put out maybe two years ago, and Michelle Obama ended up dancing to it.
I learned from people like E-40. He does what he does, and he’s not chasing anything and stays on his path. He’s damn near 60 and as strong as ever.
It’s really about staying on your path and not trying to get caught up in what’s going on and what everyone’s chasing.
I’ve always looked to people like 40 and Too $hort for inspiration.
AA: You’ve produced for major mainstream artists. Recent industry reports show Hip Hop’s Billboard market share has dropped significantly since a few years ago. From your perspective as a creator, why do you think Hip Hop is losing its grip as the dominant mainstream genre?
P-Lo: I feel like there’s not—maybe there’s not as much like care and intentionality put into the music. I feel like there was intentionality in all the records that really made Hip Hop what it was, and that we grew up loving. There was care put into them.
AA: Who are your top three Bay Area Hip Hop artists?
P-Lo: I think you have to go with the big three – E-40, Too $hort, and Mac Dre.
Mac Dre really for the essence and the culture. I feel like Mac Dre really brought the Hyphy movement to the screen. He was documenting that early when nobody else was.
And then, obviously, 40 and Too $hort, as far as their consistency, quality, and longevity. You can’t overlook that they’ve been doing it for so long. And they continue. I feel like they’re both at their strongest right now. I was with 40 the other day. He’s still so sharp mentally.
AA: You have the new album ‘Out The Box’ coming soon. Former NFL player Marshawn Lynch was in your album announcement you posted on socials. I read something that said the album was bridging the gap between sports and music. Is that something that comes to life in the concept of the album?
P-Lo: Not really. My music has that high energy that gets you up. And Marshawn is a good friend of mine. He also represents the album title.
‘Out the Box’ is about living outside the limitations you put on yourself, or what society puts on you, or what the world puts on you. I feel like Marshawn truly embodies that, and that’s why I wanted to use him for the commercial. Because I feel like a lot of people say, “Oh, Marshawn’s—he’s just a football player.” And I feel like since he stopped playing football, he’s been really outside the box of like what people thought he was. He’s like a world spirit.
AA: And then how about the album itself? Any interesting features or information you can share?
P-Lo: Oh man, we’ve got some cool stuff. Saweetie is on there. We got Killer Mike on there. E-40 and Kreayshawn are on there—also Clyde Carson, Kehlani, G-Eazy.
AA: Why do you think it’s important Hip Hop has its own physical Museum space?
P-Lo: Hip Hop has done so much not only for me, but it’s done so much for people all over the world. It’s given people an outlet to express themselves. I feel like Hip Hop is a culture. It’s like a religion. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Hip Hop. And I feel like a lot of people would feel the same way.
Follow P-Lo on Instagram.
