At 26 years old, Illinois native $imba P has already experienced the full spectrum of what it means to be both student and teacher in hip-hop culture. As a member of the Great Thinkers Collective, he has transitioned from eager mentee absorbing wisdom from veteran artists to educator, working with young people through programs like the Miseducation of Hip-Hop and hip-hop camps at the University of Illinois.
His latest project, P. a 6 Song EP, serves as both a musical autobiography and a testament to the power of vulnerability in art. Originally conceived as a deluxe edition to his previous work As Above, So Below, the EP evolved into something entirely different a raw, introspective journey through life changes, personal growth, and the ongoing balance between street consciousness and positive mentorship.
Growing up in Champaign, $imba P witnessed both the opportunities that come from living in a college town and the realities that exist beyond the university’s borders. This duality informs much of his music and his approach to working with young people, as he navigates the complex terrain of authenticity while promoting positive choices.
In this conversation, $imba P discusses his creative process, the advantages of being part of a collective, his innovative approach to releasing music on both traditional and artist-led platforms, and the importance of Black music.
What are the driving forces behind creating this particular project?
At first, P was going to be a deluxe project for a project that I did before called “As Above, So Below,” but it sounded different, and it felt different in terms of its sound and its essence of feeling as far as like delivery. There was a lot of change happening in my life at that moment in time.
Management was moving around. My living situation was a bit different. It was me tapping into myself and tapping into my own power. So what that looked like was P. I am P, $imba P. Let’s go into me. Let’s give everybody all the essences in every aspect of me, in every lane, in every way that I create.
Why do you think hip-hop can be used as a vehicle to speak directly to the youth and teach different things?
Kids can often feel voiceless sometimes. Hip-hop was created in a revolutionary time. It’s a voice for the voiceless. You’d gravitate to it because it’s rebellious, because it’s mind-opening, because it’s in its essence, it’s each one teach one, learn and grow together. Hip-hop gives a voice to the people. It speaks to everybody, it’s a universal language, and that’s why it speaks to the young people.
What is the story behind “P”?
The story behind “P” is really me, my life. So “P” is for power is essentially. I talk about growing up in Champaign. I talk about the lifestyles that I’ve had, and how I had to flip those lifestyles and understanding like why I was in that space, being a product of my environment and things like that.
What do you think the advantage is coming from a collective?
It’s like being a part of the Avengers. We know how we fight. When we get on stage, it’s like we’re getting ready to go to war or we getting ready for battle and we are so familiar with each other’s styles and the ways that we rap.
I’m learning from Heavy Crownz and the way that he creatively directs. I’m learning from Mother Nature and how they educate and teach. I’m learning from Jeff, and how he raps and performs and delivers his cadences. I’m learning from Sky, and how he writes, and his flows. I’m learning from Simba and in his ear for good music and everything.
I’m taking from all of these different things. It’s hard to lose when you have so many different resources. When I win they win, when they win, I win. It’s elevation and it’s the essence of hip-hop. That’s why I’m happy to be in a collective.
What was the thinking behind releasing the project on both traditional platforms and an artist-led platform?
I wanted to test myself. For one thing, I wanted to see what I could do. But you also want to like, reach your fan base and see where your fan base is at. So it was a very intentional move in terms of “Okay, who’s really supporting me? Who’s really willing to buy my projects.” But it’s also from a standpoint of, we don’t make money from this thing that we love so much for real, the way that we should off of the actual music aspect.
People don’t buy records anymore they just stream. How can I cater to both of these audiences? As somebody who’s independent it’s important that you understand where your fan base is, how you can reach them, get to them, talk to them, sell your merch to them, and how you can cater to them first. I want to cater to the people who are really supporting me first.
In the middle of Black Music Month why would you say Black music is important?
Black music is important because it’s the blueprint. You can’t replace it. You can’t stop it. It’s here and not going anywhere.
$imba P’s P. is available on all music platforms. Find him on Instagram @iam_simbap, TikTok @I_am_$imba_P, and visit simbap.com for more information.
