With so many people claiming Wu-Tang affiliation, it is refreshing to come across one who has been indirectly down for a long time with an affiliate and not claim affiliation, been in groups and features with a host of Wu-Tang members and still maintains his non affiliation, mainly focusing on making and elevating his sound and music in a quest to establish his own legacy. The artist in question is Pro The Leader formally known as The Professional. Pro The Leader hails from Orange County, California,  and has been in the game since 1995. He grew up watching "Yo MTV Raps" and listening to the "Wake Up Show", and over the years studied various rhyme styles and rap patterns combined with his interests, hobbies, life experiences and surroundings to generate his own unique style. 

A chance meeting with Black Knight's own Warcloud at a Wu-Tang show brought the two together and they have been making music forever since then. If Holocaust has a protégé then it would be Pro The Leader, but they are more like partners in rhyme, associates and friends, having formed different groups (about 10 plus) together to date, Pro is possibly the closest known associate to Warcloud without taking anything from the likes of his main producer Skarekrow or his cousin Onslawt and Da Monstar Mob. Without Pro The Leader, fans would have little or no knowledge of Wacloud's existence, it is safe to say that Pro was and is instrumental in helping to build Warcloud's established and constantly raising legacy. Most if not all the albums that have been released by Warcloud after Black Knights had something to do directly or indirectly with Pro, the features, leaks, studio time and so on. Rumours have it that Holocaust is a very difficult person to deal with, bad with the internet and medically unstable, so one can only assume that Pro was the gel that aligned him with his fans all these years allowing Holocaust to focus mainly on his sick rhymes and music.

Often misunderstood, especially by Warcloud's fans, one can not deny Pro's drive and determination to his craft. The Professional has paid many dues, from releasing about 3-4 solo projects, and more than 4 group albums to forming his own record label "Know The Names Music Group" as well as production duties. He has recorded over 100 tracks with The Holocaust as well as worked with great names such as Canibus, Ras Kass, Cappadonna, Casual (Hiero), Opio (Souls Of Mischief), C-Rayz Walz, Killah Priest, Dom Pachino (Killarmy), Timbo King, 60 sec (Sunz Of Man), Buddah Monk (Brooklyn Zu), Soloman Childs and much more.

Pro recently released a project with Dopestyle entitled "Hip-Hop Recession" which has also been reviewed today and agreed to add on the Warcloud's interview sessions for the West Coast Killa Beez Series, find out about The Pro, why Holocaust works with him, his numerous projects an albums, their experiences at Pro's Lab and much more.. Enjoy!!!

I like to say thanks first and foremost for taking the time to answer these questions, highly appreciated, and will also point out that nothing will be altered, edited or changed when this is published online.

Wu-International:  Peace Pro, how are you? Pro The Leader: Good, I just released my new album The Hip Hop Depression. It has many features on it and a must buy for our fans out there. Wu-International: You used to go by The Professional and now you are mostly Pro The Leader, why did that change come about? Pro The Leader: I am a natural born Leader, plus a lot of people have the name Pro already so I said ‘fuck it I’m Pro The Leader’ but will always be The Professional. Wu-International:  You have been in the game for a long time now, we learnt about via your collaboration with Cloud, how long have you been in the rap game? Pro The Leader: I've been listening to Hip Hop Since 1990. The first tape I ever bought was Too Short’s “Short Dogs In The House” but I have been rapping since 1995.

Wu-International: We appreciate you agreeing to do this as we have been chasing Warcloud for an interview for almost 4 years now and after numerous correspondence with different people working or managing him we never got any concrete replies back, Is he a stubborn person to work with, a very private person or not just keen on the internet?
Pro The Leader: I am sure he likes the mystery around him and about him but I also think he could care less about the internet.

Wu-International: Can you please let us know how you both met and how long you have known him for?
Pro The Leader: I first met him at a RZA show at the house of blues in Anahiem, but I knew his cousin Onslawt years before I ever met him. The first night we kicked it we smoked a shit load of weed and rapped for hours at Vulgar’s house. They woke me up at 2 in the morning telling me I couldn't miss out as Cloud went on and on.

Wu-International: Is that before or after Black Knights?
Pro The Leader: After

Wu-International: Crisis and Monk say he is still part of the group and whenever he wants he can record towards an album, was Holo just doing his solo thing or did he not want to be part of that group anymore even though he claimed Black Knights on most of his solo songs in the past?
Pro The Leader: He is just all over the place at random times starting groups wherever he goes. Some surface and others don't. I have been in like 10 groups with Holocaust, from Weapons Factory, The 12 schools Of Mystery, The Pin Ball Gang, Midnight Rambler to ofcourse The American Poets. Some of the group names I have even forgotten. He was in a group with JuleUuniqe called Japetto Stombollie and with SkareKrow in Ghost Pirates and at one time he was also apart of the Great Chiefs.

Wu-International: Thanks for that update, what prompted the two of you to work on numerous projects?
Pro The Leader: Our Mutual respect for hip-hop and making bangin’ ass tracks.

Wu-International: Where you ever a duo or just collaborators?
Pro The Leader: Both I would say.

Wu-International: So is Pro’s Lab your album featuring Warcloud or a collabo between the both of you?
Pro The Leader: It was my album featuring Warcloud, although he is the one who came up with the name Pro's Laboratory. We recorded everything at my spot, people would say ‘where are you goin’? and he would reply, to the Pro's Lab and it just stuck.

Wu-International: Apart from probably Skarekrow, you have to be the closest or rather the only artist that has worked with Warcloud the most, probably more than Krow himself, what has it been like working with him?
Pro The Leader: It has been my honour to have worked beside him. At first people were like “Why are you working with this white dude”? and he was like because I want to. Believe me no one can tell him what or what not to do.

Wu-International:  There were rumours that he used to rap non-stop, how true is this?
Pro The Leader: Yes that is very true, he could still out-rap rap anyone on this planet if he wanted too. I really don't feel there is enough fan support for him to even want to do that. People just complain about what they want but all they do is pirate the shit off the internet. Yo post this track so I can rip it, Yo put up that song and then make a CD and sell it on ebay for like 50 fuckin bucks. No respect for the artists.

Wu-International:  There say there is a thin line between genius and insanity, and there have been talks of Cloud falling in between one of those categories, what’s your view on this?
Pro The Leader: Yes, Warcloud’s a genius.

Wu-International: He is also known to have different styles, alter egos, personas etc, can you please tell us more about your experience between the different egos like Holocaust, Robot Tank, Alcatraz and whatever he went for when you worked with him?
Pro The Leader: He was Warcloud when I met him and as far as I can remember, all of a sudden he got that Alcatraz tattoo on his arm and he told me not to call him Warcloud anymore and would get a little angry if I or anyone else did, but that was what a lot of us called him. It would be like your friend from school was called Todd and you have known him as that your whole time in school and he graduates and he now wants you to call him Rocking Chair.

Wu-International: The fans seem to prefer his holocaust style, which of these styles would you say is your favourite and why?
Pro The Leader: Warcloud, because I knew him for years as Warcloud and that style was more unique. Don't get me wrong the original Holocaust could crush any emcee on the face of the earth but the Warcloud/Alcatraz style was off the wall.

Wu-International: Thanks for those answers, let’s talk about this so called “free verse pattern” that Holocaust invented, some fans say its off beat rapping, what do you say and are there other styles that Holocaust uses that you might like to share with us?
Pro The Leader: Too many to list

Wu-International: Are you surprised or amazed by the number of fans Warcloud has acquired over the past years?
Pro The Leader: Actually I am surprised he doesn't have more fans than he already has.

Wu-International: We are aware of some albums Holocaust put out like Smugglin.. , Nightmares, how many albums are you aware of that Holocaust has stashed in his archive that remains unreleased to date?
Pro The Leader: Lots more albums.

Wu-International: Can you please list some of them for us that you are aware of and year/time if you can remember?
Pro The Leader: “The Alcatraz” album 2003 though half the album is out there somewhere. “The History Of Violence” 2005, some songs from that album are out like “Door Gunner”, “Gun Grave” and “My Rhyme”. Some of the songs were lost when the studio's computer crashed. Then he went and kicked rhymes from that album we were going to use with those thieves “Blue Sky Black Death” and there was “The Death Coast Album” 2005. I know the songs “Love and River Church” were going to be on In there, and there was “The Ways of Death” 2006 I think. I have heard that album and it is mad dope, there are like three newer albums he did, then there is the “The American Poets 2099” and upcoming features will be in “Pro's Lab 3” 2010.

Wu-International: Great stuff, thanks, lets talk about the highly talked about album “Alcatraz” do you have an idea as to why Holocaust doesn’t want to release this album?
Pro The Leader: I have no idea, I was featured on 5 songs on that album.

Wu-International: So you are one of the few that have probably heard that album in its entirety, what’s the album like and do you think we will ever get to hear it some day?
Pro The Leader: It was like “Smugglin’ Booze In The Grave Yard” for the most part, it was recorded right after he completed Smugglin’. Without giving out too much all I can say is that you have already heard some of them, I am very sure of that.

Wu-International: Would it be too much to ask you for a full track list then?
Pro The Leader:

Wu-International: Ok, so moving along, would you like to share some highlights/funny moments during your recording sessions with Warcloud in some of the projects you have both worked on?
Pro The Leader: Sure, we went to my barbers one of those days and while I was getting my hair cut he was in the car writing to that triumph beat and when I came out he had that rhyme were he was using all the words that started with F. He was crazy for that one.

Wu-International: Working with Holocaust has got a lot of fans checking for your work and some seeing you as part of the Westcoast Killa Beez or affiliate, how do you see yourself in that regards?
Pro The Leader: I am not a Killa Bee whatsoever and refuse to fly the bat on anything I ever did. Wu-Tang is the greatest hip-hop group ever assembled but I want to make my own mark in hip-hop. There are to many wanna be internet rappers that fly the bat already thinking that they are some how affiliated with Wu. They are just disillusioned fans.

Wu-International: So you are saying you are not part of the West Coast Killa Beez movement?
Pro The Leader: They get respect world wide but no I am not a Killa Bee.

Wu-International: That’s a first, usually everybody and their grand mother who have worked with a Killa Bee or Clan member quickly claims affiliation, what would do you think makes one a Killa Bee?
Pro The Leader: That isn't my place to really say but I’m sure it would have to go through Rza or Divine somehow.

Wu-International: Props to you on those answers, a question that has been bugging a lot of fans is his famous fight with 9th prince. Were you around when this happen, why did they fight and if not around, what did Warcloud tell you about this?
Pro The Leader: I wasn't around but have heard the story many times and have also seen the bloody shirt he kept as a memento in his closet.

Wu-International: Ok, thanks… now let’s talk about his groups associations and so on, we are aware American Poets were just you, Holocaust and Vulgar, can you please tell us the history of AP and it’s current line up?
Pro The Leader: It was Myself, Holocaust, Sobretti and Anti The Decimator. Vulgar, Bootface, Anti The Decimator and myself were The 714 Hardcore click.

Wu-International: The fans were expecting to see Vulgar on the new line up, any reason why he was not involved?
Pro The Leader: He stopped rappin’, gave it all up.
 

Wu-International: How did Nova Kane and Atlantis Scroll become part of the group? Pro The Leader: Nova Kane was a big fan of the music and hit me up for years. Sometime in 2007 he wanted a Holo verse. I met up with him at a show and then we went to Nova's friends to record Swift Illusion a few days later the Pro Bowl sunday of that year. That is the first song we all did together. Worked with him a few more times and I saw he was dedicated and Splash, got him involved in the group.

Wu-International: Let’s talk about The Holocaust project with Blue Sky Black Death, you called them thieves earlier and sources say you were instrumental in the whole process of The Holocaust album. Your last interview on Chambermusik seems to hint some form of displeasure on how the whole release came out, do you care to shed some light on this please?
Pro The Leader: They contacted me to pay Holo for a song on the album “Heap of broken Images”, Kingston went on and on about how they were his biggest fans so Holo did the song. They initially wanted him to do an album with Virtuoso. They told me for his solo album they were going to get Ill bill, Goretx and Sabac Red for the album. I thought that would have been a good look. They were not even Blue Sky Black Death at that time as they went by the name Torso. They started sending me CDs with wack beats for Holo to pick from. He probably picked out like 5 beats from 100 some of them were so bad. I know because I listened to them too. He finally flew out there and did the album with them. Then went back and did a second "Death Coast". He wanted to do 2 albums, they tried to take songs from both albums and make it 1 album but he refused. Not too long after that the album was released without him knowing it was even going to be out. They switched half the beats he rapped on and slapped his accappellas on whatever they felt like. He never rapped on the beats that were on that CD which I guess in a way started at the accapellas of Holo being slapped on whatever beats. He is still the Greatest believe me.

Wu-International: Thanks for clearing that up, another project was the Warghost with Bom Shot, how involved on this project were you?
Pro The Leader: I was not involved on this project in any ways at all.

Wu-International:  Ok, thanks, lets go back to your AP 2099 project, how well received was this project by the fans?
Pro The Leader: We made that album for the fans that is why there are a lot of Holo solo songs on three instead of Pro solo songs. Nova and I tried to give the fans what they wanted. People say we were using him, if that was the case you would have no solo Holo songs on the projects, we gave him money for those songs to be done for you the fans. Funny because I did over 50 songs with him at one point and never had to pay him. But we did it this way for this project so the fans could get quality Holocast that was mixed and mastered right, not these unmixed songs that float around the internet. We put a lot of solo stuff on that Theatre Pain album as well for the fans that wasn't free to us but did it for the fans to get more from their favourite rapper, most you should remember in 2010 nothing is free it all cost money some how.

Wu-International: You have a collective known as Know The Names between just you and Nova Kane, what’s behind the title and project?
Pro The Leader: It's time for people to Know The Names. Get to know more about us and the folks we are affiliated with, that’s what the project was about, an introduction, Check out www.knowthenames.com

Wu-International: You also got a new project out with you and Dopestyle “Hip Hop Depression”?
Pro The Leader: Yes this is true. Hip Hop is in such a bad place right now as far as the music goes so it is almost like we are in The Hip hop depression. We are all getting let down by our favorite emcees for whatever the reasons maybe. They sold out or just fell of the map completely who knows.

Wu-International: That album is dope, I love it and it was reviewed by a member of staff for the site and was rated close to 4/4.5 out of 5.
Pro The Leader: Thanks, I worked really hard on this album, what were your favourite songs?

Wu-International: “Hit 'em where it hurts” is dope, “Hustle on the mic” “Despair”, “Get one life” “Triple threat” with Casual are wicked joints too.. a lot of good songs on there.
Pro The Leader: Thanks my dude, all feedback is god to me yo .

Wu-International: On the other hand, some fans have complained that most of the songs if not all were songs that have been released some how and just being reused again, how true is this?
Pro The Leader: Only half of the songs on the album have been heard. The Timbo track was actually for this album and same for ‘Sharp Splinters’ as well. ‘Sharp Splinters’ also had a part on my verse missing, you can tell the difference if you listen to it. ‘Put it Down’ with Opio, this is the original version and any other version was a remix after this. ‘Track List’ was never released or properly mixed. ‘Money off rap’ with Casual was on the Academy but was missing all of the scratches… and ‘Hustle on the Mic’ Wit Cappa is the original version to that song with new verses from Nova and Fes Taylor. Vultures was my song that I let M-Eighty use and he put Killah Priest and C-Rayz Walz on it.

Wu-International:  You have not wasted time in putting out AP 2099 after the Theatre of Pain, is it safe to assume we can see a third instalment and if so can you please tell us more about this as in features, planned date of release etc?
Pro The Leader: Yes The Album there will be another American Poets 2099, and there is “Pro's Lab 3” Ace Gauntlet and Boot Face are in the group as well on this album and maybe a guest member as well.

Wu-International: The group has to be commended for the use of concept and themes how it used to be in the past with just one producer, Semantix on Know The Names project and White Lotus on the AP2099, who else is lined up for similar concept if you still wish to continue with this?
Pro The Leader: Prime music will be on the next album and maybe SkareKrow in the future.

Wu-International: Why have you decided to follow the route of one producer for an album and what do you think are the benefits of that?
Pro The Leader: More of making an album opposed to just songs. We don't make songs we make albums.

Wu-International: You are equally a producer as well as an MC, lately you have mostly focused on emceeing, any reason for this and is that something you plan to get back into again?
Pro The Leader: I wanted to focus on putting out more albums and you can't do that when you are rapping, producing, mixing the songs and doing the artwork and pressing up the CDs yourself. It was very tiresome plus I can make beat a certain way and other producers can bring new sound to my music so I tried to spread out musically as well.

Wu-International: Know The Name is a collective now, what’s in store for the collective as in future albums, solos, collabos etc?
Pro The Leader:  We have the new Ace Gauntlet feat Nova-Kane album coming soon plus Pro's lab 3. Myself and Nova also have solo albums we are working on at the moment.

Wu-International:  Thanks, words been out that Holocaust was currently serving time, can you please confirm this and let us know why and when he is most likely going to be out?
Pro The Leader: Yes this true. I haven’t seen him in close to a year now.

Wu-International: It is safe to say that you have been instrumental in keeping Holocausts name out there through your releases and has helped his cult following to grow with fans showing little appreciation for your work and skills and even going as far as being disrespectful, how do you feel about that?
Pro The Leader: It doesn't bother me much, people will catch on one day.

Wu-International: Thanks again for your time and contribution, any thing else you might like to add or say that’s not been covered already?
Pro The Leader: Shout out to Nova, Ace, Bootface, Holocaust, Skarekrow, C-Rayz Walz, Irie, Prime Music and anyone who has helped us out the past year, record labels etc.

Wu-International: Thanks, any shout outs, links to where fans to stay up to date with you and your group members etc?
Pro The Leader: Thanks, especially to you and the fans and listeners.

Free Holocaust!!!