We had the good fortune of connecting with Elijah Aka Prophetboy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elijah, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since I have an entrepreneurial nature and I’m a creative person who knows a lot of people, it just felt right. I was definitely motivated to start my business from my mother who is an entrepreneur. She gave me a lot of confidence and helped me with the logistics aspect of starting a business. That afforded me the space to focus on the creative side of things. Prophetboy brand reflects positive inspiration for everyone. Music, Merchandise and Messaging are the natural aspects that my life is positively inspired, so it felt natural to create a business around that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I write all of my Music which is notably clean/kid friendly. Also, I have an amazing producer whose name is Noa. We collaborate on the beats, mixes and masters of the songs. Prophetboy is giving me the platform to Message on mental health. I recently hosted a Mental Health event at the Social Studies space in West LA. The Prophetboy Merch hats and t-shirts have grown to include specialty items like bracelets and phone cases. I have an upcoming meeting to expand distribution. It’s easy as an entrepreneur to give up when you’re not getting the return that you want or anticipate. There’s a lot of high and lows of being an entrepreneur and I’m proud of the fact that I’ve stayed steadfast and driven.

I want the world to know that anything is possible. I want the world to feel inspired. Being raised a black kid by a single mother with not a lot of hope for a positive future at one point in my life, I have come a long way. I am grateful that I made a choice to start a brand, make music and put myself out there because in return it truly has changed my life for the better. My opportunity to work with kids and adults in sports coaching as my day job is the best work gift I could have!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First off the city of Los Angeles has so many amazing things to offer and I am so grateful to be raised in such an incredible city. If my best friend came into town I would take them to the Grove, the Promenade then Century City mall. If I were to take my friend to get drinks it would be the Bungalow in Santa Monica or EP & LP in West Hollywood. Places to eat can be tough but In N Out Burger is always good, If you want to eat a little fancier than Zinque is really good! The amazing thing about LA and the places I mentioned is that there’s always a melting pot of people at those locations. As long as you’re open and kind it’s very easy to make new friends at any of them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a big shoutout to my mother. I truly am so blessed to have a mother who supports me in what I am doing. She is an incredible role model; she is intuitive and wise and has really been a huge part of why Prophetboy is what it is as well as why I am who I am. I am grateful and happy about the person I see when I look in the mirror and that is in large part because of my mother.

Website: Www.prophetboy.com

Instagram: Prophetboy_

Youtube: Elijah Kirkland-Cuffee

Other: Tik Tok: Prophetboy

Image Credits
Escalator pictures: Chloe Nissanoff

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.