Great achievers have a sense of destiny, and a burning passion to leave a legacy. For recording artists, their music is their legacy. It’s a piece of “immortality” that will stand forever. Buzzing rapper Itz Prof is working hard to contribute to his legacy. John Vaughan better known as Itz Prof proudly hails from southwest Virginia. In the last 15-years, he has released over 10 mixtapes and 50 videos but there was a time when he just could not avoid the judicial system, or the drug scene. His tumultuous past has seen him survive two overdoses and multiple stints of incarceration. Since then, Prof has released multiple new successful mixtapes and an album Better Late Than Never. Through it all Prof has stood fast, knowing that he has talent that the world needs to hear. His gift has allowed him to tour with Nipsey Hussle and work with industry greats like DJ Khaled. Since then, Prof has continued to put out banger after banger.
Itz Prof is a Hip Hop Juggernaut. His skillful wordplay, witty metaphors and unpredictable flow put him in a lane of his own. His unique selling proposition is that he’s not afraid to be himself and he incorporates many of his life’s experiences into his music. He crafts songs that move past generic street tales and takes the listener on a deeper and more introspective level. Stagnancy leads to complacency and complacency leads to failure. You gotta keep moving and keep working. Itz Prof has a work ethic that is unmatched. His music is a refreshing departure from the cookie cutter playlist of songs currently in rotation on the commercial radio airwaves. He offers something more authentic and real. The dynamic wordsmith creates compositions utilizing true craftsmanship, whereby careful thought is put into each line and melody.
His latest single “Last Road” (AssHole) is a fusion of Country, Trap, Hip Hop and R&B. The guitar driven track details the choices and sacrifices he has had to make, which have taken a real toll on his relationship at home. “Last Road,”. The song has touched many listeners who have been in similar situations. Many of which have posted the songs on their social media platforms tagging It’z Prof. “Last Road” has also been gaining a lot of traction on the radio and is currently the #6 Indie Song on Urban Radio, and #97 on the top 100 Mediabase Urban Radio Charts. But Prof is no stranger to the charts. His previous single “Good Dope” also made it to the Top 100 on the Mediabase charts, but the Pandemic stalled his opportunity to tour. This time around, Prof says, “Nothing’s stopping me this time. We goin straight to the top!”
Although Prof’s been continuously hitting the charts and getting notoriety, he’s more concerned with the people. “To be honest, those charts really don’t mean sh*t to me. Now I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to be appreciated. And after all the work and all the years, I’ve put in; It’s nice to see my name sitting on top of Drake, Kanye, Adele, 50 Cent, DJ Khaled, ect etc. It looks good on the self-assessment…but really, what means the world to ME, is the meaning behind being on those charts, the listens. It’s crazy after all this time, the last two singles are literally playing all over the world. Everyday. To fresh new ears. And that my friend is a blessing. I’m definitely blessed. And best believer we ain’t stoppin at two. Three. Four. Seven. Let’s goooo!!”
