Paperboy Love Prince is running for office… again.
The rapper, artist and entrepreneur, sometimes regarded as the King of Bushwick, is known for his eccentric, loud and extravagant ideas (and clothes). Prince, who has called Brooklyn his home for about two decades, is dusting off the categorization of being a perennial candidate. Prince, who has previously run for mayor and president, is pulling double duty this year, seeking both a congressional seat in District 7 and an Assembly seat in District 54.
Last year, the longtime Bushwick resident (who uses the pronouns they/them) made headlines for being escorted from a mayoral forum on Black agenda in Brooklyn after taking the mic to express their discontent in not being included in the forum.
“People that were invited, were candidates that were raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in the span of a few months. Which for most normal people, just isn't realistic… it's so easy to get disheartened," Prince told BK Reader.
Prince said they were encouraged to see a new leader in the city, but had a glass-half-empty view on Zohran Mamdani.
"I'm super excited that New Yorkers have chosen someone," they said. "I'm hoping for the best, [although] we've watched him walk back a lot of his stances."
All in all, Prince is once again ready to march to the heartbeat of Brooklyn, and seeks to represent a borough that he wants to see explode with creativity.
The following interview has been edited for clarity:
BKR: What makes a Brooklynite?
It's the type of energy someone has. It's not the way someone dresses, it's not their accent. A positive, fun-loving energy. I really think it's somebody who spreads love, because a person in Brooklyn could be harsh to someone, but at the same time, I've seen people come together and help in ways that I haven't seen anywhere else.
BKR: Do you have a favorite neighborhood to stroll through?
I think the best neighborhood to stroll through are the ones where you can show off your outfit, and it's appreciated. I would probably say Bushwick.
BKR: Do you have a favorite deli or bodega, and what's your order?
I go against the grain. In COVID, a lot of the good bodegas closed because they couldn't find people to work the grill. And I didn't realize how much I was eating at my local bodega until during COVID. It closed and now I don't. I think that, health-wise, it may be time to have a referendum on bodegas. I know people love them, but I think there's some issues there.
BKR: What is your favorite nightlife joint in Brooklyn?
I like Jade. It's cool. It used to be Jones Beach, they used to throw shows there every month before it closed, and now it's Jade. But Jade still kind of keeps some of that same energy. I think there's usually cool people there.
BKR: Ungatekeep a Brooklyn secret for me, whether it be a place, a fact, a person, or a thing. Something that kind of feels hidden to you about Brooklyn, that you have been keeping from everyone.
Fort Tilden. Jacob Riis, a great beach. If you go all the way to the right, where the lifeguards don't guard, there is Fort Tilden, which is considered the nude beach. The Fort Tilden side has a lot more space, a lot more water, a lot more coastline.
BKR: Who is the most Brooklyn person you know?
I would have to say my homie Chris Carr, who has this collective called Brooklyn Wildlife. He was someone who helped to facilitate a Brooklyn experience for regular people, and not trying to charge you $100 for it. Someone who's been facilitating community for folks to feel a little bit more at home. And I think that that's important. I think that makes somebody more Brooklyn, reaching out to more people and bringing them in.
BKR: What's one issue that you think is pressing the residents of Brooklyn, and how do you think it should be solved?
Brooklyn is losing its cool. It's losing the thing that made it artistic and fun and interesting and raw. It's on life support, and a real reason is because of affordability and because they're pushing artists out and because of the internet. Whereas before, you had to be in Brooklyn and come to experience it. Now, you can experience art on the internet or music or, shows. I feel like Brooklyn has to get back to being a leader in art and culture and taking that seriously. I think for a while it was put on the back burner as like, 'Oh, it'll always be there.' But there are other places that want that, and we don't want to become a museum, a shell of ourselves.
