Like many kids growing up in the early '80s, Stace Prints was first exposed to hip-hop culture via break dancing and its propulsive B-Boy beats. While Grandmaster Flash and the Sugar Hill Gang provided a funky soundtrack during his early adolescence, it wasn't until his later teenage years that he moved beyond rap to become a full-fledged hip-hop junkie. "I was listening to the Beastie Boys' License to Ill and Run-DMC's Raising Hell" at the time," recalls the 31-year-old rapper-producer over cigars at La Casa del Habano on Robson. "In '88 I had a school friend who owned every rap tape out. We'd listen to Poor Righteous Teachers, Positively Black, and X Clan. That's when I started to get involved on a deeper level and began creating music."

Making primitive pause tapes with an old cassette player and a couple of records, Prints was quick to pick up on the James Brown- influenced rhythmic patterns, mesmerizing vocal flows, and crunchy drums of golden-era rap. It wasn't long before the eager hip-hop student had started his own crew and begun experimenting with samplers and digging for vinyl to craft music with. Between 1991 and 1997, Prints's Bassic Instincts collective was one of Vancouver's first hip-hop groups. These were the days before The Beat 94.5 FM hit the airwaves or MuchVIBE had arrived on the tube. With no commercial radio and little industry support, the unit was a strictly underground affair. Regardless, with groups like local legends EQ, Rascalz, and DJ Kilo-Cee dropping science on the influential CiTR-aired Krispy Biscuit Show, foundational seeds were being sown.

Over the last eight years, Prints has continued to build a solid list of production credits. Birdapres and RKV, Moka Only, and Factor are just a few of the artists who have been blessed with the beatmaker's deft touch. Prints's recently released solo debut, Soulivar, represents a new beginning in the rapper-producer's musical career.

"Although I've done a lot of work for other people in the past, I've never really given myself a chance," says the enthusiastic veteran. "I wanted to start fresh and get my own props."

While the rap game continues to evolve, Prints sees his music as a continuation of hip-hop history. Remember now that before things went bling, there were boogie-down block parties, graffiti, and break dancing.

"If you look as far back as Kool Herc, you had the discovery of putting breaks together for either dancing or rapping," he explains. "They would take an intense section of the song and mix in with another or go back and forth with two copies of the same record. That's the foundation of hip-hop. All of the music that I grew up listening to was based on this blueprint. I still want to keep that foundation, but update it for today."

When not crafting beats with his trusty Ensoniq EPS 16 Plus sampler or mining an ever-increasing vinyl collection for source material, Prints was developing an interest in high-end cigars and their ornate packaging. That provided the 31-year-old musician with the initial inspiration to develop Soulivar's concept.

"Prevail from Swollen Members was working here at La Casa years ago and he introduced me to the Bolivar," says the tobacco aficionado. "I was looking at the box one day and thought the logo would look dope on a CD cover. Twisting Bolivar into Soulivar was just a nod to my love for soul music."

Learning about the brand's namesake, 19th-century South American liberator Simon Bolivar, provided the beatmaking poet with even more creative ammunition to draw from.

"Bolivar started his journey as one man who assembled a small, loyal following and built from there," Prints explains. "It's the idea of taking hip-hop back to where it was before the foundation got lost in the shuffle of heavy commercial appropriation. I see the major labels as the Spanish Empire and me trying to go up against that on an independent level as Bolivar did. I want to give a positive message to other hip-hop artists who are also in the same boat as me."

Despite rap being used to sell everything from cars to burgers these days, Prints's passion for the music remains the same. The bluesy opening slide-guitar licks, clanging drums, and Biz Markie-chorus hook of "Tomato Cigarettes" establish Soulivar as a classic dish in the New York style. To help realize his vision, the rapper has surrounded himself with a crew of like-minded troops. Sharp cuts and turntable work from DJ Squantos provide the right amount of texture throughout the EP, while guest production from Factor on the title track brings a regal electro-classical feel into the mix.

As well as working on fresh material, Prints has recently joined forces with Harlem-born, Bronx-raised Vancouver hip-hop institution DJ Seanski. The duo has begun promoting shows under the Skimen banner (www.skimen.com/), and with recent gigs by Hieroglyphics member Casual and Guru of Gang Starr fame under its belt, local rap fanatics have something to get hype about.

Knee-deep in the game, Prints is a man on the go. And while the rapper is never too busy to forget the past, he's set to help build Vancouver's hip-hop future. "Though I definitely have a history, for me, this is a new beginning, and it's exciting".