Mika “Prophet” Guillory of Hip-Hop Rock Band 7Lions: The Blast Interview

Signed to RedOne’s 2101 Records, Southern California band 7Lions merges hip-hop and rock to create their own original sound. Founded in 2010, the group is composed of six members, Forrest Fulmer, Will Carpenter, Daniel Hange, Tony Tomasi, Morgan Taylor Reid, and Mika “Prophet” Guillory, with the honorary “7th lion” being Fulmer’s brother who passed away during the band’s creation. They released their debut EP, Born 2 Run, in 2012 and continue to produce new music.

Last Friday, Blast Magazine had the opportunity to talk to Prophet about the band’s growth since their inception and the plans for the group moving forward.

Blast Magazine: 7Lions was founded in 2010, but how did all of you first meet? 

Mika “Prophet” Guillory: Originally Forrest was in a band and I was a solo artist. We met at an artist-in-residency program sponsored by Von Dutch. Forrest was set to perform live and asked me if I wanted to do it with him. We performed together and people really liked what we did. After that, Forrest invited me to a rehearsal for his band Omission, whose members included Will and Tony. I did a few shows with them and we decided to try something new and created the band Terra Incognita. Six months after the band’s creation, Forrest reconnected with Morgan, who became a member of the group. Eventually, we changed direction and became 7Lions with Daniel.

Blast Magazine: The band has such a unique sound compared to other groups. For someone who has yet to hear one of your songs, how would you describe your music?

Prophet: We are a combination of an eclectic mix of our inspirations, including underground hip-hop, ska, rock, and pop. We are a collision between all of our influences, pop culture included, and the individual ways in which we express ourselves.

Blast Magazine: What was the catalyst that inspired you to pursue music as a career? 

Prophet: Where I grew up, you sold drugs, were part of a gang, or did graffiti. Growing up, I didn’t want to be a monster, so I tried to find a vehicle where I could still be a part of my neighborhood, but not be killed. The Boys and Girls Club took me in and it was there that I met this guy who always had a radio and was playing hip-hop tracks.

Through the club, we went to a camp and during that time, we took a 5-mile hike. On the hike, the same guy played a bunch of tracks and freestyled. I was inspired, so I worked with him to figure out flows and how to be a better rapper. When I came back, I would try to impress the guys on the corner and make them smile with my flows. After doing this, rapping and freestyling became a real hobby for me. I would always freestyle and eventually someone came to me and said I should think about doing it for real.

In high school, my friends and I would freestyle with each other and spend our free time battling and coming up with various tracks. At some point, a light switch went off and I took the poetry I had been writing and turned them into song lyrics and worked on conceptualizing themes and concepts. When I was 21, I asked myself what the one thing I couldn’t live without was and I instinctively knew music would always be a part of my life.

Blast Magazine: What has been your favorite song to play with 7Lions?

Prophet: My favorite song to play is Born 2 Run [the EP’s title track] because it has spanned all over the place and there has been a strong reaction from so many different types of people, from a boy in a remote village in Taiwan to a woman battling cancer. When we perform that live, I channel a lot of that energy and the record’s inner spirit with me. It is just such a feel-good record and brings so much positivity, which leaves the crowd with a powerful message.