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Pro Dillinger is an artist whose raw talent, dedication, and undeniable charisma have positioned him as a promising force in the East Coast underground. Hailing from Rockland County, New York the rapper has already made a name for himself in the underground scene as the co-founder of the Umbrella Collective, a New York-based hip-hop crew. Pro Dillinger’s music is lyric-driven and gritty, recalling the no-holds-barred style of classic New York hip-hop.

Born in the Bronx, Pro Dillinger grew up with a mix of influences from both his city upbringing and the time he spent with his father in Far Rockaway, Queens. He was exposed to street culture and hip-hop at a young age, thanks to the house parties and battle rap scene that were a constant presence in his life.

“It was vibrant, there was a lot of dudes out here rapping,” Pro Dillinger said. “At one point, it felt like everybody out here rapped. They used to do battles at the barbershop in town at Mr. B's barber shop. There used to be all type of dudes walking around selling mixtapes out of their bags and whatnot. We used to go to house parties and there was always somebody there to battle.”

In addition to his upbringing, Pro Dillinger is also heavily influenced by the punk scene in New York City. As a high schooler in the late ’90s, the rapper regularly attended punk shows hosted by bands like The Casualties. According to Pro Dillinger, his love for the punk genre is tied to its communal atmosphere and close association with hip-hop.

“The punks and the hip-hop kids used to have to share the same venues because all of the venues were disco clubs back in the day,” Pro Dillinger said. “I would hear a lot of stories about punk kids chillin’ with hip-hop kids. That's what we did.”

The rapper shared that his marketing strategy is partly influenced by the punk bands from his youth. “Everything I do is guerrilla,” the rapper said. “Even in my videos, I just pop out the camera, shoot the shit and leave. It's the same thing with the shows. My music is very fast and aggressive, upbeat. My first couple of projects in the underground was EPs. I learned that from punk rock because it'll leave people wanting more.”

Through hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck, Pro Dillinger eventually found his way into the underground hip-hop scene. According to the rapper, it was his June 2019 release “EveryOnes Foul” that put him on the map in the East Coast underground.

“That kind of set it off for me,” Pro Dillinger said. “Because at first I was just supporting people, I had no idea that the scene still existed. I remember the old scene with Psycho+Logical-Records, MF Doom, like I was from that underground era. I had no idea that it had survived those years of gangsta rap, party rap, down south rap.”

His dedication to his craft has paid off, with Pro Dillinger now being a key player in the Umbrella Collective, a group that's making waves in the underground scene. Founded by Pro Dillinger and Snotty in 2018, the collective aims to pool resources, foster talent, and provide a supportive environment for its members, which include the likes of Mickey Diamond and Josiah The Gift. The group has evolved over the years, with its current roster being the strongest it's ever been, according to Pro Dillinger.

“Timing is everything,” the rapper said. “Right now, I feel like we’re the most dangerous as far as rappers. All the artists we have with us are top notch. And then we still have production. We have visual artists. We're like a self contained unit.”

What sets the Umbrella Collective apart from the rest is their commitment to authenticity and organic growth, according to Pro Dillinger. “Everything's under one umbrella,” the rapper said.

“That was the original inception of it. That's exactly what we did. Over the years, we modified it some people left, some people got kicked out, but where we are right now is the best it's ever been.”

Recently, Pro Dillinger has been hard at work on multiple projects, including his upcoming album “Dirt Don't Hurt” and a collaboration with Snotty called “Steiner Brothers.” He's tight-lipped about specific projects in the works but promises that by this time next year, he'll be “your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.”

—Staff writer Ryan S. Kim can be reached at ryan.kim@thecrimson.com.