Preston Lake

04/05/25

This is a pretty easy field to get discouraged in but just focus on your lane & what you got going on, stay focused and never give up on yourself.

Who are you?

I am Preston Lake, owner of @Underground.Raps

via Instagram (@prestonlake24). Shot by @free1luhlex

What made you start photography in the scene? How did that transition into your page
‘Underground.Raps’?

Photography didn't come until 2023. I was thinking of ways I could make my page more original with the content. I've always been interested in cameras so I decided to buy a camera that my friend sold me and that's how I got started.

What got you interested in the rap scene?

I have always been into rap since I was a kid because of my dad who would play a lot of Akon, Snoop Dogg & stuff like that. It transitioned in middle school when my friend Qunn got me to download SoundCloud & we would always be finding underground songs nobody heard of yet. I didn't create the page until I was 19. I was working a factory job and pretty bored with my life, I wanted a hobby or something to do. There was a local rapper named NoLove Londo who dropped his first snippet on Instagram and that inspired me to create Underground Raps.

How did you grow your page to such a following? How long have you been running it for?

So I created the page in 2020 right after covid started. I ran it inconsistently for about a year and a half. I quit at the end of 2021 with 1,400 followers and didn't come back until the end of 2022 with 1,100 followers. Ever since December of 2022 I have been consistently running the page. The main thing in growth is consistency, you have to discipline yourself and get what you need to get done. You have to make sacrifices, I gave up a lot of my social life to do this & I don't regret it. It can also get discouraging and tiring but you have to keep a level head and stay focused.

How did you start making connections in this scene when you were a guy who didn’t know or barely knew anyone in it? How are you making so many connections today to where you even made your own album with ~40 people on it?

Making connections was a very hard thing to do at first. I used to be kinda shy & timid in settings with a lot of people I didn't know. Being from Northwest Indiana I knew nobody in the music scene in Chicago so what I started doing was buying tickets to shows like spkrbx shows & other shows around the city and I'd drive an hour and 30 every weekend to attend a show and try to network with people. Each time I went out I would meet a couple people and tell them what I do and eventually it just kinda snowballed into what it is now

What advice would you give to someone who is a creative and wants to work with artists in the rap scene?

Some advice I'd give to a creative is not to get discouraged. This is a pretty easy field to get discouraged in but just focus on your lane & what you got going on, stay focused and never give up on yourself

via Instagram (@prestonlake24)

What made you realize you could start managing artists? What do you do as a manager?

Managing artists was something that I wanted to do to help artists that I really like/am close with. I don't charge for managing. I really just do this out of my love for the artist so it's pretty rare to see me pick up a new artist. I give my managed artists my resources to help them get connected with the right people that I know. I take them to as many events as I can to put their faces out there. I also help them with any questions on what I believe would be great for their career. They also get free things that I offer on my Page.

What kind of content do you plan to make in the future? Will it be more optimized to what will get the most attention/clicks or are you not worried about that?

I plan to keep my content original and just plan to continue to help artists & creators grow that deserve it. I'm not too worried about clicks or attention. I just wanna do dope things to help people grow.

What advice would you give to rappers/artists in general looking to get management?

My advice would be make sure you're choosing someone who's not just after your money. Make sure it's someone that you can trust, build a bond with & make it more than just business. You want your manager to care about you.

Why do you keep going?

I keep going for 2 reasons:
1. Because I want to be able to help & inspire people who are lost & don't believe in theirselves. 2. Before my grandma passed in 2023 I would tell her all the time about my page and what I was doing with it & she loved hearing about it, she was a very close person to me. I got one last conversation in with her before she left and she told me to make her proud, chase my dreams and that she believes I can do great things, so I definitely want to make her proud as well.