AJEEB PRINCE, WRITER & AUTHOR

Ajeeb Prince is 25-year-old writer & author who was born in North Philly and moved to St. Croix at age 4. He’s been a musician since he was 3 years old. His mother was an African dancer in St. Croix and Ajeeb would go with her and play the drums with the band. Music was a full -time hobby and the best thing to do. He Attended Iqra Academy for 7-8th grade. “There I learned that everyone is not like me. I didn’t think people were so different. I had to learn to adapt to different lifestyles and understand their life,” said Mr. Prince. “I also learned that you can’t be friends with everybody and I became more selective. It made me a stronger person. I learned that when dealing with people, a smile can sometimes be deceiving.” He attended Central High School for 9th, 10th and 12th grade and 11th grade at A-Z Academy. Throughout high school he played the saxophone, was in marching band and was a drum major his senior year.

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After high school Ajeeb thought about his options. “I didn’t want to go to school for music. I didn’t want to spend my life playing gigs. I didn’t want to be a musician and tour,” said Mr. Prince. He instead went to Miami International University of Art and Design and studied audio-production, sound design and business. In Miami he enjoyed the night life and always had his goals set. Sadly, his mother passed when he was 19 years old and he moved to Philly and completed his Bachelor’s of Science degree. Upon graduation, he started working with a small group of musicians, rappers and singers. They started their own company called Prince & Pattershaw LLC., a production company along with YOJEE Production (the name his mom would call him). The company, engineered songs and made and sold beats. He traveled and recorded with artists and worked with 57th Street Records.

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Ajeeb worked at night and stayed at different people’s places, even an abandoned train station. He was homeless and transitioned between many different friendships. He stayed in Philly for three years and enjoyed it. In 2015 he returned to St. Croix and at the time was writing. He was not thinking about writing a book. It was therapy. However, he started writing a book and found publisher Ron Collins and published his book in 2017.

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 Scenic Drive is a mystery/fantasy/thriller that takes place in St. Croix. The plot involves the disappearances of people in St. Croix and there’s no evidence on where to find them. People are vanishing from night clubs and vacation spots. Scenic Drive has all 5-star reviews on Amazon and Good Reads. Mr. Prince is working on his second book titled ‘The Finest Vintage of Tomorrow”, which he plans on finishing before the end of the year.

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He is very proud of himself. His overall dream is to see what he’s written come to life. Everyone wants to be a best-selling author. He would be happy to have people act out his characters. He enjoys people reading and using their imagination while reading the events in a novel. “It’s amazing to be able to open people’s minds because you wrote a book. You can touch people’s hearts. I want to be immortal. No one knows Shakespeare, no one’s ever met him, but we all know his name. I want to inspire people. I tell people whatever you want to do, just do it. No one can do it for you. I’m not waiting for anyone, I’m not an artist wanting to be an author. I have a goal. You have open your mind to what you want and do it yourself,” said Mr. Prince. He paraphrased a quote by his favorite rapper Nas, “Never trust men and women that say you’re all that. They try and gain your trust, so you’ll never guess that they will do you wrong. My life is my work.”  These are life lessons that every one learns. Some people learn them in more difficult situations or later in life than others. Mr. Prince has overcome all obstacles in his way and is only looking forward to making his dreams come true. Lastly Mr. Prince shared his philosophy of life. “The detriment of the world comes from 3 things: Lack of individual ability, lack of discipline and lack of unity (bringing people together).”

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He plans on becoming an English teacher and has begun his steps towards applying with the V.I. Department of Education with the hopes of inspiring future generations to love literature and learn how to think critically. You can find his book online on Amazon and Goodreads.com. Locally you can pick up a copy at Undercover Books in Christiansted. Look ook out for his next book in the new year!