Don’t put Pardison Fontaine in the box of a rapper, he’s a multi-hyphenate force moving through music, film and business with precision. Known for his pen game, high-energy records, and undeniable stage presence, Pardi has also stepped into acting, making waves as B-Rilla in “Power Book III: Raising Kanan.” But that’s just one piece of the puzzle. With multiple contributions to the show’s soundtrack, a catalog of solo hits and a solid label deal for Section 8 World, he’s already built a legacy on his terms. His collaboration with Cardi B, “Toot It Up,” is quickly climbed up the charts after its debut, while his single “Luh Sh!t” brought a fresh perspective on modern love. And if that wasn’t enough, Pardi also stepped into the podcasting world with “Blame Fontaine,” a platform to uplift voices he believes in. He sat down with REVOLT in an exclusive interview to talk about it all.

I'm here with the multi-faceted Pardison Fontaine. I just watched “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” so I want to start there, because I didn't know you were into acting. How was your experience working on that set? And has acting always been something you wanted to get into?

I always wanted to act. I always looked at the icons, like Martin [Lawrence] and Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, and I just thought how dope it was that they were young and were able to cement their place in culture and history. Like, I wonder if they knew when they were shooting this that they were gonna be this dope and bold. So, I always wanted to do that myself. And then, “Raising Kanan,” as far as working with them, it was, like, a blessing. I was just happy.

I'm just one of, I'm sure, many artists that wanted to adventure into that space. So, I took it seriously. I had to read a few different times to actually land the role, but I felt like B-Rilla was just a great character, and they thought it was a perfect fit. So, I was able to land [it].

I mean, you literally kind of live that life as an artist. Was there any type of preparation that you had to do? Or did you just tap into your hungrier times to execute the role?

I felt like the character as I read about him, he was kind of like me, he didn't have a huge backstory, so I was able to create in my mind who B-Rilla was. But I felt like just him being from somewhere that I was from, and I can relate, and just being able to be an artist that was willing to do just about anything to make something happen. I felt like that was a place I could also relate to and just make it come out on screen.

You were involved in several songs on the “Raising Kanan” soundtrack, how did working on that inspire you musically?

The dope thing about him is, like, that [the show] takes place in the early ‘90s. It sounded like a lot of my older music when I was, just super aggressive and just hungry. So, it was another spot for me to tap back into, him being that artist and needing to have music. And that's an area that I love, that ‘90s era, that DMX, WuTang, Method Man era. So, it was just a fun opportunity.

Let's have a little teaching moment for aspiring independent artists. What would be some financial advice that you would give them when they’re getting started?

I would learn how to record yourself! It's so many avenues for learning how to record yourself. Man, just having a MacBook, a microphone and some headphones you could get it done. You could even get an app called BandLab on your phone, get you some wire headphones and plug it up to your phone. You can record songs like that. I know a lot of artists do it that way. And then as far as your getting it out there, I would just make little mini videos of content. Just do a bunch of little mini videos, as many pieces of content as you can. That's how we consume music right now. Just content, seeing it over and over. And then I think there's still, like, little blog spots you could pay $100 or $50 to promote [your music], like, you know, start with that. Get the little $25 ad and you got a small, little budget marketing plan just like that.

Let's talk about “Toot It Up.” It immediately made waves on the charts when it dropped. What was the inspiration behind this record? And just tell us a little bit about your experience working with Cardi B.

We get to go through all types of records, but it seems like whenever we cook up one for us, it's normally hype. It's normally fun. It's a good time. I feel like that's just the side of us that comes out when we are working together. Always something fun that people can move to. This is one of many, but the vibe is always there with us.

So, your song, “Luh Sh!t,” has a unique title but can you give us a little tea into what the “Luh Sh!t” is?

That's my bae. That's my boo! Like that's who that is, and I'm claiming it now, like, “She’s with me,” you know. Everybody should feel the love. So, I'm trying to put out some of those, some of that in the airwaves, find you one. It's nothing like being coupled up and in love.

Okay, so you closed a label deal and launched Section 8 World. What's your vision for this venture? And what kind of artists are you focused on signing?

I'm looking for the hungriest and the dopest! I want the people that have something to say or sing in a fun way. It's just, I want to give a platform to the things that I like and people that I feel like are fitting and deserve it. Labels now-a-days, they have 150 artists and it's hard to pay special attention to them all. But with mine, I would like to make it more boutique. Just a few that I really like, I really believe in and I really see their vision, and I can help them get it out there.

That's beautiful. Many artists have come out saying their labels force them to change their artistry and stray from their real vision. What would you say to artists who are dealing with that?

As a person who has always been an artist first, before stepping into this CEO lane and label owner lane, I think that is one thing that you want to always make sure you have is that creative control over what your music is and what it sounds like. As an artist myself, a lot of my stuff doesn't sound the same. You go through my tracks, and I'll have three, four different genres in one take. So that's something I know. I would like to [give] more artists, like, the ability to express themselves openly and however they see fit and then cultivate the style that they have and make it the best it can be.

Another venture you've gotten into is podcasting. Tell us about your podcast, “Blame Fontaine,” and a dream guest of yours?

I know a lot of dope people, from my neighborhood or people that I know in passing, a lot of people that I just think are dope and if the world got to see them, they would enjoy them. I just think a lot of times there's stories that go untold and there's stories that get missed. I think that's where we are in the world. We're just seeing people in a comfortable environment, just getting to talk and build. So, I just wanted to make sure I was a part of that.

Most have the “You can be big, but not bigger than me,” mindset. How do you stay grounded and what is your inspiration for wanting to continue to pull people up?

Because the world is going to find the dopeness, right? Ideas flow through people and getting [them] out is most important. There's nothing more I would love than to be a part of the process of somebody elevating, somebody getting there, introducing the world to something they have never seen. I think there's so many people that I get to work with that value my opinion. They value my creativity. So why not pull up the people that I like, and they can see where I draw inspiration from, or where I see this thing going and give them a platform?

To wrap it up, one last question. You've balanced being an artist, a songwriter, a label head and a podcast host. How can you juggle it all and still remain creative and keep that juice flowing?

Because I like to think of myself as an entity, right? And it's not just gonna be me involved. It's gonna be running all of these things together, right? That means we need a platform that I can put these artists on. I need to be able to promote them somewhere, if we stream and, guess what, hey, let the world see your personality, on this stream, on this level, I think that that's the great point about it. They can all work simultaneously together to just build and elevate everything I'm trying to do and all the people around me and just create opportunities.