Martial Njiemoun, or Pmartt, performing “Just Wanna Know You” at last semester’s Little Mouth Open Mic Night, may be history, but as a hip-hop/pop artist, entrepreneur and Columbia freshman,he’s only beginning.

Pmartt’s ReverbNation online fan base is 40,000 and growing, after he placed on MySpace’s Top 100 R&B Artists and ReverbNation’s Top 20. He’s worked with artists ranging from Columbia students to T-Pain. Pmartt, who takes pride in his African roots, is currently focused on performing and releasing new music, including his single, “Moving On,” featuring Columbia student and R&B singer Brianna Nun.

The Chronicle sat down with Pmartt to discuss his historical challenges, on-stage performance and formula for success.

The Chronicle: When did you

start rapping?

Pmartt: I started rapping in sixth grade. It’s kind of funny because I’ve only been in the U.S. for eight years now. When I first got here, I wasn’t able to speak English, so I had to get tutored. I saw my friends on a playground, and they were rapping. I just loved it, but I couldn’t really speak. So I would surround them all the time and just [kept] trying … [to rap with them] until one day, I learned how to speak like I do now.

The Chronicle: What’s the story behind your name?

P: As different as it may sound, it describes me exactly. The whole financial struggle, the whole background. I’m originally from Africa, born and raised. “P” stands for my middle name, and “martt” for Martial. It describes the cultural difference in me that I’m trying to connect with different cultures here in the U.S. to create one culture:

hip-hop.

The Chronicle: Did you have any other musical inspirations when you came to the U.S.?

P: Akon because he’s [also] an African native. Looking at his success, ­­­­I felt that if he can do it, I can do it, too. I want to show other people you can be from a

foreign country. You don’t have to know how to speak the language to express yourself.

The Chronicle: How do you create

your music?

P: I write my music. My computer is broken, so I’m lucky to have a best friend who produces music, Taylor Robinson [from] Royalty Productions. Every day we make beats. He just lets me bring them home, and I write to those original exclusive beats. That’s a blessing because a lot of artists these days don’t have original beats.

The Chronicle: How did you manage to collaborate with T-Pain?

P: It was this competition off of his album, “Three Ringz,” where if you won, you could probably get a spot in the album. I entered that competition, recorded the song, put it online and it got a lot of hits.

The Chronicle: How did “Just Wanna Know You” become so popular throughout your high school when it was released?

P: Marketing online. [I would] wake up at like seven or eight in the morning, get on the computer and promote myself. People got tired of seeing me online, but it got to the point where people realized [I’m] actually pushing [my]self. They started respecting my music, and that’s when I started getting more listeners through Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

The Chronicle: Did you notice an increase of friends when you made

MySpace’s Top 100?

P: Oh yeah, it was crazy. I’m also on the Top 20 on ReverbNation currently in the whole Chicago region. I receive a lot of love online. It just shows that the marketing strategy is working. That’s why I created a company, Socratics Entertainment, so I can help other people get where I am. Even though I’m not successful yet, I’m at a point where I’m seeing progress.

Pmartt will be performing on April 1 at the University of Chicago, 1212 E. 59th St. Tickets can be purchased by going to ReverbNation.com/Pmartt.