WATCH ME SHINE

In a world of starving artists in the hip hop and rap community, one young thriving artist has broken through the threshold and has grabbed the ears of the world. His rhymes filled with wit and wordplay to a quick deep transition with many tracks that will make you think… and believe he could change the world. Not many will look upon the Twin Cities when they think of the Midwest, but they’re looking now. And who better to grab their attention then this rapper/emcee/lyricist/poet, Illphatic.

Surrounded by music and intrigued by it, Illphatic; birthgiven Tony Phat, was born to do music. He was raised to spread a message. And given a voice to tell it how it is. It is what it is.

Poetic and in tune, Illphatic has been writing since he was ten. There were no intentions of pursuing rap or anything musical at all but as to what he still stays today: “Rhyming is a hobby,” and because it still is to him he has had great tracks and thoughtful insights all at the expense of fun and free flowing creativity.

Through his years of growing up in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, he found himself to be more and more around music then he expected. His parents would sing and do weddings on occasion and they praised his little sister’s fertile singing voice. Music was in the family and not to mention, no more than five minutes away, the famous Paisley Park and the home of Prince would be right there within his hometown.

In his teenage years, Illphatic would always have a discman in hand (or pocket) and headphones on throughout school and even today he admits to still using a discman rather than an iPod or an mp3 player. But any way possible, he would have his music in hand and headphones in ear. If it meant running ear bud headphones through the sleeve just to lean on your hand and listen, he was the one to do it.

What did he have playing in the box though? Well, as far as he could remember, the first CD that he had ever purchased on his own was E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs N Harmony’s sophomore album, and TLC’s CrazySexyCool. Then, Illmatic by Nas. This album would ultimately inspire him to put his voice out and so forth, every other Nas album that was released, he would have it. He had to have it. Though it was Nas’ rhymes that inclined him the most, the list of people that would influence his music is endless. Everything from Bone to TLC, Usher to Bon Jovi, Linkin Park to Jay-Z, Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Fabolous, Big L, Papoose, Wu Tang, and today’s Lupe Fiasco and Cassidy, who he says he could listen to any day of the week, have had a persuasion on him.



In 1999, Ill decided to put his voice on wax and start using his spare time recording songs. Though many of those track are long forgotten and when asked, he “preferred they never be mentioned again” with a smile. Apparently he wasn’t too fond of the experimenting he went through as he tried to discover himself as an artist. From that point on, songs kept coming easier, thus quicker as his mind grew wiser. His confidence had grown but he held onto his humbleness. “If they’re isn’t anyone better than you, then you have nothing to strive for,” he remarks. Which is true.

In his own opinion, he claims when it came to being recognized and catching that glimpse of fame, he thinks was with a song he did all in good fun called the “Illphatic Morlum 2005” which is Laotian country music. When a friend, DJ Kreazn has shown him the beat, he played with it, but never expected it to catch the attention of his fellow peers. Ill says he was given praise for representing his people and they showed him a lot of love for the track. But he, himself said it was more comedic to him to where he wanted to make sense of it but show love to his ethnical community.

Outside of that community and that song, Illphatic’s big break came when a local label approached him and offered a record deal. As small as it was, Ill took it all in and made the best of it. Quite frankly, he says “People knew that I rapped. I know that. But people really knew that I rapped when I just had the title of being ‘signed’ by my name... and by the smallest label I’ve ever heard of,” he chuckles. “You Could Be” was the track that set it off, but every track afterwards seemed to prove Illphatic as an artist, better than he could ever be. He did not remain with the label long afterwards because of financial problems, but that didn’t stop fellow Minnesota rappers from callin’ him out onstage and asking for features on mixtapes.



The release of the street anthem “Gotta Get My Money Right” opened up even more ears. A song about basically dreaming big and the big question, “What would you do if you were rich?” Illphatic may be one of the most versatile players in the game right now. Love songs? He can write that. Street anthems? He’s got notebooks on that. And the emcee in him that wants to change the world? He’s already written that, with plans of more chapters to follow. The sensational, “Memory Lane” written and recorded in 2008 which features his fellow Minnesouljah, E-16, is a flashback of what hip hop used to be, but a sign of changes to come.

Now with the formation of his camp the Minnesouljahz, which he founded and is proclaiming CEO and well, the ‘General of the troops’ has plans to put Minnesota on the map and get his camp the exposure that he believes they deserve. The music is going to keep coming, regardless, but to Illphatic, rhyming is still just a hobby. Enjoy it.