“Never looked back from the day when he spit his first rap… He was hooked like a fiend, so much so that he never stopped chasing the dream”
– Mr. P Chill
Sometimes passion takes sacrifice, hard work and dedication. Without major label backing, it’s ultimately up to the artists themselves how far they want to take their careers before they inevitably hang up the mic. This is where the clear delineation between rappers and real artists becomes apparent, though. While a “rapper” may shy away slowly when faced with lack of significant notoriety, or an uphill journey that just seems, well, hard – a true artist continues because he has no choice. Mr. P Chill is one such artist. Hailing from Sacramento, he’s been doing the damn thing for over two decades. 23 years to be exact (he’s 41 now). He’s a working artist in a real sense of the term. He has a busy tour schedule, and literally (but more so figuratively) eats off of his music. How many of you can say that? Honestly?
His latest effort, Still Standing is 12 joints long. It showcases his honesty, determination, love of the culture, spirituality and, above all, his gratitude towards his fans and followers. The one’s that attend his shows across the nation – Currently, he tours the country [USA]. There are some definite gems on this disc. The title track lays out his 23-year journey in the game and solidifies his dedication to the culture of hip-hop. The soulful You Got Me is an audio ‘pound’ to all his supporters who keep him going. Other stand-outs here are the retrospective Time Machine and the introspective Spiritual Journey. As well, the Afro Puffs flip on You Got the Best of Me is a must-listen.
He also has some surprising features here, like the rhyme inspector Percee P on the song Veteran Status, and Spyder D on the head nodding No Regrets. Now for those who don’t know Spyder D, he was the first rapper in history to release an independent record – making him (in a sense) the living/breathing mecca of indie rap. Cool right?
Mr. P Chill genuinely enjoys what he does, and he’s dedicated his life to it. This love comes across in his work. Still Standing is at once an excellent introduction to his catalogue and a salute to all those who have kept him metaphorically running over the past 23 years. Give it a spin!
