“Future in my present, it’s a part of my gift.”
– Phoenix
Born in Cedar Rapids, IA, 24-year-old Phoenix has performed in many Coast2Coast Industry Mixer’s, Opened for acts such as Curren$y, Rakim, Futuristic, Red Cafe, Do or Die, LEP Bogus Boys, SlaughterHouse, & More. After the success of his debut mixtape, The Instrumental Assassin – hosted by DJ WhiteOwl – Phoenix moved to Phoenix, AZ, to work on his EP ‘Valley of The Sun‘ produced by Pezey Krack. During 2015 Phoenix produced, wrote, & starred as the main character in his very own short film Valley of The Sun, which sold out at Harkins Theatre (Arizona Mills) & also had huge success debuting in his hometown December 10th. December 19th Phoenix released his latest mixtape Indigo: A New Generation, a strong ten-song project that explores everything from police brutality, injustice, lost love and all the real-life stuff that falls in between. It’s a wonderful introduction for first-time listeners – and a welcome addition to his catalogue for long-time supports.
From the start of the album, Phoenix establishes the tone with a collection of sound it’s from news broadcasts recounting the deaths of iconic artists such as 2Pac, Biggie, Aaliyah, and Jimmi Hendrix. He also includes a collection of news clips discussing the deaths of black youth across the United States. It’s this off the top way he’s aligning himself with legends that some may find egotistical – something he discusses on Nodus Tollens, which shows off his laid-back flow. Highlights of this album include the Child (All I Ever Wanted), which discusses the concept of an inferiority complex, S.A.M, a letter to women who cheated on him, and Wabi-Sabi, which received a sexy video treatment.
The project also includes features from Young Money rapper Cory Gunz, on the remix to the song VGV – the second last song on the album. He claims his ultimate dream is to sign to J. Cole’s Dreamville label or RocNation. With a project like Indigo, Phoenix shows promise. He’s an artist to keep locked on, as it’s only a matter of time! His film Valley of The Sun will be available this spring, but in the meantime, check out the official trailer.
