Phillip Morris's Profile

A man who has no idea what the word "cool" means, in any sense other than temperature. A kinda' nerdy lyricist with more twisted lines than a geriatric contortionist with varicose veins snorting cocaine off the underside of a moebius strip. Phillip Morris has been putting in work as a thinker, emcee, producer, and an all around friendly individual for years. (He's also placed first in many a citywide Greco-Roman Mythology competition. True story.) What began as writing as series of short stories in grammar school had turned into a full blown obsession with writing rhymes by 1997 when he was a freshman at the University of Illinois in Urbana/Champaign. Returning to his hometown of Chicago in 1998, Mister Morris began teaching himself how to produce beats using early versions of ACID and Fruityloops. Originally intent with creating simple backdrops to write to, he soon became obsessed with the intricacies of digital music production and recording. After years of honing his rhyme skills, in 2004 he hit the scene, going to any open mic he could find, and in 2005 he began writing and recording his first album while still frequenting various open mics across Chicago. This led to Phillip receiving a hosting spot at Innjoy's open mic alongside DJ Itch13 and fellow Chicago emcees Awdazcate and Readymade. He was first featured on Awdazcate's "How Dare You!!!" album, on the tracks 'Hustle' and 'Mic Sounds', and later on the foreboding last track of Readymade's album called 'Dark Humor'. The mixture of Phillip's unique voice, complex rhyme schemes, anomalous subject matter, coherent freestyles, and comprehensibility forced the underground hip-hop community to abruptly take notice. Released in early 2006, his debut album (the self-produced "Instrumentality") featured a wide variety of styles and subject matter. The It includes the sharp-tongued social commentary of "Divided States", the widely felt ballad for the emotionally battered woman entitled "World of Deceit", and the bewildering combination of lyrical acrobatics & borderline psychosis laced upon "Bittersweet Libations". This timeless piece of art was eagerly received by fans, helping catapult Phillip into a steady cascade of live performances and various collaborations. Along the way, he began collaborating with violinist Hanna Rae (of the Tomorrow Music Orchestra) who provides a dynamic element to a live show, as well as lending her talents as the backdrop for upcoming projects. Phillip has performed for a wide variety of fundraisers for various progressive groups, including Solidarity Not Charity, Dynamic Magazine, The Young Communist League, Casa Central, Jammin 4 Justice, The L2 Collaborative, and The Pilsen Alliance. Always looking to the future, Phillip continues to make original music as far from the norm as possible, spreading the truth and keeping crowds entertained.