Interview with PHZ-Sicks

Virginia has made a name for its self in hip hop. From underground emcees like Mad Skills to well establish artists such as the Clipse and composers like Pharrell, the Neptunes and Timbaland, the state of VA is making noise on the music scene. Meet Woodridge Virginia’s emcee PHZ-Sicks who has made joints that will that last for a long time. With a successful debut album “The Laws of PHZ-Sicks” and a thought provoking video “Success/Failure, the music description of the Drexel University graduate is cinematic from a black man’s perspective. After a long hiatus from the rap game, PHZ-Sicks is well focused and geared on putting out quality music. Intrigued catches up with PHZ-Sicks as he discuss about his new album “The Moment”, his on stage performance with J.Cole and Wale and his thoughts on music.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): Congratulations on the making of the new album “The Moment”. The album is dropping later this year. How much of the album is done?

PHZ-Sicks: Thank you for that, man The Moment is about 75% done. I have 2 or maybe 3 more songs to record. I have some songs where I’m waiting for other artist to do their part but it’s usually one verse or one section. The first two singles are already mixed and I will master the project in November. I’m just glad and looking forward to giving it to the world.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): For those who don’t know about PHz-Sicks, how did you get the name from?

PHZ-Sicks: I have the most random story for the name. I had a past rap name that shall never be named or uttered during middle school. I was in my science class so in my head, I was like “Time for a name change. I’m going to get this science book, open the glossary, close my eyes, pick a random page, and whatever my finger names on that’s what my name will be. It didn’t land on Opposable Thumbs so that’s good. Also, physics is the study of matter and its motion through time and space. You can’t describe anything in this world without the use of physics. I felt that with music, you shouldn’t be able to describe without me. The spelling was just me giving it a graffiti flare to it.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): The name is pronounced physics; don’t tell me that’s your favorite subject? (laughs)

PHZ-Sicks: (laughs) Nah, it wasn’t. I enjoyed the class, but minus history classes, the teachers quite bored me with the class.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): How old did you started rapping and when did you take the art form seriously?

PHZ-Sicks: I can honestly say I’ve been rapping since I was like 8. I would listen to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and just mimic their flows. I wasn’t say anything. A bunch of gibberish but I can honestly say I was perfecting my flow during that time. I was loved writing and telling stories so that led to poetry and to me bringing it to rapping. Around 13 or 14, I was battling people via online and was in HearMe Chats with ToneDeff, PackFM, and other artist and I was learning. Year later, I’m battling people in my area, taking names, kicking ass, and chewing bubblegum. I will say around the first time I won this talent show that was hosted by a local DJ, being the only rapper, and winning 10 hours of studio time, being the booth I knew hands down this where I wanted to be. It always had a hint of being a passion but now I was full on married to music. I started dropping mixtapes and scouring the internet for the hottest new songs from the mixtape circuit, mixing my music with these new songs, and making a killing with selling them in school. I knew if I put my heart and mind into it, I could accomplish just about anything.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): You took a hiatus from the rap game and now you’re dropping the new album. From the sneak peak youtube clip, you appeared focused and ready. What made you decide to finally get back into music?

PHZ-Sicks: The timing was just right. I feel like there are two types of artists in the world. You have those that constantly hit you over the head with records recording a track a day or writing or painting every day. Then you have those that go all out for their project, perform like crazy with it, or does a book tour, but backs away from writing. They take in life, use the new accounts for their future songs. They don’t want to rush their art so they let the inspiration come to them. I’m in the latter. I put a lot into The Laws of PHZ-Sicks and was able to push that project two years. As soon as I was done pushing, I was ready for this one. My cup runneth over with lyrics and music and I knew it was time for me to introduce myself back to the world.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): Who do we have on the album as far as production and guest appearances?

PHZ-Sicks: Production wise, we have Tone P. of Best Kept Secret and Epik The Dawn, who were both on The Laws of PHZ-Sicks with SumHer Everlasting and Success/Failure. We also have Stompboxx Music taking it to another level. That’s what I strive for even with my collaborations which include my Triple S crew brothers, Seanny Greggs, and Scolla, electric soul artist Alison Carney, and Lyriciss

DJC Jones (Intrigued): The title of the album has a lot of meanings to it. Let me take a stab at it, it’s the meaning of doing things at the spur of the moment and get that opportunity before it’s too late. Not sure if I got it in a nutshell!

PHZ-Sicks: I feel what you get from the title can be that. This is my painting so everybody will see different things but as long as it touches the viewer or listener, I did my job. For me, The Moment has multiple meanings. The Moment in which music becomes the only thing I do. I’m still working the 9 to 5 to make this happen. I feel once this project stops, I can go full time. The Moment my life changes. The Moment where things are changing in the world which I mention in a lot of songs. There seems to be a huge shift going on culturally and worldly and we should keep our eyes and ears open to that. 

DJC Jones (Intrigued): What makes the album “The Moment” different from your other project “The Laws of PHZ-Sicks?

PHZ-Sicks: The feel, the sound, and subject matter are completely different. “Less Than Zero” which came out before “The Laws of PHZ-Sicks” had some dark undertones so “The Laws of PHZ-Sicks” was about having success and making it so it was lighter and didn’t really deal with a lot of personal things. “The Moment” deals with my views on a ton of issues and how I see things in life. I can say the song “Up” is an extension of “The Moment.” That song allowed me to truly find my voice and lane to get me to “The Moment.”

DJC Jones (Intrigued): You are also a college graduate. How important is being educated and also pursuing music?

PHZ-Sicks: I don’t see too important with music cause if you want to do it, just do it, but the educated part helps. I majored in Communications so it helps being a leader inside of the studio. It helps dealing with label heads and able to back yourself up with facts when you get into a disagreement. It helps to know what your contract says. You can learn that without going to college but you usually learn that the hard way. I feel education and living life will get you further when you have both in your arsenal.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): Describe your music in general. What can fans get from listening with your music?

PHZ-Sicks: Always weird describing my music. I always feel like that’s up to the listener but you can get insight, lyricism, dopeness, and replay value. Two of my favorite artist is Prince and Jay Z. The way you can listen to their songs and listen to it later and go I never knew he meant that. Songs like “Up” fall into that category which leads to how I write my songs now. I don’t think about it anymore. I edit while I’m recording but what I write is an outline of what I’ll say and what comes out my mouth is a piece of my soul. My music comes from the soul and that’s what I fans to get.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): A producer comes to you with a beat tape. What do you look for in a producer that wants you to work with him?

PHZ-Sicks: Being different. I never gravitate towards beats where people say, yo I hear Wale on this so since you’re from the same area, you can get on this. I think when you make a beat with someone in mind that is not the artist getting it, it does nothing for me. If you made a beat and then you had a dream person you want on it later, that’s different. I like a producer to put there all into it. Put everything into it. You can feel that spirit through a beat. If the producer is willing to do that, you know, make beats like they will never make one again, then I’m going to do the same when I’m in the booth.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): You opened the stage for many acts including Wale and J. Cole. Describe your stage performances!

PHZ-Sicks: High energy. It’s work out for me. I don’t try to be cool on the stage. I don’t try. I just am. When I’m on stage, I just let the music go through me and connect with the crowd. It’s spiritual what I do on stage and the crowd always gravitates to that

DJC Jones (Intrigued): I need to take it back to 2011 with the mixtape “The Laws of PHZ-Sicks”. The video to Success/Failure featuring Scolla had a lot of subliminal messages and I’m definitely digging the split screen scenarios. What was the message you were trying to convey with the spilt screens?

PHZ-Sicks: It was a play on the concept of alternate universes or mirror universe, where things are slightly different or the opposite but the main message was that the gap between success and failure are miniscule. One thing could lead to you failing, another can lead to you succeeding but you can’t have one without the other. You can’t have sweet without the sour. This is why at the end of the video it comes together as one. Although one was seen as a failure, he still got to rock the crowd at the end of the night. He won even though earlier in the day, he was getting played for trying to hand out the flyers to that show. Never give it up cause any win, no matter how small or big, is still a win.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): Your dream track: PHZ-Sicks featuring an artist produced by whom?

PHZ-Sicks: I would love to have a beat made by Just Blaze, Timbaland, and Kanye West with composer Jon Brion looking over it. This would be one song with the beat changing with each producer but still connecting rather than a harsh transition and having Jay Z and Prince on it. I’d be ready to retire right there if I pulled that off.

DJC Jones (Intrigued): For others trying to get at you for collabs or to listen to your music. How they can stay connected with you?

PHZ-Sicks: I’m currently working my own site, www.PHZ-Sicks.com. You’ll be able to get everything from there. Right now, you can hit me on Twitter (@PHZ_Sicks), for visuals (www.youtube.com/phzsicks) , my sounds (www.PHZ-Sicks.bandcamp.com, www.soundcloud.com/phzsicks-1) and my fb (https://www.facebook.com/pages/PHZ-Sicks/9326359838).

Thank you for this great interview. The first single off The Moment, “Coming Down” drops at the end of this month and it’s going to be nothing but great until it drops in November. PHZ-Sicks, Intrigued Music Blog, Let’s go!

Check out the Making of the forthcoming album from PHZ-Sicks "The Moment"