Phillip Morris

Phillip Morris. A man who has no idea what the word "cool" means, in any sense other than temperature. A revolutionary thinker trapped inside of an emcee’s frame. 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 fellow Chicago emcees Awdazcate (pronounced audacity) and Readymade.

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. 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 "The Nightmare Before Christmas". This timeless piece of art was eagerly received by fans, helping catapult Phillip into a steady cascade of live performances at various bars, venues, and political events. These events include:

Casa Central Fundraiser @ Ice Factory - 4.22.06
4th Annual Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Month @ Morseland - 7.1.06
Pilsen Alliance Fundraiser w/Green Party @ Casa Aztlan - 10.7.06
Ears and Eyes Festival 2006 @ Silvies Lounge - 12.10.06
Proyecto Mural Fundraiser @ Cafe Mestizo - 2.3.07
Rice & Beats Fundraiser @ Zocalo Urbano - 2.24.07
Solidarity Not Charity Fundraiser @ Carthage Cafe - 3.25.07
5th Annual Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Month @ Elastic - 7.1.07
Palmer Square Arts Festival - 8.11.07
Bands Not Bombs: DuPage Concert for Peace - 9.15.07
Stop the War Now!! Antiwar Rally - 10.27.07 (Chicago Branch)
Ears and Eyes Festival 2007 @ Subterranean - 12.8.07
Peoples Weekly World Annual Fundraiser - 12.9.07
Looptopia @ Fine Arts Building - 5.2.08
Swedish Days Festival w/Dubasaurus (Geneva, IL) - 6.19.08
Socialism 2008 Conference @ Crowne Plaza Hotel - 6.21.08
Witness against War 2008 @ Federal Plaza - 7.12.08

Along the way, he began collaborating with the Tomorrow Music Orchestra. He often does collaborations onstage alongside the TMO, and also with cellist Lilianna Zofia. Always looking to the future, Phillip continues to make original music as far from the norm as possible, keeping crowds entertained with complex rhymes while speaking out about the injustices occurring worldwide. Both avid fans of hip-hop and skeptics alike have (or will soon) become addicted to the cancerous choice.