Phillip Morris: I am real patriot. Interview with Phillip Morris

You read Philip Morris you probably think Marlboro. You see Phillip Morris you might think Jim Carrey or Ewan McGregor. But when you hear Phillip Morris you think „Holy Fuck that guy is insane”
Cause Phillip Morris is one of the most interesting Chicago’s Emcees.
With lot of inteligence and humor he can talk, write, rhyme about any topic you can think about (how cool is that?)
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mr. Phillip Morris

Szigidigi:When did it start? and why? What kind of music have influenced you that you’re now MC?

Phillip Morris: I started writing back in grammar school, even in 1st and 2nd grade i was already writing short stories. Eventually, that progressed into writing rhymes by high school (even though i was writing them as a joke) and my first year of college i took acid for the first time, and late in my trip, i decided that i was going to start writing rhymes seriously. After that, i did everything in my power to advance my writing abilities.

I used to listen to all types of music, primarily classical, funk, R&B, ooooold school hip hop (sugar hill, grandmaster flash, etc), jazz. This was all stuff that my parents would constantly play in the house, so that was my real musical foundation.

Sz:Your music isn’t typical, on your album can be heard some chillout songs about MILF’s but on other side there’s a lot of comments on nowodays USA political situation, which of this faces are better describing you? funny guy or maybe fighting political guy…

PM: Hahahaa….i would say that i’m just a guy that speaks his mind. I’ve always been a „funny guy”, even as a kid i was always joking and looking for a way to make people laugh. I also have a very strong set of beliefs when it comes to injustices commited worldwide, and primarily by this country. I think the funny side helps ease the listener into those viewpoints, and even my political songs have some lighthearted and sarcastic elements to them. So…i think i am both. It’s a 50% split. Hahahhaa.

Szigidigi: you got i think one of the most interesting lyrics i heard lately like „masturbating mastermind” where do you get the ideas from?

PM: I just think a lot….take a lot of chances….try to convey universal feelings and thoughts in a very unconventional way. I smoke a lot of weed. I watch lots of movies and documentaries (but not a lot of television, i don’t watch television at all) I like taking random thoughts, and expanding on them, especially if it rhymes well. My kids inspire me a lot! Video games. Comics. Sci-Fi. Alternative news sources. Conversations. Anything can be inspiration.

Szigidigi:I think your opinion about mainstream rap of this times is quite obvious, but what are your thoughts… how did it happen? it’s been only few years since Method man’s „Tical”, Nas’s „Illmatic” and many more great albums… but now we can hear only about Lil Wayne and 50 cent…

PM: I think mainstream rap is just a piece of the puzzle, and it’s something that people want to hear (or at least believe they want to hear), otherwise it wouldn’t be getting sold. My views on mainstream have changed over the years, i don’t mind mainstream music and in fact i like some of it, but i wish there was a more even distribution of music included in the mainstream. You’re only really getting one side of music that is pushed to the public, so that people’s perception of hip hop is what they’re hearing on the radio…and that’s an unfair portrayal of hip hop because there is a lot more that hip hop has to offer besides that one end of the spectrum. I also think that music can be viewed very similar to clothing. Every few years you see certain trends coming back, and suddenly everyone is wearing that type of clothing because it’s „cool”. But bottom line, there are certain people who don’t care about fashion…they wear the clothes they like because they are comfortable. Or because it has meaning to them. It’s more than a name brand, or a look.

Szigidigi: Still we got great underground scene… All guys from Rhymesayers, Definitive Jux, Stones Throw but why real hiphop got such a big problem to get to the national media?

PM: Because the national media doesn’t want intelligent hip hop on the radio. Intelligent hip hop is the same driving force that can bring down the people controlling national media. You couldn’t play Dead Prez „Turn off The Radio” on the radio….they would never allow that. Yet that’s exactly what people need to hear. Most radio stations aren’t trying to provide quality music for their listeners….they want to provide what’s trendy and catchy. Every now and then, you do hear music with real substance on the radio….but again, it’s far outweighed by this „cookie cutter” formula to make a hit.

Szigidigi: What are your new projects? Are you preparing something new?

PM: I’ve got an album that I’m working on with a French producer named Tha Truth Tella.

I’ve also got an EP coming out with my band Dubasaurus, which encompasses reggae, jazz, rock, punk, hip hop. All types of music. I’m not a fan of genres, so i continuously do my part to try to make it harder and harder to categorize my music.

There will also be a Phillip Morris mixtape coming out soon-ish.

Szigidigi: Who’s cooler Phillip Morris or Philip Morris?

PM: Phillip Morris (with 2 L’s) is much cooler. That’s me.

Szigidigi: You like mushrooms… any songs where made because of them? i mean, don’t feel offended, when I saw name of album I thought that it looks little bit like polish artist Witkacy who was painter and writer and always when he was doing something he wrote what he was taking that time…

PM: I didn’t write any songs while i was on mushrooms, but after the last time i did mushrooms a few weeks ago, i noticed a difference in my writing style….which i am enjoying. The next thing i wrote after that was my mixtape joint „Please Deliver Us” which is a remake of the Talib Kweli song „Hostile Gospel”. But i do like to smoke a lot of weed and drink beer while i write.

Szigidigi: If you could choose one artist to co work with who would it be?

Saul Williams. He’s my favorite artist, poet, performer….he’s amazing.

Szigidigi: I can see that you’re doing a lot of shows… are you more record guy or you prefer just to have contact with fans etc. and why? (I love that „and why” always in school topics where like: What do you think of this poem is it more like this or more like this. And write Why?)

PM: I like both. I love recording, and there are things you can do when recording that you can’t feasibly do onstage. Like layering 4 or 5 vocal takes and creating a montage of harmonies. I can’t do that onstage, unless i have an army of clones. To compensate for that, my live show is extremely intense…and brings a different type of intensity. So i love both recording and performing, for different reasons. I love connecting and meeting new people…..having real conversation….hearing what people think of the music first hand….plus seeing people enjoying the music as i perform it….that’s addictive.

Szigidigi: Are you „A Real Patriot”?

PM: Yes! Maybe not by the US President’s standards. But by my own standards? Hell yes.

Szigidigi: For polish, and I guess for all European listeners, Chicago hip-hop scene… well it does not really exist, we know that there is Kanye, maybe Rhymefest… and that’s all… when i started listening to you I find out many good MC’s, is Chicago got something that distinguish hall scene from rest of country?

PM: I’ve seen a wide variety of artists come out of Chicago. All different types of styles of emcees. I’m not sure if musically i can say that Chicago artists are „different” from other artists, besides the fact that Chicago is a very difficult city to start off in. Many a different musician has said the same thing, which is kinda cliche, but true „If you can make it in Chicago, you can make it anywhere.” So i’m very glad that i came up in Chicago, and started branching out after honing my skills here. There’s plenty of haters, and the scene is very divided here. It’s also very watered down. Everyone’s a rapper here, everyone’s a show organizer, so it makes it harder to have successful events if you’re competing with 30 different hip hop events going on in the same 3 mile radius. But yeah, if you can still take all these factors into consideration and manage to draw people to your event and rock the crowd, it’s a beautiful thing. So i would say the good Chicago artists have a certain level of resilience. There are other cities that are very difficult to make it in as well, so i wouldn’t say the resilience is exclusive to just chicago.

Szigidigi: You’re still underground mc’s but, you got really a)professional b)interesting video’s, are you the one who devise script and then just co work with some people who are helping you, or maybe someone else gets the idea and then if you like it, you start work…

PM: For the videos i’ve done, i have had some ideas for them (for example, the Mister Morris video’s, my ideas were 1) there have to be kids in it and 2) There has to be a scene with me eating ramen noodles from a woman’s vagina. Besides that, i let the people i worked with come up with the rest of it. I’m very flexible when i collaborate with people, and i like everyone’s ideas to be incorporated (if they are good ideas…hahaha) but yeah, for both videos it was a mixture of everyone’s input.

Szigidigi: Do you think you’re an artist? i mean lately these days, you can be celebrity, you can be musician, but there aren’t really many „artist”

PM: Yeah, I think i am an artist. i just paint with my mouth. Hahaha. But yeah, there’s plenty of „rappers” but not a lot of true artists. I also consider myself a musician too though, i think musician and artist are very closely related. I just think there’s varying degrees ranging from shitty musician to excellent musician……crappy artist to incredible artist. I’m not really a big fan of labels anyways….i just like to make music. Hahhaaaa.

Szigidigi: Your album is called „The Process of Addiction Has its Costs” why such title?

PM: It’s partially a play on the name Phillip Morris (due to the fact that there’s the tobacco company Philip Morris) and also it’s such a true statement. We all have our addictions…and they all have a cost. Some greater than others. People can get addicted to music, sex, drinking, drugs, fame, status, etc. But all of these addictions have some cost…something that you have to give up in order to fulfill that addiction. The United States is addicted to war, and the costs are the lives lost everyday. I chose it as a title because it’s a simple statement with a wide reaching meaning.

Szigidigi: What are your goals for future, do you want to be like big rap star, or maybe just to make music and live from it and make more and more music?

PM: I just wanna be able to keep a roof over my head, keep the heat on in the winter, and keep myself and my kids fed. If i’m able to do that from making music alone….i can die a happy man, because i will have been able to support myself doing something i love. I don’t wanna be a big rap star though. Fame, fortune, and the media….that combination right there is enough to drive people crazy! All i want is about $2,000 – $3,000 a month after expenses. That would be enough for me.