Page 175 - Demo

www.MOSTmag.com || FASHIO N MAG A ZINE || 175with Hopsin and probably Cory Gunz because different aspects of their artistic approaches remind me of my own approach. Another amazing rapper and the best song writer I know is artist, Tre Matthews. In regards to producers, it would be Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, and Dr. Dre. Right now I am working with a guy name Patrick Tweed, and he%u2019s amazing.MF: What kind of music did you listen to growing up? Who are your favorite contemporary artists to listen to nowadays?PP: Once I got passed my dad hating rap, I listened to Michael Jackson, Tracy Chapman, Eminem, Nas, Big Pun, Tupac, DMX, Jay, NSYNC (they have had some impeccable song melodies) and WU Tang.I am a very bad fan. I could barely tell you the albums of my favorite artists because I mostly listen to music study rather than to follow the artists themselves. Today some of my favorite acts are Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Hopsin, Bruno Mars, Ed sheeran, Adele, Keith and Krystin Getty, Joy Lippard, Tre Matthews, Megan Trainor, Daft Punk, Pharrell, and Drizzy Drake.MF: In your music and performances you address racial stereotypes and how silly and damaging they can be. Have you had personal experiences with racism? Is that what inspired you to teach kids about it?PP: Yeah, I%u2019ve had a lot of experiences with stereotypes and personally not fitting into any one group. Being an international black male from a third world country in a predominantly wealthy white American environment that%u2019s being raised in a Chinese martial arts culture- will do that to you! Usually, whatever people think they know about me based on my %u201cpedigree%u201d is totally inaccurate and false.What inspired me to teach kids about the issue of stereotypes does stem from my personal experiences, but it mostly originates from my desire to address the current racial and political tensions in America.MF: Where do you find your inspiration?PP: My main inspiration really is my faith. I am always taken aback by the story of Christ. To think that the Creator and commander of all things would come down to our level and sacrifice Himself to pay the penalties for my selfish mistakes - so that I could be justly forgiven and have a personal eternal relationship with Him, is the most compelling love story in the history of man. Besides that, martial arts and great art inspire me to create.A model and a role model-an artist who is not only devoted to his craft, but devoted to actively doing his part in helping the next generation grow up in a better society, Philippe as one half of Hero Art, the martial arts duo together with his brother James Whitley, puts on a show called >>>Photo Credit: Fashion photographer Yvonne Taylor