PhD

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PhD, a.k.a. Philie Damas, has a unique style that he dubs à la Française which is a blend of sophisticated English slang sprinkled with French pronunciation that pays homage to his French upbringing. His rapid flow, laced with subtle yet clever metaphors, is filled with charisma. Be that as it may, his lyrics contain much food for thought, which is reflective of this MC's insightful and philosophical point of view.
PhD, a.k.a. Philie Damas was born and raised in Montreal. Born to parents who originated from Haiti, his mother tongue was Creole and his early upbringing was in French. At a young age Philie developed a passion for word play and was often found reading or telling his friends stories with vivid details.
From the first time he heard Hip Hop music, PhD fell in love with the vibe, the attitude behind the words and drum heavy beats. Classics hits by English American artists from Big Daddy Kane to Salt n' Pepa would blare out of Philie's boom box as he eagerly soaked up the music's energy. Even though he could not fully understand what the rappers were saying, he took pleasure in the artists' flow & cadence. It was when Philie started to master the English language that he begin to see the full picture. The words, stories and skills behind the artists lyrics made the sound even more intriguing. Although the US rap that was accessible addressed the issues and experience of living in American ghettos, PhD also recognized the universal struggles and feelings all humans share.
PhD then started writing his own rhymes at age 14, painting his own picture with his own lyrical creations. Philie elected to rap in English because he grew up on Hip Hop Idols like Run DMC, KRS 1, MC Lyte and LL Cool J, as he also recognized that his message would reach a greater audience if he were to rhyme in English. In 1996, PhD vowed to develop his lyrical skills in to a career in Hip-Hop. After gaining local respect around the Montreal Underground, the name PhD grew as one of the sharpest MCs.
Fame & Prosperity Crew (FP Crew):
With his fellow Hip Hop lovers Frenchi Blanco, Ebonics, and Big Shah the FP (Fame & Prosperity) Crew was born. As a group, they began by doing regional shows and releasing Mix CDs featuring PhD. After successfully hosting events such as The Jump Off 2003-2004 the collective set their goals on releasing their own material. The crew launched their 1st commercial product Exposé (Sept 2004), a compilation album featuring all the FP artists. The name, Exposé, also represents the hometown Montreal Expos baseball team and is another coined phrase by the FP Crew by blending English and French. The group was embraced by the hometown fans and received awards such as Best Album, Artist/Group of the Year, and Best Music Video at Quebecs first Montreal Underground Hip-Hop Gala (March 2005).
Whats Next?
PhD is an artist with a wide range of material to match his multi-dimensional personality. This is also reflected in PhDs writing, with a range of musical flavor addressing of the artist. In his upcoming yet untitled solo project, PhD will reveal himself from all angles: reflective, comical, sarcastic and emotional. Each element will be conveyed with PhDs unique, clever delivery.
PhD aims to create a piece of work that would represent the stories of his generation. The album will avoid emulating what American rappers often focus on, but rather concentrate on expressing the experience of living in distinctive Montreal, Quebec.
Collaborations with established artists from Canada & the U.S. will help to break PhD in the targeted areas. PhD plans to work with reputable producers such as 1Man, S. Malone, Ray Ray, DJ Blast, and DJ Manifest, who have contributed music to past FP Crew projects.