Stay Fly

The futures of the soul, R&B, and hip-hop industries are looking bright with a flavor that is dynamic, gritty, melodic and original. What’s new and what’s hot, mainstream or underground, from Snoop Dogg to Dwele you can find it in the deep crates of Phil Araiza, a.k.a. Philthy. “Forward movement and forward thinking is what I’m all about,” Philthy explains. “Not enough deejays in the industry today do that. You’ll find me reading music magazines, watching MTV/BET/VH1, or digging deep in the records stores in order to stay on top of the game, which allows me to sleep on nothing.” When he was a freshman many of his friends started to rap. Philthy, on the other hand, wasn’t much of rapper so decided to make his friends some beats to rap over, since no one else was. Ever since then he's listened to music fanatically. Inspired by producers like Premier from Gangstarr, DR. Dre, and Curtis Mayfield, Philthy would listen for the techniques used in songs to make a beat jump. He would take those techniques and apply it to his own music to make the perfect beat. Philthy extends his thirst for the perfect beat by taking artists who have inspired him to also create the perfect deejay set. Philthy has already worked with established artists such as Rasco and Planet Asia from the Cali Agents. He is the resident deejay for a hip-hop/soul monthly night called “Electric Relaxation” (San Jose, CA- Universal Grammar), consistently making heads-bob and bodies move next to artists such as the Platinum Pied Pipers (Ubiquity Records), Joyo Velarde (Quannum Projects), and Questlove (The Legendary Roots Crew). Currently Philthy has been perfecting his production skills working heavily with underground heavyweight Persevere. “I’m not trying to sensationalize anything,” Philthy says, summing up his vision as a deejay and producer. “I’m just bringing music that is real, that is soulful, that is undeniably body moving and neck breakin. I am just like you,” he adds, “ I love music, and I’m a fan. I want to make people feel how music makes me feel . . . complete”.