Behind the scenes players are as necessary as those blessed to be in front of the cameras consistently when it comes to making art and there are few others as apt at doing their thing from just out of eyesight as is up and coming producer, Phoelix who followed up a stellar two-year run with a full-length release, Tempo.
The title of the project is on point as well, as the Fox Valley native has been moving at a fever pace since touching down in the city. Collaborations with the likes of NoName, Monte Booker, Saba, Jean Deaux and more led to a quick rise in profile that soon asserted him as one of the most sought-after names in a city filled with talented beatmakers and musicians. He’s seemed to do it too on his own wave, playing up the 630, my own admitted area code that doesn’t often get glamorized in the hip-hop space, and coming up with those around him including Elton Aura who has similarly made waves locally. On this project, a monster at 18 tracks, it seems Phoelix is taking the opportunity to stretch out, work on realizing his own creative thoughts and showing off a bit in the process. You can get through this one a few times without realizing you have, and there are plenty of surprises throughout. Check out the project above and, as always, catch it streaming on Mild Sauce Radio.