We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phero Hill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phero below.

Phero, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

While every project is significant to me in its own unique way, my most meaningful project is the EP I released in 2020 titled, Paradigm. This project means the world to me because it was a journey of self discovery and reflection.

Two years prior, after eight years of making music, I released my first official album, In Between. As a fresh, young artist, I had high hopes and lofty expectations for it. It fell flat, to say the least. It took me to one of my darkest places.

For most of my life I believed I was meant to be a rapper but the success of my first album started to tell me otherwise. I questioned my passion. I questioned my craft. But even deeper, I questioned who I was. Why did I believe in myself? Was this a mistake? Was I a failure? These questions took me inward. It took me to the root of it all.

This journey helped me remember why I started making music to begin with. It was my form of expression. It was my voice. It was never about the reception or the fame. It was about the art. It was about what music provided for me. It gave me a tool to tell my story in a creative way and truly be me. During this journey, Paradigm was born.

I never planned on it being a project at the time. I just started writing everything I was going through and everything I was feeling. Those words became the track, Small Talk. Writing it was my therapy. It helped pull me out of the dark and reignite the spark I had lost. It helped me recalibrate my focus and helped me better understand who I was, both as an artist and as a person.

Even though Paradigm didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked, success-wise, it provided me with more than I could’ve imagined. It built back my confidence and helped me rediscover my passion. It truly defines who Phero Hill is.

Phero, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Phero Hill. I’m a fourth generation Japanese American rapper based out of Los Angeles. I fell in love with hip hop at a young age. The beats, the rhymes, the rhythm – it all fascinated me. As I got older, I started to appreciate the storytelling aspect and how the main focus was the lyrics. This is what inspired me to start writing my own songs. For all my life, I’ve been an introverted, soft spoken individual. I never felt like I had a voice so when I realized that hip hop could be a tool for me to use my voice, I was intrigued.

Growing up in a middle class family from the suburbs, I understand why people may have their hesitations when I tell them I’m a rapper. But I think that my upbringing brings a new perspective to the hip hop world. Through my lyrics, I discuss what it means to be me. I rap about what it means to be a Japanese American whose grandparents were in the World War II interment camps and the generational trauma that still lingers within me. I rap about stepping into the hip hop world as an Asian American with hopes of being a part of the representation. I rap about innate feelings and my journey to understanding my purpose in life. Everything I say is sincere and real because I believe being true to yourself is the most important thing in life.

When it comes to music, I’m most proud of my dedication to the craft. I can’t even count how many times I’ve considered giving up, only to realize that music isn’t just a career I can give up but it’s part of who I am. It’s helped me get through countless things, from the deaths of loved ones to heartbreak. Now I still have a long way to go to consider myself a success, but the growth and maturity that I’ve developed through it all tells me I’m on the right path.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

For me, personally, being an artist isn’t just a career, it’s who I am. It’s my identity. I’ve faced a lot of skepticism when telling people I’m a rapper. The perception is that I’m pursuing a living in an industry where the odds are stacked against me and the chances are slim to none. To them, it’s inconceivable that I’m pursuing a career that I’m not making a living off of and there’s no guarantee I ever will.

But it’s not about that. It’s never been about that. As much as I would love to make a living off of this, it goes beyond that. Music is my therapy. It’s how I express. It’s my source of fulfillment. Writing music has done so much for me on a personal level. It’s taught me how to express and open up. It’s taught me things about myself that I never would’ve discovered otherwise. It’s provided me a space to be truly and uniquely me all the while sharing my story and experiences with the world.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As much as this journey is for me, it’s for my family. All four of my grandparents were in the World War II Japanese American internment camps. As a child, I would hear about their experiences often but it wasn’t until I got older that I realized the magnitude of it all. They were stripped of their freedom. Everything they had worked for and earned since they immigrated was ripped away in an instant. They had to fit everything they owned in two suitcases. My maternal grandmother was supposed to attend UCLA that fall.

After their release, the only thing they could do was start over. They found a way to keep moving forward. Their resilience, perseverance and sacrifice is why I have the opportunity to follow my dream today. Their experiences are also a reminder of why I can’t give up. If they can make it through that then I can find a way to overcome anything.

I’d be remiss to not mention my parents, as well. As the children of WWII internees, their careers were centered around providing for their family. They were determined to provide more for their kids than their parents were able to provide for them. And they did that. They made my window of opportunity bigger with the life they provided for me. My grandparents and parents are my greatest source of motivation. I want to prove that all their sacrifice and struggle weren’t in vain.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fanlink.to/pherohill
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/pherohill
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pherohill
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/pherohill

Image Credits
Willy Song Bryce Ikemura Darrell Miho Sebastian Garcia