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

Philly, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve noticed as an artist, the sooner you realize and make the decision to earn a living using your talents and passions, the more successful you become, if not only the time factor. For example, you notice the person that is constantly practicing, talking and pursuing what they are interested in regardless of what is going on around them, tend find there way sooner than a person that starts later in life. I’ve been interested in the music and music business my whole life. From reading the back of album covers as a child to DJing house parties in high school. Going against my parents wishes of not taking my stereo to house parties. My father would tell me ‘stop taking your equipment out, people are taking advantage of you.’
After 8 years in the Air Force and DJing around the world, mostly underground house parties and selling mixtapes, I ask myself, “How do I get into the music business? At age 27, I finally studied a Full Sail University 1990 to 1991.
Ever since then I have been in the music business is almost every capacity.
I realized, I should have pursued my dream much sooner in my life. The only advantage I had over my peers for employment was I had much more life experience than my teens and early 20’s counterparts. It served me well over the years. Alternatively, I would have been further in my career if I started pursuing my dreams in my teen years.
Following your passion is a life long event, Whether you make money at it or not. But to be able to make a living with your passion is hard work that most people only see the results. The sacrifices that you’ve made to make the finished product are rarely seen, noticed or appreciated.
That’s what the Underground is all about. Underground meaning the birth and care of any idea that you are wiling to build with your time and money with no guarantee of return.
The majority of people aren’t wiling to take that risk. The risk is the passion and belief that what you are doing is worth the time and effort regardless of the return.
When you build it up to where people start to notice and put money behind it is when it gets tricky.
I’ve always been about the Underground.

Philly, 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?

Jonathan Phillips aka Philly Phill is a producer from Dayton, Ohio. I consider myself a Producer because I do so many things within music and music business that listing all of them can get confusing.

1998 to Present: Oversee Operations of Philly Phill Entertainment. Operating entertainment production, concert promoter, talent buyer, graphic designer, screen printer and producer of live concerts, records and distribution.

Founder of Philly Phill Entertainment Recordings. A record label/production company.
Entertainment contract consultant and Mentorship for up and coming Artist. Alert Entertainment A&R Rep.

Art Director/Stage Designer for Philly Phill Entertainment, Forty Oh-Zee Clothing line, and serves individual clients. Producing album cover and event poster art. Partnering with acclaimed concert poster artist Raymond “Ray Ray” Herhold (IG @rayrayplanes), Kn8 Designs (Cincinnati), Stephanie Witt (Digital Fringe).
CD/DVD duplication/printing, packaging, project fulfillment and tour support.
Wholesale screen printing service in support of 40 Oh-Zee Clothing, touring bands, events and others.

2016 to Present: Training and Safety Director and Professional Stage Hand for BASH, LLC.
An independent labor force that services the entertainment industry. Constructing stage, sound, lighting, Video wall systems for touring companies, venues, indoor and outdoor events.
Live concert production for Philly Phill Entertainment.
Screen Printer and Graphic designer for Forty Oh-Zee Clothing and clients.

2011 to 2016: Audio Stage Technician and Assistant Tour Manager/Valet for Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band, Clarence Reid aka Blowfly and more. Responsibility includes contract fulfillment, daily production, meeting time lines, communication liaison and merchandising.

1998 to 2021: Resource International Civil Engineering firm. Employed as Construction Engineering Testing and Reporting. Also Quality Control Technician and Inspection. Conducting, collecting and reporting data for field and lab testing for private contractors and the Ohio Dept of Transportation.

1993 to Present: Founder of Forty Oh-Zee Clothing Line. The idea started in 1993 while managing the Rock band Stich. The band needed merchandise and I was tasked to figure it out. Professional screen printer/designer. Fred Puckett taught me the screen printing business and gave me a skill to earn money for life. Manage merchandising for touring bands, corporate and government clients.
Conducted promotion, management and sales of merchandise at conventions, festivals and concerts.

1990 to 1991: Full Sail University Audio Engineering & Music Business Associates Degree.
While at the university, wrote and executed the first lesson plan for the teaching of Hip Hop/Rap Music History in an institution of higher learning.

1982 to 1990: US Air Force as Security Police, On-The-Job Training Instructor, Commando Tactical Training and Flight Leader. Received Honorable Discharge as a Staff Sargent.
During time in the military, held a DJ residency at the East Coast Club in Subic Bay, Olongapo City, Philippines, Produced Rap radio commercials in Great Falls Montana.

Artist Affiliations:
Bootsy Collins, Blessid Union Of Souls, Holy Toledo Production, Fake Four Records, Village Fam featuring Issa Ali, Rayne Johnson, Kool Keith, Psuedo, Killa Priest & Cappadonna of Wu-Tang Clan, Blowfly, DJ PRZM, Del The Funky Homosapien, Blueprint, Ruckus Roboticus, J Nibb, The Animal Crackers, Hittman of Dr. Dre 2000, Antioch College, Wright State University, Full Sail University, Nappy Roots, Richie Ramone, Devin The Dude, Bone Thugs & Harmony, TINO, K Carter, KRS One, Brand Nubian, Bernie Worrell, Black Sheep, MC Lyte, Kool Keith, Loud and Clear Production, BASH Professional Stagehands, IATSE Stagehand Union Local 66 Dayton, Ohio,

This is a snap shot of my career up to present day, 2024. There are so many stories within this, it would have to be another interview.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I don’t think I had to unlearn but learn to have an open mind to others. To serve others and solving problems for others, I was able to find my way in the music biz by always learning new things by helping to solve for others. While managing the band STICH, a rock group just out of high school, The first task they asked me to do is get merchandise for the band. I had no idea how to do what they were asking. I called every screen printing shop in Cincinnati. The prices they were giving me was outrageous. I walked into a print shop in Kentucky and started talking to the shop owner, Fred Puckett. I told him the prices they were charging for printed shirts. He laughed and said, “It doesn’t cost that much.” He sat me down and we had a shot of whiskey and he said, “Ill show you how much it cost and what you are paying for. Bring in your ideas and ill show you how to make money on it.”
He first taught me to be a salesman or middleman in the printing business. He told me I was a screen printer and you can print anything. He told me to help people and the business will come to me. After helping my band, I started to pick up clients as a screen printer. Even though Fred was printing and I was bringing him business. During that time he taught me every aspect of the screen printing business.
The unusual part if this story is Fred was an older man, retired from the railroads and took me under his wing, only because we became great friends. Race or anything else never was even mentioned the entire time we worked together. The basis of our relationship was friendship, trust and knowledge. He taught me skills I have fed my family with over the years.
The last time I visited Fred at his house, we laughed a lot lot and he said, “In this day and age, an old white man and a young black man being great friends and business partners, you would think, is unheard of and doesn’t exist. That race and not getting along has blinded the people into thinking race means you cant get along if your aren’t dealing with your race.
In my experiences, I’ve been done wrong by all races. I’ve learned that good and bad comes in all colors and to make your decisions on peoples actions, not on race. If a goal is to work with a race of people exclusively, its your choice, To see the beauty in action is a much stronger stance regardless of race.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Personally, I don’t think I have a social media audience. I do have followers. Connecting on social media has never been a goal of mine. Over the years, I’ve had opportunities to capitalize on social media. I’ve also had offers from companies to bolster my social media presents. I understand the power that social media has. The way I go about social media is being social. Being in the presence of others Shaking hands and sharing ideas personally. The younger audience has grown up with social media and see the worth in followers etc. I don’t have a lot of followers on social media. Most of my followers have been gained organically. By meeting and working with others. then they seek me out on social media. The fact that I don’t have a lot of followers doesn’t concern me. What does concern me is the quality of followers. That they actually have some type of physical connection with me. Whether they worked with me, met me at an event, or through other connections. Whether I was DJing, selling merch, designing graphics, working in a studio or live gig, etc. That is the type of followers I have. Most of them I’ve met and shared time with. I tell up and coming artist, if you have 500 to 1000 loyal followers that you have been able to touch and share an experience with, followers that are willing to spend money with you because of those experiences, you will be able to live and work your art because those people are willing to support you no matter what. If your main way to engage people is social media, make a way for yourself as an artist, to be in personal contact with your followers. Build a bond. after all we are still human beings that need physical connection.
I know the power of social media. When I do use platforms It works every time because my social media presence is sparse. When I am hitting it heavy people pay attention. I know that the more followers you have means more power in the overall scheme of things, but for me and my career, human contact has been the key.
If there is any social media companies that want to work with me, I’m open to listen to offers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillyphillent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.phillips.564813/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/phillyphillent
• Other: Cell: Text 937-825-2743 / https://www.discogs.com/label/211676-Philly-Phil-Entertainment?page=1

Image Credits
Philly Phill Black and White photo by Brian Schwartz Philly Phill on the Mic photo by Kristin Kay Philly Phill on the turntables circa 1986 Olongapo City, Philippines by Lolita Philly Phill on the turntables circa 2019, Yellow Springs, Ohio photo by Phily Phill Entertainment Shock G/Humpty Hump $10 autograph inspiration by Jonathan Phillips Philly Phill Entertainment Recording album promo designed by Jonathan Phillips Forty Oh-Zee Clothing hand drawn poster art by Ray Herhold aka @rayrayplanes Bootsy Collins, D’La Brie & Philly Phill at the Fillmore, San Francisco photo by Jonathan Phillips Philly Phill Entertainment logo designed by Paul Moran