Life After Lessons : Featured Artist -----X-Phaze----

“Never stop regardless of what anyone tells you, never feel angry/sad because of the way someone critiques your music”- @X_Phaze

Coming from the city of Mendham, it’s X-Phaze, a Hip-Hop artist making music that is atypical to the music industry.

Name:
X-Phaze

Where you're from:
Mendham, New Jersey

What do you do:
Hip-Hop Artist

How long have you been doing what you do?

For the last 2 years

Is this something you would want to do as a career?

Absolutely!

How serious is making it big to you?
Making it big would definitely be an awesome accomplishment to achieve. But in the end, my goal is to inspire my current generation and many to come so as long as that happens, making it big would be a great addition to that situation too.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I'm 17 years old, currently a junior in high school, I play basketball in my spare time, my favorite sports team is the Brooklyn Nets, and I like putting words together and aligning them with a beat.

When did you find out that this is what you wanted to do?

I'd say a couple of years ago. I used to dance at a young age and took hip-hop classes so I always had that love for music and hip-hop. I got the opportunity to dance for the New Jersey Nets (started when I was 10) on their kids dance team for 3 seasons which definitely aided in the decision. After performing in front of thousands of fans on a weekly basis, I knew that performing was what I wanted to do. Throughout school, I always took advantage of when a teacher would give us an assignment about writing a rhyme or a poem. The better I got, the more I wanted to do it. Eventually, everything sort of meshed together and I decided that music was what I wanted to do.

If you could perform with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?:

Eminem or Tech N9ne. Those two are my ALL TIME favorite artists. To rock the stage with them would be unforgettable.

What is your definition of "Success?"

Eternal happiness, a worry free lifestyle, and the ability to change someone's life in a positive manner. If I were to leave this world and leave my mark in the music industry, success (to me) would be the world continuing on and the fans still supporting what I did as if i had never really left.

Who can you say has been your biggest inspiration or supporter?:

The fans. Let's be honest...if I didn't have fans then I wouldn't be doing what I am today and I most likely would not be doing this interview. So shout out to all them! They truly keep me going.

What genre would your music fall under?

Hip-Hop

In 3 or 4 words how would you describe your music?

Strange, abstract, and different.

What do you think your biggest "break" or greatest opportunity has been so far?

Dancing for the New Jersey Nets, no doubt. That opportunity has brought me more than enough connections I could have ever asked for, opened up so many doors, and created everlasting relationships with the people I worked with. Too bad I got taller, got older, and started growing facial hair...

What makes you different from other artists?

I wouldn't classify myself as a cookie-cutter "rapper". I'm not your average artist who you makes music about the standard topics that everyone on the planet has already written a song about. I'm different because I choose not to be the same.

Who are your major influences/ What inspired you to do what you do?

Other than the fans, I'd have to give credit to Tech N9ne and Eminem for being inspiring me from when I was young, even to this date. Most importantly, my ideas, opinions, and feelings inspire me to do what I do. Because without them, I'm just a kid with a microphone and nothing to say.

What do you think has to be the biggest challenge for undiscovered artists ?

Just trying to get yourself out there. Personally, I have no management company running my social media websites, booking my shows, or releasing my music. It's all genuinely me, running it from the phone in my pocket or the computer on my desk at home. So getting noticed is definitely the toughest part. But at the same time, I really enjoy the fact that with no one running my music, it allows me to do as a wish, on my own schedule, and in whatever way I want to do so.

Any advice you could give anyone trying to make it?

Never stop regardless of what anyone tells you, never feel angry/sad because of the way someone critiques your music, brush off all the negativity, and keep doing you.