INTERVIEW / ERIC EVRIDGE

Before his 2012 tour, Big Piph contemplated quitting the rap game after the release of his self-styled masterpiece, Such is Life. Since the album’s release and tour, Piph has walked a road of self-reflection and personal growth, artistic experimentation and philanthropy.

The release of Such is Life helped secure an overseas tour that year that traversed through several islands off the coast of Madagascar before jumping to the African nations of Gambia, Morocco, Algeria, and Equatorial Guinea, with a stop in Thailand, as well. During the tour, Piph performed on stage, hosted music workshops and created new music with locals. This was a turning point in his career as he began to ask himself what he was passionate about other than rapping.

After the tour, he left on a 6-week sabbatical, traveling through the South and Midwest to decompress after the Such is Life production and subsequent tour. “It wasn’t vacation,” he said. “It was ‘Let’s absorb and try new things.’”

Well, Big Piph is back and more ambitious than ever after his Indiegogo campaign raised nearly $16,000 to fund his new I Am Not Them: The Legacy Project experience. And it is quite an experience.

The concept utilizes a mobile app that will release two songs, called episodes, per week that will also have a music video, social media “engagement piece” or some other type of media tied to it. The release will eschew traditional release methods by spanning two months before completion. However, the standalone music will be released in physical and digital form after the initial release campaign has concluded.

Though the campaign didn’t reach its goal, it will go a long way toward funding his new project, he said.

“That was the ideal budget. With that amount, I would be able to create this project right now. The project would have went on even if Indiegogo only funded $10.”

In addition to the crowdfunding campaign, Piph has applied for a grant, using personal savings and working on a few traditional funding methods to complete the amount needed to meet his aggressive release schedule.

Piph and I spoke about the new concept and his inspiration for it:

You call Such is Life your masterpiece…what would you call I Am Not Them?

Such is Life is the vision I always wanted. If I died after it, I’d be cool with it but I don’t consider this an album.

It’s a much heavier and detailed project. It’s a representation of everything I’ve been experimenting with, but Such is Life is still my masterpiece. This is what it’s meant to be for right now.

What has led you, both personally and in your career, to this point?

Such is Life was going to be the end. After the tour, I asked myself what I was passionate about other than just rapping. Continue to make dope music, create enhanced experiences through music, and engaging and building with individuals wanting to better themselves and their world.

What happened on sabbatical to inspire I Am Not Them?

I traveled around the South and Midwest to experience new things, reading a lot of books and watching a lot of movies to decompress. It wasn’t vacation, it was “let’s absorb and try new things.” I went on sabbatical with the core intent on figuring out what I wanted to do next in my career.

I read a book called The Lean Startup and it said to fail often and quickly to learn so you don’t put all your eggs in one basket. I read biographies on civil rights activists and business changers that inspire a go-for-broke attitude and to dedicate yourself to something someone tells you that you can’t do.

I went to a conference at Moonbot Studios and they said, “Don’t let technology lead, but let it be a tool.” So, I tried different social media platforms, different types of merchandise, to see how they worked.

I put out two EPs after that. The last three years have been a kind of experiment, trying new things, keeping the artistic integrity, but tweaking things, experimenting and innovating my style.

With all the experimenting and tweaking, what kind of experience are you going trying to give your fans?

First, a solid music experience, no matter what.

Second, the visuals are pretty ambitious. They have to stand on their own but also give a sense of the sum is greater than the parts.

Lastly, the engagement pieces. If people don’t engage each part, it won’t pull off as well as a whole, but the music and videos will still stand up. The more people who respond, the better the experience and the cooler the project becomes.

I always think back to the Alien ride at Disney. I’ve always been trying to chase the experience of that ride. The first line is about space exploration. Inside, the second line, it’s a space station. Then in the room, at the ride, they have warnings all over and lights saying to not be scared. Then on the ride, aliens break out of the walls and everything. The ride never even really moved and I was amazed.

And now I think, “How can I do something like that with an album?”

Do you have a release date, yet? What are your plans for release and after I Am Not Them?

I have an aggressive schedule. Sometime in the first quarter of 2016. Trying for a six-week promotion run. We start recording next week and will be shooting videos the day after Thanksgiving.

I have ideas for the follow up for this, and it’s possible this will be the end of traditional albums for me. We’ll see after this.

VISIT: BIGPIPH.COM

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