Scouting Report: Phame

The Latin music market is a huge commodity and in California alone, there are tons of artists putting it down for hip-hop. One of the more talented, unsigned artists, however, is Phame.

Phame is a Bolivian import bringing musical flavor from the Bay Area -- San Francisco to be exact. Coming up in the Bay has been a journey for Phame, who has struggled to get his music career going. While music is his passion, it doesn't always pay the bills. Though he has a full-time gig, he still manages to keep his dream alive by hitting up the recording studio whenever he has free time. But, off of the love, he's never given up.

The Latin MC has been a fan of the genre since the age of 6 years old when he was introduced to it by the original hip-hop track, "Rapper's Delight," via older family members. From that moment, in his own words, he was "sprung."

As he grew up, Phame's hip-hop influences diversified. Run DMC, LL Cool J, Too Short, X-Clan and even Public Enemy were a few of the artists that he first listened to on a regular basis. Beginning with a style that mostly displayed his Latin culture during high school, when rappers such as Kid Frost broke onto the scene in the early 90s, he quickly broadened his horizons to reach an all-around audience.

"I started realized music was universal, and I was like, 'Hold on now,'" admits Phame. "From there, my game started changing. I got my Latin flavor, but I got also my everything with it. I'm just trying to make music."

After high school, Phame recorded material as a way to express himself and get things off his chest. From there, he noticed he was getting better and had great lyrical talent. That's when it became clear: hip-hop was something he wanted to strive for, despite the odds stacked against him.

Recording and writing material over the past 10 years have been hard though. He's given up several times, but when a local promoter comes to him asking for a performance, there's something about being on stage that motivates him to get back into the booth.

"I've gone through the frustrations of like quitting [and] not doing it for a period," recalls the rapper. "And cats will call me up like 'You wanna do a show?' Once I get to do that, for some reason, it gets my adrenaline pumping and I'm like, 'Ok, I gotta do this again'."

He continued to record and create a buzz around the Bay over the next few years, but when labels never came a knocking, he took matters into his own hands. He pressed up his own album to attack the streets with -- Phame Chapter: Four, Verse: 15, which originally dropped in 2004.

"It was my first project, and it was out my own pocket, so it was independent," Phame says. "It was cool though because it made a little noise [here in the Bay], so I got to meet and work with different producers."

The project had moderate success locally, but due to its out-the-truck distribution, it was unable to meet the expectations of Phame, so it's been a hustle every day since for the rapper. He is currently in the process of creating his next project with Bay Area producer Gennessee, who has worked with several local artists including Too Short, Mac Dre and Mistah FAB.

Although the project has no definite timeframe for release, Phame is optimistic about its future. For now, he is hitting the streets, handing out CDs (for free), which includes his latest single, "Go Papi." It's a tactic he hopes will grow his small, but loyal, fanbase.

"A lot of people out there, if they don't know who you are, [they] don't wanna buy a CD from [you]. I'm trying to make a first impression with this one single, giving it to you for free. All I wanna do is have you listen to my music, that's all I ask," explains Phame. "I'm trying to build. Most likely, if I can catch their attention with those free few songs, they will remember next time, 'Oh, this cat was nice. I'll pick up his album.'"

Scouting Report

Latin hip-hop is huge, but there are few artists who have really broken barriers and enjoyed huge crossover success within the hip-hop genre. But if anyone can do it, Phame can.

It's gonna take a lot of legwork for the determined rapper, however. He has yet to break out of his local status as a rapper, but he can and he will. His languid flow and his native Latin tongue mesh well with his smooth blend of melodies and rhythms. Also, with a vibrant energy that San Francisco not only demands but embraces, he is definitely moving in the right direction.

Until he is able to garner the attention of the powers that be within the industry, it will have to be his Bay Area instilled hustle that will separate him from the rest.

Watch for this cat, he is definitely going places.

Contact

Myspace - MySpace.com/PhameAkaMistaPhama
Manager - Flawless: 626-354-3529 or flawless@thablockdvdmag.com

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