Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Bohan Phoenix

Photo Courtesy Of Bohan Phoenix

WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LIVED THERE?
I am currently in Chengdu, China. I have not always lived here, but have been spending time back here every year since I moved to America because a lot of my family is here now.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND RAISED?
I was born in a city called YiChang in the Hubei province of China.  At age 11, I moved to Boston to live with my mother and then moved to New York when I was 17, where I stayed until last year when I turned 25.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CITY OR HOMETOWN?
I guess my city now would be Chengdu, and it’s a very pleasant place to live. The vibe is chill and the people are nice. I think the best part about this city is the food. I love the food here it’s spicy and delicious. The culture here in general is very rich.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES? 
When I was a child I grew up in YiChang, and it’s quite different than Chengdu, it’s less developed and I grew up in more of a rural environment. Some of the best memories as a child were just simple living. My grandparents had their own crops, and we didn’t even have indoor plumbing, but it was a very innocent time.

WHAT WERE YOUR INFANT ASPIRATIONS?
I don’t think I had any infant aspirations, at the time I was just a kid, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but for every kid back then was just to do good in school.

WHAT HAS BEEN A SEMINAL EXPERIENCE?
A seminal experience would definitely be moving from YiChang to Boston, from having the bare necessities of life to having an abundance of everything. It totally shifted how I looked at the world and gave me a lot of new perspectives. I think having spent half of my life in China and half of my life in the States definitely made me the person I am today.

HOW HAS YOUR CROSS-CULTURAL BACKGROUND IMPACTED YOU?
The cross-culture background allowed me to learn about different people's way of life and taught me to look at the world and interact with people in ways that I couldn’t have if I didn’t have this double background.

WHY MUSIC?
Why music? Because I love it.

FIRST SONG EVER SUNG OR BARS TO A BEAT?
Do not remember first song ever sung. Probably some Chinese song when I was young.

HOW WOULD YOU CLASSIFY YOUR SOUND?
I would classify my sound as the stories of my life, and since no one else has lived my life, my sound is as unique as I am.

WHO OR WHAT HAS INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST ARTISTICALLY?
I think my roommate Jachary back in Brooklyn, who is also one of my best friends, who is also a long time producer of mine, has had the most impact on me artistically, he showed me what it’s like to create fearlessly.

WHO ARE THE HIP HOP PIONEERS IN YOUR OPINION?
The hip hop pioneers to me, to name just a few, Eminem, Tupac, Jin - that’s a hard question. what does it even mean? Who started hip hop? Or who's doing interesting things in hip hop? If it’s who's doing interesting things in hip hop, I’d have to say myself as well.

IS THERE A SET OF MUSIC OR A MELODY THAT NEVER FAILS TO MOVE YOU?
I love D’Angelo, his music always puts me in the mood.

DO YOU PURSUE ANY SPECIFIC THEMES THROUGH YOUR LYRICS?
The themes in my music was, is and always will be the different aspects of my life.

HOW DOES YOUR AESTHETIC TRANSLATE IN OTHER DOMAINS?
Just like my music can be either flamboyant or simple and straightforward, so is the way I dress and carry myself. I’m never one way or another. You can always find me changing and switching up my style. I think it’s important to evolve and constantly experiment with the world.

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN THE STUDIO? 
I chill, read a lot, love watching movies. And then just hang out with friends, talk shit and try to enjoy the times that we have.

HOW DO YOU STAY MINDFUL? 
I stay mindful by being self-aware, and to be self aware you simply just have to pay attention, to the world, to yourself. And be true to what you observe.

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