PHENOM, born Teh’Ray Hale in 1977, learned to rhyme at the becoming age of 13 in
the back streets of Chicago, Illinois. Unafraid to join in on the ciphers and emcee
battling, PHENOM instantly loved connecting clairvoyant lyrics and hurling potent
metaphors quickly taking his opponents to school. Influenced by legendary artists like
Rakim, Nas, Common, Black Thought of the Legendary Roots, & Bob Marley; PHENOM
set a goal as becoming himself, a legendary artist. His passion immediately ignites
audiences with a fire of a stage presence of something never before heard in HIP-HOP.
This emerging artist fills hungry listeners with a delicious serving of creativity. His
blazing rhyme pattern has the industry’s top A&Rs quoting him to be the next artist to
break out of Chicago since Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. In the 2000 Source Magazine
Unsigned Hype Emcee Battle PHENOM earned 2nd place to Detroit Hip-Hop legend
and D-12 member “PROOF” out of 1000 nationwide contestants. After the battle
PHENOM told Newsweek in an interview “My aim is to be one of the best. I want to
make good music for the listener and my skill will definitely be sharpened after this
battle. I’m not just a battle emcee though, I love to make music. I’m what Marvin Gaye
and Stevie Wonder would sound like if they could Spit”.
In his song “See The World”, PHENOM cunningly summons the “IT”, that made the
world love this music. This song makes you love true Hip-Hop again. “Seven Deadly
Sins” is yet another song that shows why this amazing artist is skyrocketing his way to
the top of this industry. The song shows an eerie connection between the deaths of
legendary artist and the Seven Deadly Sins. PHENOM’s diverse style was showcased
in his highly anticipated solo performance series “Free-Hop” which blends several
genres of music such as Afrobeat, Deep House, Reggae, GoGo, Soul and Spoken
Word, with Hip-Hop music to form a delectable display of raw talent and musical
freedom.
Prior to being signed to Focus Music Group’s Visionary Recordings, PHENOM took his
contagious fire to the poetry scene and founded the exciting poetic theater collective
POETREE Chicago, “People’s Organized Entertainment Teaching Righteous Education
Everywhere”. POETREE flooded the poetry scene with powerful concepts and an
original mixture of truth, entertainment and culture. They began as a group of 11. Their
Wu-Tang Klan-ish presence developed into a collective of 4 elements watering the
minds of poetry connoisseurs everywhere. The collective was often compared to the
likes of the Pharcyde, The Fugees and Digable Planets. POETREE toured the country
rocking venues with artists such as Dead Prez, John Legend and Common. PHENOM
helped this group of 4 to release a classic album “Positive Pollution”. The highly
anticipated release immediately sold over 4000 copies in the Midwest/East Coast and is
still climbing.
PHENOM has dedicated his life to empowering the People through his music. In 1995,
First Lady Michelle Obama chose him for the Public Allies program where he had the
opportunity to work with and teach youth about violence prevention strategies. As the
Founder and CEO of the award-winning POETREE Chicago, PHENOM was influenced
to start L.Y.R.I.C, (Let Your Rhymes Inspire Creativity) with co-founder and national
poet K-Love in 2009. Today, the L.Y.R.I.C program serves Chicago-based high school
students and offers them opportunity to write and perform poetry as a non-violent
means to stopping the violence in their neighborhoods. As a main member of HIP-HOP
DETOXX, PHENOM has also hosted major events such as Ritual Sundays, Neo Soul
Explosion, and Lyricist Loft, and while doing so this incredible artist has mentored over
6500 plus youth throughout the US. His goal is to inspire change in the urban
neighborhoods of Chi-town and abroad.
In 2010 PHENOM collaborated with Neo-Soul singers Yaw & Khari Lemmuel to release
“Jah Makin’ Funk”. He also released his first quality mixtape entitled “Wake UP World”
in the same year. “Wake UP World” features tunes from legendary producers Ron
Trent, Wajee (Slum Village), Rashid Hadee, Toronto’s own Nick Beats, and the very
hungry TALL BLACK GUY from Chi.
This fearless emcee/poet from Chi’ Town has rocked stages throughout America with
accomplished artists such as Roy Ayers, Mos Def, The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu,
Dwele, Fertile Ground, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and the Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli.
He is a 3 time Chicago Music Award Nominee and has been quoted by VIBE.com as
“the next artist to make a major impact on the industry.”
In 2007, PHENOM’s older brother Greg “PG” Hoskins started PROJECT BORN
RECORDS, Inc and shortly after partnered up with Mello of ELITEMIND Management.
Now their efforts are gaining PHENOM more notoriety. His song “Jacuzzi” featuring
vocalists YAW & Khari Lemmuel off of his independently released “Closed Mouf Don’t
Get Fed” and the up-tempo/ heavy 808’s joint “1-2-3” produced by the young up-ncoming
rapper/ producer 42 Keez has earned PHENOM looks in national
magazines/publications & blogs abroad.
2015 has PHENOM buzzing even more in Chicago as he was voted one of the Top 4
artist’ in this years’ Red Eye Chicago ROCK n VOTE contest. He was the only Hip-Hop
Act in the contest. PHENOM was also the Host of the Chicago Park District’s 1st ever
Teen In the Park Fest #TIPFEST, where thousands of youth ages 13-24 attended. The
fest curated by Chance The Rapper whom brought Kendrick Lamar for a surprise
performance. In addition, PHENOM was able to tap into a few brand new markets
where his music has been well received and his buzz has grown. This proved true on
September 18th, when he played a Headlining set to a packed house of hundreds of
new fans and supporters at Voices from the Warehouse in Dubuque, Iowa. PHENOM’s
concert was front-page news of the “Telegraph Herald” (Dubuque local newspaper).
PHENOM is one underground hip-hop most instantly respectable emcee. PHENOM
prepares for the release of his new album “I Didn’t Come I Was Sent” scheduled to
drop in the fall of 2015. His three lead singles are expected to catapult him into the
limelight where he will without a doubt gain the respect of anyone making music today.
One listen to PHENOM’s music will make any rapper who thinks they’re “hot”; revisit the
lab to tighten up his or her skill. Get ready, Get set, Listen!!!
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Booking/ Features / DJ Drops: Contact Mello
@ELITEMIND / Teamphenom18@gmail.com/ 773-992-6377
Web: PHENOMUniversal.com
Twitter: @PHENOM18 Instagram: @DatBoySaid Facebook: PHENOM