This interview was conducted backstage February 13, 2018 at the House of Blues Bronze Peacock room by DJ Sam Ding and DJ/Sound Engineer Rachel Bui. Bohan Phoenix is a New York and Chengdu-based rapper.
SD: For someone who doesn’t know a lot about your work, or you, how would you describe yourself, your background, and your music?
BP: I was born in China but I spent the second half of my life in the States, so growing up it was an identity crisis especially when you want to do hip-hop music which is black predominant music. I mean I think that kind of speaks for so many people nowadays, like y’all are living here but y’all look Asian. People say, “where y’all from?” but you were born here. I guess this is the topic that my music revolves around… it’s both fun and serious.
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SD: I love your song “Product” in which you talk about how you’re product of your surroundings and how you grew up. It’s like we’re in this weird in-between space. I was born in the US actually so I really identify as an American, but I still don’t feel like super American all the time.
BP: To everyone else who’s an American, you’re Chinese as far as they’re concerned.
SD: Exactly. So you mentioned hip-hop being black predominant and I’ve been thinking about how hip-hop has always been a way to give outsiders of society a voice or an outlet, do you think that’s why so many Asian Americans especially are leaning towards hip-hop and hip-hop culture?
BP: To be honest no. I think it’s just because they think hip-hop is cool. And it’s like the trendy thing to do. I started not because I thought it was expressive or whatever, I just thought it was cool. And Eminem was able to use it. I was like 11 or 12 years old and I was trying to move back to China, and I was like, this is something I can play with. I don’t think anyone would look at it as that deep like, yeah I want to do hip hop because I want to express myself. A lot of people are starting to do it now whether they’re Asian or not because they’re like oh shit right now is the time. So whether you’re Asian or not, the hopping on the bandwagon thing is real. K-dot, Kendrick, said something in his last album that was like, last LP I tried to lift the black artist, but there’s a difference between black artists and wack artists. Just because you’re Asian and your name is like, “Chigga” or whatever and you hit me up on Soundcloud and like “I’m Chinese too, I’m Chinese as f***, let’s do music together”. That is not a good angle.
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SD: So what are your thoughts on Kendrick?
BP: Yeah I love him, who doesn’t? I just think he’s setting the bar really nice.
SD: Personally Kendrick is also my favorite artist. He’s also become pretty pop-mainstream especially with Black Panther and stuff. Do you think that’s a good thing?
BP: I’m glad more people are hearing him if that’s what mainstream has brought him. But I don’t think he has watered down his music. I think it’s dope that the mainstream can finally appreciate him. To me everything is rotational, like “Gucci gang Gucci gang”, then we’re going to go back to K-dot. And then something else pops, then K-dot. Kendrick knows that his style will always be respected. It’s timeless, everyone will get it. Whereas Lil Pump–I love “Gucci Gang”–but a year later we’re not going to listen to it, we’re just not. So the consumer sees it one way, and people who pay attention will see it another way. Just because he’s going mainstream doesn’t mean he’s wack.
SD: I really respect that he hasn’t changed his music.
BP: And I don’t think he’s going to change. He’s made songs with Taylor Swift and all these people that I wouldn’t listen to but that doesn’t change the fact that he is an incredible songwriter.
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SD: Tell me about your headwear of choice.
BP: What do I wear on my head?
SD: I don’t know…
*Laughter*
BP: I picked it up a couple years ago. I was camping out on a beach, me and a bunch of friends were tripping acid and swimming. My friend puts a leopard jacket on me and then this girl was wearing a bandana, and she said I should wear it. I was like, oh no, this is it. I just haven’t removed it because I think it’s so hilarious. But I don’t want my thing to be, you know, bandanas, though it kind of is besides my music. But I’ma retire at some point. I have multiple ones…like right here. I’m going to sell that shit someday.
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SD: I’m curious though, you grew up here in the US, since 11 years old. How did you keep up your Chinese?
BP: Just talking to mama. She’s always home. Also I go back to China once a year. All my family besides my mama is there, so I kind of have pressure to maintain it. I’m honestly glad I did, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to rap in Chinese. Then I would have been just stuck in New York competing with everyone else, trying to write the hardest English bars.
SD: That’s one of the things that makes you different from most people, is that you rap in both languages.
BP: I thought at first, is this a gimmick? Then I realized it was pretty natural because I spent half my life in China. There’s just certain things that Chinese words don’t express and there’s certain things that American language limits you to as well. I’m trying to find the balance and I try to do that with the beat selection too.
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RB: What’s the story behind your stage name?
BP: Bohan is my real name, I used to go by a different rap name. When I was 22, I had spent 11 years in China, 11 years in the states, and I was tired of my name–it was “Phinale” with a “ph”. But I got rid of that and instead I’m using “Phoenix” because of the legend of the phoenix who dies and rebirths. To me that was like moving from China to here. In China, I slept in a bed with my grandparents and we didn’t even have indoor bathrooms. The outhouse was downstairs. And then I moved to a town in Massachusetts which is rated by CNNMoney to be the second best place to live in America. So I got off the plane to a full cheese pizza which I’d never seen and I ate the whole thing.
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SD: What’s the next big move for you in terms of managing being an artist in both China and the US?
BP: Just make new music. Try to tell the story a little better. The fact that “Product” resonates with someone like you means that there are people who are listening for something that they can grab onto. Even though it’s like a way denser song than, for example, “Made in China” (by the Higher Brothers), which is basically saying the same thing, here I am doing Hip Hop and I’m made in China. But “Product” goes into a deeper analysis, breaking down the whole idea. Basically I’m just trying to make better music.
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RB: Do you have a certain philosophy when it comes to making music?
BP: All this stuff sounds so fucking corny and cliche, but do what you like. You really have to come in and do what you like. I’ve tried doing things I don’t like, and even if it works I feel terrible doing it. For example I love the song “Jala”, but I hate it. “Jala” came out a year before “Gucci Gang” but it’s the same thing! “Jala Jala Jala”, “Gucci Gang Gucci Gang Gucci Gang”. It’s something that’s appealing, that you can repeat again and again and again, and as much as I enjoy bumping that music, I can’t really make it. And then “Jala” blew up in China and everytime someone books me for a show, they say, “So when are you going to perform Jala?” So I just stopped taking shows in China if they talk about that shit.
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RB: Do you have a favorite song that you’ve made?
BP: 3 days. 3 days in Chengdu.
RB: Why is it your favorite song?
BP: To me the best music is sad music. I was very emotional when I wrote it because I had just come back from touring China for the first time with four friends of mine from Brooklyn. They went to China for the first time and one of them had bought a vinyl in Beijing and we brought it back to Brooklyn and he made it into a twelve-minute song. I just think it’s a memorable thing for me. I don’t think it’s my best rap or whatever.
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SD: It seems like Chengdu has a huge music scene now.
BP: The life there is really chill, the food is good, the pace is slow. The cost of living is super cheap. You can do go there do your art, your music, whatever you’re passionate about, and not have to get a regular job and survive and live. It’s definitely good for broke people, which is artists.
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RB: Slightly controversial question–how do you feel about pineapple on pizza?
BP: That’s the Hawaiian slice right? I love pineapples on pizza. I think pineapple and savory stuff goes really well together. Not a fan of that Thai pineapple rice when the rice is in the pineapple. It doesn’t really taste as good as it looks.
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SD: What is your spirit muffin?
BP: What is your spirit muffin? If I would have to give that position to one of the muffins, it would have to be double chocolate fudge.
