FSD: The track record for musicians who have tried to come out after appearing on a reality TV show haven’t been good. Maybe only K. Michelle has been successful in that respect. Does that worry you at all?
Phor: It doesn’t worry me that a lot of artists who have been on reality shows try and fail to do music, because I feel most of them are weak, cheesy as hell, or too commercial. K. Michelle, she definitely set the bar on making it workout for her. But I look at my situation like Drake’s, he was on Degrassi in a wheel chair, and now look at him. He just kept building on his platform and that’s what I plan on doing.
FSD: What kind of events and promotions do you have surrounding the album’s release?
Phor: Right now I just have a few listening events going on which are all private and of course get the word out to as many blogs that matter like Fake Shore, etc. [I’m gonna] Get them all in tune and I already have a song on the radio which also helps, and then you have social media.
FSD: With Chicago being such a big market for hip-hop right now, how hard is it to stand out as a new artist?
Phor: As big of a market Chicago is, I don’t feel it’s hard for me to stand out. I do what most artists don’t do which is know how to put on a great show. There’s nothing like tearing a stage down. I don’t need 100 guys on stage with me, and that’s no disrespect, but I’m doing me and they doing them. I just have a different vision and seeing is believing. But also my sound is more universal, so you won’t catch me playing in one lane. I know I got a lot to prove and by me having a TV show helps me — so it’s kinda like killing two birds with one stone.
*Catch Phor live at Reggies on Thursday, September 1st. Tickets are still available here.