I’ll be honest, with some artists I have to cover up empty spaces where there are bland answers. With King P, however, I had the incredible honor of just sitting back and immersing myself in his life story and music journey. It is truly an inspirational path that he created himself with nothing but dedication. Welcome Phillip Solomon Stewart from Florida, US.
You’ll notice most likely, just as I did, that the visuals are top notch: the cinematic editing, the 60 to 30 fps slow motion, the camera stabilization, the color scheme, really everything. And I am in awe of seeing actual dancers with an actual choreography. Often, independent artists choose the solo-all-the-way direction (hint: it is the cheapest way too), but it is as well, the most boring method to put a music video together. In Good Vibes though, we get to see a modern music video abiding by old school rules. Oh! and must mention that the artist is MOVING! like dancing and vibing to the beat as well. A nice change from the static mainstream acts where they just sit on a bench and other people do stuff around them. Thank you King P!
As I am checking out many other uploads on the main channel, I get the obvious question out of the way first: ”Have you introduced yourself as 2 different acts? Phillip Solomon Stewart & King P? why?”, and I was not expecting the serious story behind it: ”My friends were calling me ”King P” before I started my journey as a musician, so I chose to first release music under my real name, Phillip Solomon Stewart. Also because as a saxophonist, I wanted people to know who I am entirely. My first releases were gospel cover albums on Sax; those songs were my dedication albums before doing my own creative works. I also have a live band and the members at the time highly insisted to introduce my name before our band name. So our banners always read: PHILLIP SOLOMON STEWART & THE PALACE BAND.” – wow, such a cognizant artist, creating gospel music first, and being aware that eventually you will shift, thus paying in advance the due respect by using your full legal name with no hesitation! This, ladies and gentlemen, deserves a round of applause.
An absolutely infectious smile and a radiant energy that is easily noticed from both the photos and the music video. We desperately need personalities like King P in 2020. It’s easy to talk about a virus and being depressed. Much harder to keep your head up and promote optimism. On the same note, I must mention that Good Vibes was awarded in February this year, The Best World Music (and Best Choreography) by the California Music Video Awards Film Festival. An achievement that is a great milestone in King P’s career. ”I was super thrilled and honored to be recognized in that light because this is THE song I have chosen to fully invest in. It completely represents the musical direction I want to go in: world music. But it represents me as a person as well, because I’m usually a happy-smiley person, so I naturally try to spread Good Vibes and most significantly, immediately after recording, when the producer hit playback, I had so many goosebumps, I just knew it had to be the song I needed to push and work on as long as possible.” An artist that follows his musical instinct and not the already-established trends. We stan an independent thinking artist.
”Who paid for the video production?” I ask curiously. And here, my dear fellow musicians, is the moment where you tune out everything else you got going on around you, and PAY ATTENTION to an extremely important lesson: ”All supporters, including friends. We launched a kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise $15,000 and thankfully we got it because, kickstarter is all or nothing, meaning you raise your full goal amount or you get nothing. This was a lot of work, a lot!!! I actually have a 2nd kickstarter campaign for the tour, but I’m timid to share it/work it like I did the $15k Good Vibes Project. I honestly don’t want to ask/beg the same people for financial support so quickly after the first campaign. And being given that we’re talking about $50k for the Good Vibes All or Nothing Tour (ALL OR NOTHING TOUR!) I’d rather have an investor footing the bill. I’m hoping that THIS will be the eventual outcome” I highlighted for you what you need to memorize. You’re welcome. You need to know when to slow down, because there’s a fine line between being a hustler and being annoying. And King P is a savy business man.
”You play the saxophone. What’s the story behind that? Who or what made you develop a passion for this instrument?” I ask excitedly as by now, I KNOW that King P will most definitely have an incredible story behind it, and he does not dissapoint: ”I’ve been playing this instrument since I was 11. At church, my voice was so high at the time that the choir director made me sing soprano. And there was this bully, named Jason, he used to get physical and tell me to stop singing like a girl. And truth be told, I don’t ever remember being scared of him, but it did bother me ’cause all the guys were in the back of the choir singing tenor or bass, and I was the ONLY boy in the front row singing soprano.” – someone give me Jason’s social media links, I am bored in the house with this lockdown and now I got a damn good reason to pick a fight! Jokes aside, let’s discover the rest of the story: ”There was a very talented family of musicians in the church, who played a bunch of instruments, but there was something about that sax sound and its expression. So when I got to middle school, I joined the band, first picking up the trumpet, but my step-father told me to pick another instrument, because my older brother was already playing the trumpet. So I remembered the sax from church, I switched the next day and within a week, I took first chair in the beginning band. I practiced so much I was moved to Advanced band and then battled for 1st chair there too and in the jazz band as well. I was still playing football, so in high school I had to make a choice. I chose band with the intention of leaving after one year to go back to football…Well, that never happened, as I picked up and learned the Oboe which ended up being my full-time scholarship instrument and I was also selected as a Drum Major right after my freshman year.” Seriously though, I should start charging you, the reader, for dope material like Phillip’s story. This is a real-life example of zero to hero!
”Do you do anything else besides music to support yourself financially?” as I’m always nosy. ”Not anymore… I was an educator for 11 years, teaching Elementary School for 3 years (3rd, 4th, 5th grades), I resigned to do music full-time in 2010, but I only lasted a year before going back to work as an educational program specialist at a community college. I abruptly resigned May 2, 2019 and haven’t looked back since. I’ve also began acting and pursued other entrepreneurship ventures, one including catering food with my business ‘Good Vibes Kitchen’.” – why do I have a feeling that the food is just as good as the music?
With such an impressive life-story behind him, is there anything that one may never guess about King P? ”I’ve actually always wanted about 12 kids but ended up with 5. I have a huge passion for sports, almost just the same as music. And my biggest hobby, that I’d also consider a passion, is skating… I love love to roller skate!!!… and lastly, if you’re around me long enough, you’ll think I have OCD… lol!”
”Any special thanks?” goes my last question. ”God of course! My hard working self, my family, the 2 mothers of my kids – one being my ex wife, my mentors Miltom Wilson, Kevin Burch, Anthony Simons III, FAMU Marching 100, FAMU Drum Majors, FSU College of Motion Picture Arts (Film School), FSU Sports Management, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated to include my line brothers in the frat and my Dean – special mention to Leroy Peck, Attorney Anthony Thomas and Frederick Simmons, the production crew of Good Vibes Music Video specifically the director Fritzroy Smith who put the team together and the production coordinator/production manager Tashara-Lee Johnson, guest dancer in the video Michaela Machackova from the Czech Repulic, the choreographer Conrey & his dance group, Shady Squad, the lead dancer Christina A. Gonzalez, all the contributors of the $15k raised in the Good Vibes Victory Lap kickstarter campaign, and my ride or die partner Karissma Robinson of Pretty Picture Perfect Cinematography, who has been responsible for all my dope content and who is the DP (Director of Photography) for the music video of my upcoming single/EP release of Tonight We Party on April 24, 2020. It will be a movie!” – this was honestly, the longest thank you list I have ever encountered. But hey, King P knows his team and knows what he’s doing, so I’ve included every single name he mentioned.
I’ve decided that this week, our hero on Blue Rhymez Entertainment, is King P. Show your support by adding him to your Spotify HERE and HERE, follow him on Instagram HERE, like him on Facebook HERE, get in contact with him directly on Twitter HERE, watch his videos on YouTube HERE, and check out more information on his website HERE.
Interview conducted by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 