Hip hop culture in Phoenix: from MC Magic to now

Why Phoenix gets overlooked

When people list hip hop cities, Phoenix usually gets skipped. But Phoenix is one of the biggest cities in the country, and it keeps growing. People move here from California, the Midwest and everywhere else, and they bring their sound with them. That mix is the Phoenix sound.

The foundation

• MC Magic founded Nastyboy Records and helped put Chicano rap from the Southwest on the map.
• Willy Northpole was one of the first Phoenix rappers to break through nationally, signing with Ludacris's DTP Records.
• Injury Reserve, from Tempe, took experimental Arizona hip hop to a national audience. Their 2021 album By the Time I Get to Phoenix is one of the most praised rap records to come out of the state.
• Mega Ran built a fully independent, touring career from the Phoenix area.
• Futuristic grew a large independent fanbase online, without needing a major label.

The scene now

Today the city has a deep bench. Local coverage like Phoenix New Times and KJZZ's report on the PHX Hip-Hop list keeps track of who is moving, and artists like Murkemz are carrying the city's name. His track "PHX" is the beat I freestyled over live on RTU Worldwide Radio. Read the lyrics.

The Arizona Hip Hop Festival, now in its 14th year, is where a lot of the scene comes together. This year's festival is Saturday, December 12.

Where I fit in

I was born in Chicago and moved to Phoenix at 17. Like a lot of artists here, I didn't start in Phoenix, but I'm building here. I write, record and mix my own music, and I build my own platform, including a VR album. See everything I've put out on the releases page.