Rhythm and Vision with Ari Phillips

Dynamic, multifaceted, and teeming with talent, artist Ari Phillips steps into the musical realm with verve and passion. Having always been involved in and surrounded by creativity and artistry, it is no surprise that Ari himself has recently built his own musical platform. His upbeat sound and witty writing work together to form a unique and lively feel, one that is quickly gaining traction. 

Although Ari’s musical career seemingly started with his first EP “I Write Songs” released in 2023, his journey in music began when he was just a child. From writing poetry to eventually writing music at the age of fourteen, Ari found a new and rewarding way to express himself. Shortly after starting his studies as a Television and Film major at St. John’s University, he began to fully lean into his musical side by releasing his songs publicly. Throughout recent years, Ari has been able to tap into the various creative talents that he has, including writing, producing, singing, rapping, and even creating music videos. 

Ari Phillips, a clear and definite visionary, is steadily releasing music and continues to publish new and exciting projects. His most recent songs “Ms. Criminal (Like a Crime Pt.2)” and “Simple Pleasures” set an appealing precedent for future works, as their clever lyrics and sleek production showcase his incredible artistry. Through our conversation, we are able to delve into the many facets of his musical process and see the intricate details that play into his creative brilliance. His emphasis on being true to oneself is reflected in his music, and he plans to continue spreading this message in future pieces.

I want to talk a little about your environment. You mentioned your mom played music for you growing up – what music were you listening to? What made an impact on you? 

My mom would always play Lauryn Hill in the car, and I think that’s where my musical side really stemmed from. I feel like a lot of my music is either singing or rapping, and Lauryn Hill was the first person, to my knowledge, that I would hear sing and rap. I remember thinking, “oh this is hard but also beautiful.” I think that’s where I started to be like “okay, they can co-exist and I can try to do that for myself.” She built a really big love for music. 

How has living in New York and growing up in Brooklyn shaped your creative process?

Growing up in Brooklyn, there’s a lot of rappers, maybe one out of four people who make music in Brooklyn rap. They mostly do drill, I don’t really get into that. I think when I was younger I liked more music like that simply because that’s where I grew up as a teenager, trying to fit in because literally everyone’s playing Pop Smoke or Fivio Foreign. But, I think I slowly realized that’s not really what I want to do. At the end of the day I still was growing up listening to Lauryn Hill. 

Who were your musical inspirations and how did they shape you? Are you going after a similar sound?

I think a big big influence is Tyler, The Creator, and I feel like you can hear that in the music that I make. The way that I look for beats is by going on Youtube and searching up something like “Tyler, The Creator type beat” and it will give me something that’s close to that sound but not exactly it. I also really like Baby Keem, Childish Gambino, Rex Orange County, Mac Demarco, and Wallows. It’s a lot of indie and rap.

Your song “Simple Pleasures,” when did you first write it? Is there a verse that holds any specific meaning to you?

I wrote it at the end of my junior year, and I actually recorded it at the WSJU radio lab. I met my friend Keon Douglas, he’s a mixer and engineer, and he was like “oh, come by the radio” and I was like “sure.” I didn’t want to sing in front of them because I don’t like singing in front of new people, it’s awkward, so I was just like, let me write a rap song. One of the first things that caught my attention was the Earth Wind and Fire sample flip, it was a nice beat. Then I just started writing one line after another. I just wanted to talk my talk. I think my favorite line I’d say is “moses with canes look like me with a mic stand.” I feel like it’s a little blasphemous, but something about me parting the sea with a mic stand kind of gives me clout. It’s just really stupid and funny.

What is your process for writing music? Is there anything specific you need to do to put yourself in a musical mindset?

I’m actually really big on this. First things first, I have to listen to the beat, and that goes into what I said about my musical inspirations and their type of beats. If I want a specific sound, certain artists have different sounds, some are sadder and slower, while others are more upbeat. So, that’s the first thing I do, I have to hear the type of mood I want to create. Once I find the message or the theme that I want to do, I listen to the guitar because that helps me find the flow. Guitars can cry, they say what you want to say with flow and cadence. Then I go to the drums. Those bring emphasis and power to what you’re saying. Then the verses come in when the drums settle, and I can just talk. Once I get the flow, it tells me what I need to say.

What has making music done for you? Has it made you more confident and reflective? Has it made you a more emotional person?

For sure, definitely. Growing up I wasn’t that talkative really. I didn’t really have that many friends, to be honest. I was moreso a loner, and I wouldn’t really express anything. I would just go to school, come home, go to school, come home. When I was fourteen I first got a girlfriend, and then we broke up. That’s when I was like “okay, let me write something about this” and that allowed me to express it. I wouldn’t even release any music, I would just write it, but it was always there. I would say when I came to school here at St. John’s, that’s when my music really started to be something that I would focus on. 

What do you want to bring to the music scene, both on campus and within the music industry itself?

In the realm of campus, I want to perform at “Storming Loud” (a music festival at the end of the St. John’s University’s academic year). That would be awesome. I have videographer friends I’d want to bring on stage, I think that would be genuinely really fun.

For the music industry in general, I think that there’s not enough Black artists who are just kind of, like, themselves. I feel like it’s so big on rappers being these cool, suave people. I feel like even in the tone of my voice or even in my music I’m not like a big cool dude. You can just be a dude, and I feel like I try to make that something that’s cool. I remember I was in the barber shop one time and my barber was playing my music. There was this little kid who was getting his haircut, nodding his head to it. I was just like “there it is, full circle moment,” and that’s all I want. I really just want to help that narrative get pushed. 

As a TV and Film major, do you direct your own music videos? How have your studies interplayed with your music career?

My bestie, Oliver Wilson, went to high school with me. I didn’t even know that he knew me, but he saw that I was putting out music and he reached out to me asking to make a music video for free. Me, being a broke college student, I was like “free? Let’s do it!” So, he sent me a vision board and we talked on the phone for hours just kind of picking each other’s brains, and he’s a true brother to me now. Eventually, I want to branch out and work with a lot more people, people from my major too, but Oliver is my guy. We usually create together, like as a unit. It’s like we are co-parents and the baby is the music video. 

With my major, my studies help me both with connections and with imagery. When I’m writing a song, I see scenes as I write. It helps me paint more of an image of what I want to portray. I love film just as much as I love music, so I can’t help but see the two together.