Who is Phora? The 23-year-old rapper who created a multi-million dollar empire
So we all have those people in our heads that we think can be compared, but in reality you just can’t.
Take Kendrick and J. Cole or LeBron and Kobe for example — they’re all GOATs in their own right, but it’s hard to confine them to the same boxes. The real question is where will that next “great” come from?
Meet Marco “Phora” Archer, the lyrical genius who is already building his own music empire. With so many artists carving out their niche in the industry right now, you won’t find one that sticks out like this dude.
Straight outta Anaheim, CA, Phora’s grind and dedication to his art and fans is pretty special, and he’s probably one of the most down to earth artists you’ll come across.
Life’s better when u stop caring so much… pic.twitter.com/4h3HuTPx9F
— PHORA (@PHORAONE) December 9, 2017
For a 23-year-old artist, especially in this day and age, you’d think the materialistic things would be all he cares about, but it doesn’t seem to be the case, as his life in AND outside the studio promotes positivity and love.
In an exclusive interview with Steryo, Phora opened up about his growth as a person throughout the stressful process of being an independent artist at the time, while still maintaining his strong personal values. When asked how his fans can use his lyrics to improve their lives as well as others, he responded,
“The power of the voice is an EXTREMELY influential thing. The voice, MUSIC in general, can be so much. Therapy, a scapegoat, it can even be used as a weapon. For the fans out there listening to my music, I would just say take those words, and aim them towards you. I’m speaking to you. DIRECTLY to you. Any of my music would be some of the same things I would say to certain people in certain cases in person.”
And you’re not gonna catch him going back on his word either.
Phora takes his own experiences and creates an inspirational type of sound that you don’t hear much these days. You can truly feel the emotion and reliability in his voice, whether he’s rapping or even finessing a smooth hook.
This man has so much potential, it’s wild. After he dropped his latest album Yours Truly Forever at the end of last summer, his ascent to stardom was solidified.
It was his first project after getting signed by Warner Bros. back in April and it gave him a chance to show the world what he’s really about. It even includes a resonating part 2 to the hit “Sinner” from his 2016 rap chart-topping project With Love.
Phora’s on a whole other level, and that’s just to put it lightly. According to Genius, he recorded his first track with his father — at age SEVEN.
He started his own label, Yours Truly, in 2011 and with it came even more success. But we already know it’s mo’ money, mo’ problems so it’s always been an uphill battle for the rapper on the rise.
He survived being stabbed, and even getting shot multiple times while driving with his girlfriend. You won’t see a person with more of a will to live than Phora.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYSQNeVBEdZ/?hl=en&taken-by=phoraone
When talking with LA Times, Phora made it clearer than ever exactly how he feels about his loyal fans that have held him down since day 1.
“I feel like all types of music definitely helps people, but music that specifically and especially covers topics such as suicide — and that can be a very touchy topic — but songs that cover suicide, depression, family issues, even abuse, things like that, I feel like that’s very important, most of all to make people not feel like they’re alone.”
He’s maintained this vision for his art since his first project Still a Kid at age 17 and of course expanded it into his own label, which has grown into much more — a brand that pushes his vision to the next level.
Phora leaves mark on everything he touches, growing from a tattoo artist to budding superstar. From some of his own artwork on his clothing brand, the creativity and messages directly attribute to his growth as an artist as well as a wildly successful businessman.
Forbes had a lot of big things to say about the young phenom, including the $2.2 million revenue the Yours Truly Clothing brand raked in during their most recent 24 hour Black Friday sale and placed the company’s earnings at around $100,000 – $150,000 a month.
“I have goals and aspirations with the music that money can’t buy… like getting a Grammy or wanting J. Cole or Pharrell to appreciate the music I make.”
With Phora, it’s not about the money, and he’s right on track with creating the legendary music that will get him recognition within the game. When he posted the Forbes article on his IG page, Phora went off and explained how big of an honor it was for him saying,
“My ultimate goal is to motivate and inspire people like me, people who started with nothing. People who grew up with a broken family. People who had nothing handed to them. People who went through their entire lives being doubted.. the reward I’m looking for is NOT monetary, and my end goal is not to be rich in wealth, but to be rich in soul.”
Yours Truly Forever is an album that takes listeners on an emotional trip through real, crazy experiences fans can actually relate to, no matter how down they may feel. George Orozco, who’s directed almost all of Phora’s videos and one of his closest friends, commented on Phora’s image saying,
“His story’s not fake… He had a bad hand given to him, but throughout it all, he made that negative energy and converted it to positive energy… [Fans] see themselves in him.”
Bottom line, 2018’s gonna be Phora’s breakout year, and y’all better get ready.
To top it all off, he’ll be joining G-Eazy in February on a nationwide tour showcasing his new album and spreading that message he’s been pushing since the jump.
Message to the world… pic.twitter.com/HKfeZiMmAe
— PHORA (@PHORAONE) November 22, 2017
The days of mumble rap are slowly, but surely coming to a close and giving way to artists like Phora, Logic, and Kendrick to get their messages of positivity to the world.
From a local West Coast legend, Phora’s grown his following to over a million fans on social media and I don’t see his momentum stopping anytime soon. He’s carving out his spot in the industry, and soon the whole world’s going to know his name.