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HISTORY 
Philasoph has been involved in many projects and bands over the years. As an instrumentalist, solo artist and emcee he has released multiple albums under a variety of names. Here are some of the highlights...
As a youngster, philasoph could be found playing piano and memorizing the lyrics of early rap artists such as Run DMC. A lifelong afiscianado of hip hop and music in general, it wasn't until he was about 20 that philasoph really started to develop as a musician with a re-newed interest in drumming and percussion. Around that same time, philasoph was encouraged to become an emcee by writing and freestyling instead of just reciting other rapper's lyrics or writing poems.
He was soon involved in a rap trio called EFFLUX, whose demo included all of his first written rhymes and a few of his earliest attempts at beat-making. He instantly developed a passion for rapping and was quickly gaining skills as a percussionist. At that time, philasoph became known as PHOENIX...
Next, he was part of a massive coming together of emerging artists known as the MOM SUG DOJO. This underground hip hop supergroup made a serious mark in the Philadelphia music scene. While his primary role in this crew was on percussion, he began to garner more attention as an emcee and began to show his production skills. During this period, he collaborated with many important Philly artists such as Jill Scot and Grand Agent.
Simultaneously, he and three other MOM SUG members branched out and began an experiment called the CORETET. This group hosted a weekly event with the explicit intent of improvising entire shows with no written material or set lists. This four man team would rotate between drums, bass, guitar and vocals while developing their freestyle skills and musicianship.
This evolved into a more organized, yet short-lived group known as the MEDISOUL PROJECT and introduced some new players into the mix. He dabbled on keys and percussion, but soon focused almost exclusively on vocals while collaborating on a few songs with Golgo 14, an emcee from Japan, who rhymed in his native tongue. This collaboration led to his next, and first serious recording experience. The song "KONOHOSHINO KIKI (this planet's in danger)" can be found later on philasoph's debut album "RITES OF PASSAGE" under the eventual alias of OAXERAI. In this period, he was also able to collaborate with the now infamous and grammy award-winning John Legend.
The next incarnation was a tight four-piece band called the ARHITECTS OF ACOUST. Philasoph was now known as OAXERAI and split his role between percussion and emcee. This crew made waves on the Philly circuit for a couple of years, throwing unforgettable basement parties and released a self- titled E.P. This band was his first experience touring and doing shows across the east coast. This unit was able to collaborate with the Jazzyfatnastees, under the management of the legendary Roots crew. They also performed with artists such as MosDef, Talib Kweli, and Channel Live.
As the ARCHITECTS rocked show after show, he got his first real open-ended exposure to production equipment and beat-making. A period of late-night access to an MPC, a turntable and mixer, a computer, and a mic resulted in his first self-produced collection of songs and the release of Oaxerai's first solo album, "RITES OF PASSAGE". This album is now out of print, but established Oaxerai as an emerging force with its strong conceptual framework and original sound. This period saw Oaxerai rhyming on multiple releases with artists such as BSKI and G.F.E.
Oaxerai then partnered up with emcee Jawnzap 7 to form the powerful duo knwon as the DISCIPLES OF DISCIPLINE. This energetic tag team lit up Philly and venues throughout the east coast. This project represented Oaxerai's return to a basic beats and rhymes format by rocking with DJ Statik of the Illvibe Collective instead of the usual live band. D.O.D. also released a full-length self titled album and a 45" single under SACRED ROUND RECORDS, an independent record label that Oaxerai co-founded. D.O.D. got attention in magazines like XXL, were featured on a French compilation that included the likes of Gil Scot Heron, toured in Europe, and performed alongside artists like Jedi Mind Tricks, Scienz of Life and Schoolz of Thought.
After that, Oaxerai produced his second full-length solo album entitled, "BIRTHRITE. FIRSTRIGHT". This provocative interpretation of freedom of speech remains his most politically charged endeavour to date. During this period, he toured the west coast for the first time as a performer and took himself all the way to Japan, doing solo performances and selling his albums.
This was all about the same time he met JBeatz of AGUAFUEGO. He quickly became an original and consistent member of this evolving eclectic world fusion band that is formed and fronted by JBeatz. Originally playing keys and rapping, his role gradually shifted back to percussion. Through JBeatz' encouragement, AGUAFUEGO gave him a forum to develop as a more professional drum kit player. This has remained his primary role in the band to date. He was a major contributor to AGUAFUEGO's self-titled debut release as emcee, back-up singer, keyboardist, beat-maker, song-writer, and lyricist. He also had an important role in the recording, engineering and mixing. This band is still in existence and has performed countless shows over the last few years.
Somewhere along the way, Oaxerai teamed up with Philly all-star Chuck Treece and released a funky E.P. under the alias OAXTREE entitled "GRAFFIK POLITIX". Including flutework by JBeatz, this album demonstrates his skills as an arranger and abstract producer with soundscapes made from live recordings of skate boarding and spray cans. It also continues to show his diversity as a vocalist with a song he wrote in spanish as well as his rhyming on increasingly complex rhythms.
While living in Bologna, Italia, Oaxerai and JBeatz not only got engaged but they also formed the groundbreaking DELICIOUS LIFE ORCHESTRA with members of the SDC POSSE who hail from Oaxerai's own father's home town, Catanzaro in Calabria. This global crew combined rhyming and singing in Italian, English, and Spanish with digital production and live flute. In a short period they wrote numerous songs and performed at the Link with DJ Gruff and at the Container Club with Caparezza, two of Italy's most famous Rap artists of today. After returning to USA, the D.L.O. completed a trans-Atlantic recording of their material and released the dynamic and definition-busting "INSOLITI SONETTI" or "UNUSUAL SONNETS". On this endeavour, Oaxerai writes and rhymes in Italian and continues to vary his range of experience.
Oaxerai eventually became known as PHILASOPH and returned to an earlier collaboration with a second full-length D.O.D. album entitled "YA' NEVER KNOW". This album brought out a more straight ahead underground hip hop approach and unfortunately, this reunion was cut short when philasoph moved out of state.
This basically brings us to today. Now living in Chicago, philasoph continues to stock pile beats, rhymes and album ideas while freelancing and performing as an emcee on the Chicago scene. He continues to record and collaborate with other beatmakers and bands, while playing drums with AGUAFUEGO. He has been wood-shedding on clarinet and developing his playing ability while getting closer to perfromance readiness.
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