Epiphany is performing Friday, Oct 8th on the SMKA:Stargazing showcase late night.
In a hip-hop world dominated by “ringtone rappers” and technology that has leveled the playing field between the “unknowns” and the stars, the question remains: does the mainstream have room for any more Greats? You know, the one-of-a-kind artists who are able to gain substantial commercial success while maintaining superior music artistry? It seems every region has been spotlighted, every gimmick has been employed, and every subject has been touched. Despite all of this, one lone emcee who goes by “Epiphany” or “Piph” understands that which is timeless never depends on a region, gimmick, or subject, but rather becomes an inevitable force to be reckoned with, regardless.
Epiphany (born Chane Morrow) could be defined by his identity as a Stanford graduate raised by two well-educated parents who couldn’t (and often refused to) shield him from the frequently racist, occasionally backwards, and at times heartbreaking reality of Pine Bluff, AR. However, as he awakened to the injustices of the world, the plight and seemingly untainted beauty of his surroundings allowed him to develop and thrive via a lens of hope, courage, and understanding. Piph has never underestimated the world’s capacity for doom, but maintains that the individual possesses the power to greatly impact the masses. Espousing this with a motto in tote of "staying humble and hungry and seeing stuff for what it really is”, he promised to always strive for the ideal within himself and let that boldly challenge everything in his path.
Still, “it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”, and as an artist, that’s close to all that matters. Piph learned this age old truth early on from his eclectic parents, who wouldn’t let the Motown and the Stacks era die. They ensured that the music of greats such as Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and Isaac Hayes played as a soundtrack to his young life. However, given his parents’ intellectual and politically-minded nature, timeless songs weren’t there just to be listened to, but rather internalized in order to note the passion and texture given to them by their creator. This was a key lesson that would not be forgotten on Epiphany.
It was in 1993, after hearing 8Ball and MJG’s “Lay It Down,” that Piph fell in love with his generation’s soundtrack, hip-hop. Crafting a palatable sound for the masses while simultaneously relaying his personal pains, joys, whims, and creativity became the goal of his newfound artistry. That goal has now been accomplished. Whether performing solo, with his female vocalist counterpart (Gina Gee) or within his six-piece hip-hop/soul/jazz/rock band ensemble (One Night Stand), Piph holds to a standard of being anything but average.
Epiphany understands that in order to become more than a blip in the multi-billion dollar game called hip-hop, an emcee must hit you with more than just a dope beat, hook, and some 16’s or else become as disposable as the plastic wrap that contains their music. He embodies this knowledge and bridges the intense demands of this tech age with the golden era when music both sounded good and had meat on its bones. Recognizing that we live in a microwaveable rap world, Piph doesn’t expect all emcees to follow his lead but knows that trends inevitably die out. It’s a good thing that greatness lasts forever.
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