Biography

          Born on October 7th, 1986, in Hampton, Virginia, Phokis was a product of a single parent household and raised by his mother. She taught Phokis the values and morals to stand by in life; family, loyalty, love, respect, and music. Phokis knew at an early age that he had ability to make art out of various methods of expression; building, speaking, acting, and most impactfully; music. At school, often, bus rides home, lunch time banter, and classroom cutting up would consist of banging on a table, spitting a rhyme, or admiring an artist with his friends. He developed the alias Trae, which stood for The Real All-round Emcee, and was constantly trying to learn to freestyle; produce rhymes impulsively off the top of his thoughts. Moving out to Fox Hill Rd around 14 years old, he adopted the name Phokis based on his musical admiration with Jay-z from his famous line “I’m focused man” from his smash single “Best of Me Part 2” with Mya.

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          Collaborating with 238, Phokis and friends also met T.B. (Texas Boy, Texas Best) who was like the promotion manager of the team. They formed the group 238 Centex and took over the seen traveling in fancy cars with merch and CDs to all colleges and venues to promote and take over. The group was backed and supported by Desert Storm South, a subsidiary of Desert Storm lead by Queens’s “Millertime” and dropped a 3 Volume series “Fix Ya Face”. The group musically disbanded around 2008 and Phokis moved to Texas to continue to pursuit his career.  In Texas, Phokis lived with X and was making records consistently with his and his brother, San Antonio’s own, Ty-One, a rising super star to Texas, but a lifetime friend of X’s. Phokis quickly learned the format of songwriting even further sparring with “BloccFam”, Ty-One’s group, and featured on multiple tapes and tracks. Eventually after more performances and life changes, Phokis decided to move back to Virginia late 2009.

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          So far, Phokis has since 80’s Show dropped; Loosies Tape (a mixtape featuring more bar and flow heavy music than 80s Show), and his scattered life story “Memories of An Ex-Rapper” which debuted 2022 revisiting times in Texas, times growing up as a teen, growing as a rapper, and all around as a man. The music mentioned is now available on all streaming platforms and can be owned an played free of “stream” though his website “phokismusic.com”. His sarcastic, brilliant, and compassionate personality has made him like the New York Yankees; one of the most loved and hated.  What will be next for Phokis in his journey in the hip hop world? Many readers, like yourself ask that question…

But every supporter like yourself helps guide that answer. Through hip hop; we all connect. We all are one. And Phokis is and will always be Phokis, but Phokis can’t be focused on Phokis without the focus and love of Phokis supporters!

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                                                                 “All the care, support… I appreciate that!” – Phokis