Fort Wayne, Indiana lyricist Phyzikal is an artist of the people. His brand of rap balances the gritty realities of street life with a conscious narrative that highlights the harsh realities of systemic oppression in urban America. While the midwestern MC is definitively in a lane all his own, the way he attacks the mic is the influence of Twista, Bone Thugs N Harmony and Do or Die. The way he transcended his status as a local, independent teenage sensation and became the first rapper in his city to sign a major label deal with LA Reid’s Island Def Jam, was inspired by Master P and Jay Z. And his ability to articulate hood politics with heart and finesse is a nod to Tupac. Everything about his mentality is steeped in the old-school code of hiphop; he can flow and authentically deliver a message in cinematic detail.