Manny Phesto: Interview

Whether he is rapping about smoking on rooftops or describing south side life there is no denying that Manny Phesto is keeping true hip hop alive.
Many people will always discuss the west coast and the east coast when it comes to hip hop but remember Minneapolis is definitely worth watching.


Read below to see what albums he played as a child and his experience of opening up for Curren$y.








Who are you and what city do you represent?

M: I'm Manny Phesto, hailing from Minneapolis Minnesota. 

What is the music scene like in Minneapolis?

M: It's dope. Lots of talented artists in the community here. The hip hop scene in particular is home to some of the nicest out in my opinion. Fertile ground for creating. People come out and support at shows too. Lots of love.

Which albums received heavy rotations when you were younger?

M: Camron's  Purple Haze, B.I.G. - Ready to Die, Nas - Illmatic, AZ - Doe or Die, The L.O.X. - We Are the Streets, 2pac - All Eyez on Me, Bone Thugs n Harmony - The Art of War, Twista - Kamikaze. A whole bunch of Bob and the Wailers. This isn't a complete list, but some that definitely got play.

How have people responded to your music?

M: The response has been mind blowing, I'm incredibly grateful. A lot of people are connecting with the project, giving lots of support. It's awesome hearing how different folks relate to the music and can interpret it differently.

You recently opened for Curren$y on the Drive In Theatre Tour. What was the experience like for you?

M: I did, it was fun. My guy Mike the Martyr and I did a joint set for the first time, so it was kind of experimental. It was good, I think our audiences intersect in a couple places. It was fun to get in front of some new young stoner faces and get down. They were receptive. Curren$y killed it, I got kicked out though before he finished his set.

Describe south side life.

M: That's tough. There are a lot of them, this city is a melting pot.  I'd say some typical south side life things include the May Day parade, bending corners down River Road, dope hip hop, White Sands Beach, that spot on the railroad tracks where cats have been throwing graf up forever. Lakes. Rooftops. Good Weed. Good vibes.

What did you hope to achieve by releasing South Side Looking In?

M: Really just to get my music out there, get my name on the tip of peoples tongues. Get some good gigs, and just start to lay the groundwork to squeeze a living out of this music thing. I've been around the scene with my block party and in other capacities but had never dropped an actual solid body of work.

Can you describe your relationship with Mike The Martyr and how you guys met?

M: Me and Martyr met at an I Self Devine recording session a few years back. I Self used to record every Friday at this lab over south with Benzilla, he'd reached out to both of us the same day to come through. We'd done a couple joints since then. I stopped by his lab to lay a verse for some song he had sent months before, knocked it out and we had time so we wrote and recorded another joint, 'The Account' which we ended up using for the project. Think I left with ten beats or something that day. Martyr is that guy.

What is your opinion on modern day radio?

M: Mixed. I think there is strength in radio, when in the right hands. I think community based radio is an awesome tool. I think the Clear Channel type stations are a detriment to the culture.

How important is flow?

M: Important. You gotta have flow, and find your own flavor or you'll be a stale boring ass artist who sounds like they're reading a math textbook.

What is hip hop to you?

M: It's a culture, an ever morphing one that the majority of the people I know are a part of. It's the voice of a couple generations. The voice of the struggle. Therapy. Life.

Opinion on battle rapping? Who are some of your favorite battle rappers?

M: Battle rapping involves a whole other set of skills than writing, or even free styling. I'm purely a spectator. in the twin cities, my guy Bobby Raps is a beast, Metasota as well. Hollow is dope, that Budden battle recently was painfully hilarious to watch. Swave Sevah had me cracking up the other day. Lots of dope battlers out right now. 

Lastly who do you want to give a shout out to? Is there anyone who is killing the rap game right now but doesn't get enough appreciation?

M: Hmm, lots of dope cats out. S/o my guy Knox, he's a super ill writer who makes that spine tingle music. Shout out Freez, another top tier bar spitter who's been putting it down. Production wise Woolley is a beast, he's a super humble dude, so he plays the background but homie is super dope.



Twitter: https://twitter.com/Manny_Phesto
Bandcamp: http://southsidelookingin.bandcamp.com/releases

http://mannyphesto.com/