"I want to try something new/because sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone to figure out who you really are ..."
So goes the opening to "Foolish," the second track on "Far From Finished," the new EP from rapper Big Piph.
The slow-grooving jam track finds Piph singing for a few verses and pulling it off nicely.
The six-song EP, which dropped Feb. 19, is pure Piph — smartly written bangers with introspection, social commentary, character studies, even a little humor — all enveloped in funky, head-bobbing, R&B-tinged hip-hop and Piph's strong, confidence-filled delivery.
Born Chane Morrow 41 years ago, Piph moved with his family from Freehold, N.J., to Pine Bluff, where he grew up. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Stanford University, but rapping and community work soon took over.
"Far From Finished" is his seventh studio release and features contributions from longtime collaborators such as vocalists Bijoux and Dee DeeJones and producers Ferocious and Apollo Lane. It follows "The Glow," his 2018 one-man show, which he adapted into a six-episode series in 2020 where he interviews Black creatives including fashion designer Korto Momolu, musician and photographer Joshua Asante, artists Jamee and Norel McAdoo, entrepreneur Benito Lubazibwa, restaurateur Elnora Wesley and writer Chris James, for Arkansas PBS.
Piph moved from Little Rock to Georgia about three years ago. We spoke with him from his home near Atlanta about the new EP, singing and growing older.
(This interview has been edited for clarity and length).
How did you end up in Georgia?
I moved here because it made more sense for networking. Then 'rona hit and it all just kinda changed up (laughs).
What's the story behind "Far From Finished?"
It wasn't meant to be an EP at all. Going into 2020, I was working out my next steps and I had a tour set up. I was going to just release singles and push them a little differently, sort of like just whenever I wanted to do it.
The first song was "Foolish." I'd never sung on a song and I thought, cool, I want to do that. When everything switched up, I started making more music and it started coming together. I had five songs, but the last one, "So I Fly," was missing. I wanted it to end on a certain feel. I added that last song and it became an EP.
When was the first song recorded?
February, 2020, "Foolish." I had it written before then, but it started with "Foolish." I had the beat to "No Filter" in 2019 but it was a completely different song.
What are you saying with this record?
In the middle of last year, with everything going on, it started to feel like Black pain pouring. I wanted this to be a balance to that. Let me tell my story, share some other thoughts. It doesn't have to be blatantly rooted in pain. After people listen to these six songs, I want them to feel rejuvenated, refreshed.
Hip-hop — pop culture in general — has always been youth-oriented. How do you feel at 41 and still making music?
As an MC at 41, it's like, 'Well, you had a good run.' But it gets better. For middle-aged Americans, you're defined as if your peak has already happened. I'm pushing against that notion. It's not me trying to relive my youth. You won't see me dancing on TikTok (laughs). But it's amazing what cats my age can do.
When I look back I'm proud, when I look forward I'm excited. That's a good way to put it.