Interview With Christine Malvasio AKA “Spiky” and Musician PHE

How did you begin working with Azriel Reckley aka PHE (@iamphe242)?

Spiky:

“Ramont Green A.K.A. “Monty G” (@montyglojmg) CEO of Royalty Respect Management and I did previous business together that later turned into a publishing partnership as we decided to sign Azriel Reckley aka PHE (@iamphe242) to Superfly Publishing LLC. Monty and I felt, together, we could bring greater value in furthering PHE’s artist career. PHE agreed and here we are today.”

Where are you from?

Spiky: “Rochester, NY.”

PHE: “The Bahamas.”

When did you first start your journey in the music industry?

Spiky:

“My journey started in 2009 as an investor supporting two producers, Jackpot and Knucklehead (@knuckdaworld). Knucklehead was the main producer on August Alsina’s EP and first album release. In 2013 the single “I Luv This Shit” was released and hit gold status then went platinum. It was great to be part of his success story so early on in my music career.”

PHE:

“I have been making music my entire life. Music has been my passion since I was a young boy in the Bahamas. My career began to take off once I moved to Miami. I was given the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in the music industry such as Gloria Estefan, Pitbull and various other artists. As my music abilities continued to grow through hard work and dedication, I achieved double platinum status as a songwriter on Kevin Gates’ Album, Islah.”

What was it that made you want to be part of such a competitive industry such as music?

Spiky:

“Music has always been a part of my family life as I was growing up. Throughout my childhood, I was involved in a lot of music-oriented activities with my siblings. From dance classes, high school gymnastics and watching my dad and brother play the drums when their bands were rehearsing in our basement. My sister and I also played the piano. My love for music was natural and I continued to feed it as much as I could. However, due to the circumstances at the time, I was encouraged to go down a more corporate conservative path. When I finally gained financial stability, I decided to merge my business mind and twenty years of corporate experience with my passion for music. That was the start of the “Spiky” brand. I love nothing more than to be a part of and contribute to the growth and success of others. By being “Spiky” it allows me the opportunity to work with a vast number of talented individuals in the music business and use the power of music as a universal language to market meaningful messages worldwide.”

PHE:

“I was born for this. Music is not only my passion but it’s my calling. My love for creating music comes from within me. I always think of it as a blessing and never take it for granted.”

What’s the biggest challenge you have faced thus far in achieving your goals in the music industry?

Spiky:

“There have been too many to count! Lawsuits, deceit, payment for services not rendered, the list is endless. However, my strong internal drive pushes me through it all. I never lose focus on my goals. Trust and respect matter most to me and these values are key in this business. If you stay true to yourself it’s virtually impossible to lose. No matter what obstacles cross my path, having the ability to dig deep within for energy to overcome those obstacles is the key to my success. I refuse to fail at anything I put my time and effort into. I only grow stronger and wiser overtime with each challenge I face. Moving forward, I am super excited about sharing the amazing new music we will be releasing in 2021.”

PHE:

“Moving to Miami from the Bahamas as an ambitious artist was a challenge in itself. The music industry requires a great business mind in addition to talent.  In the beginning of my musical journey, it was easy for others to take advantage of me. I felt my kindness was mistaken for weakness. Thanks to Spiky’s unparalleled knowledge of the music business it allowed me to focus on what I do best, compose and perform music. The comfort level achieved by not having to think about the business side of things made a big difference in my creative process. It allowed me to showcase my talent and grow as an artist and composer. I am grateful and feel blessed knowing my hard-working team has my back, so I can just create music. Like Spiky said, “We have big things coming in 2021, new opportunities, new projects, my own artist app and much more.”

Is PHE currently signed to a record label or have you remained independent?

PHE:

“I am an independent artist signed to a publishing deal with Superfly Publishing LLC.”

Spiky:

“Our team is currently in the process of building our brand and organically increasing our fan base. We continue working hard to reach our goals which, in turn, will offer many opportunities to PHE to sign a major label deal. Until then we will continue to release music independently. In 2021 there will be more collaborations with artists from around the world. We ended 2020 on a high note with our collaboration with Kybba (@kybba_) an Italian Producer and Record Label C.E.O. of Basshall Movement (@basshallmovement) on the single “Calling My Name” which reached over a million streams. On January 21, 2021 we will release the next single, “Ready” which will start the year off strong. It will be followed up by PHE’s Afro Beat Style EP showcasing the talents of producers, Jon Fx and Kybba. I feel the timing for this project is right. I am hoping to work with more artists from Africa and open more doors, not just for PHE, but also those artists in Africa looking to be heard in America.”

Who is one of your biggest musical inspirations?

Spiky:

 “I have a few in different areas of the music industry. Scott Storch on the production side and Michael Jackson on the artist side. His music is timeless, and he was an extremely unique artist/performer.”

PHE:

“As far as musical inspirations, I am drawn to artists that go outside the box that society seems to put them in. Some of my biggest inspiration come from Bob Marley, Kendrick Lamar, Tobe Nwigne, Burna Boy, JonFX, Timbaland, and the list goes on!”

What do you want people to feel when listening to your music?

Spiky:

“Most important to me is that people feel the message in the music, not only hear it. Whether it is sexual, inspirational, motivational, or even political. I want the music I publish to represent a strong positive message for those listening to it. Music is powerful, therefore the message in the music carries the same power. Music does have an effect on listeners and their mindset. It’s up to those who create it to do the right thing with its message. This is just another reason why I truly enjoy working with PHE. His strong ability to write lyrics that delivers his message in a relatable way to his audience. It’s also important to me that those who are listening to our music share the music which allows others to receive our message.”

PHE:

 “I’m all about vibes. I want my music to give off a smooth vibe as well as promote positivity that can be incorporated into the listener’s everyday lives. That is my goal and that is what makes me happy.”

What’s the next big move for you as an artist?

Spiky & PHE:

 “As a team, we are focused on completing PHE’s projects, organically building a worldwide fanbase, and continuing to collaborate with artists from around the world.  We are confident this process will get the attention of several large labels as they see our vision and PHE’s extraordinary talent unfold in 2021.”

Do you produce your own music, or do you work with producers?

PHE:

“Both. I write all of my own lyrics I also produce.  However, I prefer to work as a team with other Producers. I am very versatile when it comes to my music and depending on the song and situation, I can work by myself or with others. All of my music isn’t only me; I have worked with Producers from around the world.”

What’s one artist you’d like to collaborate with?

Spiky & PHE:

“Our favourite thing is collaboration. When we fuse sounds, melodies, and lyrics derived from a Writer’s personal experiences, it results in a unique sound that you may not be able to achieve as an individual. We are convinced that working with talented artists, from around the world, is the best way to achieve unique sounding songs which the public is in search of. There are several Afrobeat Artists we are currently working with that will produce amazing new sounding music that our fans will enjoy.  We also intend to continuously build upon our network of artists, producers and composers.”

What else would you like your fans to know?

Spiky:

“As a businesswoman, entrepreneur, publisher, administrator, distributor, wife and mother of twins I have huge shoes to fill on a daily basis. As crazy as my life is, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I thoroughly enjoy every day. I especially enjoy the mentoring aspect of my career. While I love to mentor in general, I mainly aim to inspire young females. I always emphasize the importance of self-love and understanding yourself as a woman!”

PHE:

“Outside of the studio I enjoy training and playing basketball, but my true passion is my music. Staying in touch with my fans, through social media, is also a full-time job.  I am also very thankful for my family and my team that helps me through this part of my life journey. I consider myself already winning just by the company I am keeping.”

Spiky & PHE:

“As a team, we all embrace and love what we do daily. We fully support the vision laid out and the positive direction we are heading towards in 2021. Thank you to everyone on our team that supports the journey. Your support is key to our overall success in reaching our goal.”