Photographed by Corban Lundborg
“My passion is the art of life and the life of art. To be blessed to bring a joy to the people through honest artistic expression is a deep passion of mine.” Words spoken by a true artist indeed. Chadwick “Niles” Phillips is an educator with an old soul, that connects to the minds of our young generation.
Chadwick got his nickname, Niles, from the inspiration he pulled from the Nile River. “I’ve always had an affinity of the Nile River. We are alike in a lot of ways. It flows upstream, I’m flowing upstream in life. The land around it is potently fertile. The art I bring is fertile ground for the people. It is in Africa, and I’m of African descent.” He also makes the connection between himself and the Nile River as a source of provision, “Plus, it provided fertile land, transportation and building materials for Ancient Egyptians. I see myself as a provider in the same way”.
The Nile River
As an artist, Niles is what you’d consider a Renaissance Man. “I rap, sing, draw, act, write (songs, scripts, etc.), just every aspect of the arts matches my creative profile. He went on to say, “I feel the more multi-faceted you are artistically, the more worlds you can create for the people to experience. Being original, unique and highly passionate is the key.” I think Niles touched on some important qualities in relation to creation. In order to create premium quality art, you must embody originality and passion. Use those qualities to push your artistry to it’s fullest potential.
He created The Avant Garde, LLC as a celebration of artistic expression. “The definition of Avant Garde is new and unusual or experimental ideas, especially in the arts, or the people introducing them (In French). What that name means, how it looks and how it sounds is a perfect profile of what I embody. It’s a renaissance arts and entertainment company, which means it has numerous forms (music, visual art, theater, etc.). So when I bring that mindstate and imagination to the world around me in different forms of art is an amazing thing. It’s been 2 amazing sold out concerts of live Neo-Soul music from some of the best artists in the Twin Cities in getting started. It’s going to be a great journey. This is just the beginning.”
Niles says The Avant Garde is also a homage and celebration of the past artists who came before him like Miles Davis and Billie Holiday or past times like the Harlem Renaissance and the Bebop era, to the origins of true genuine Hip-Hop and artists like Mosdef, Talib Kweli, Tribe Called Quest, J-Dilla, The Roots and Slum Village, to Neo-Soul artists like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, D’Angelo and so on. Plus, it’s a way of carrying on tradition for his generation and the future ones beyond.
Photographed by Corban Lundborg
We often learn about people through their artistry but not on a personal level. He said,”I was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. I graduated with a BA in Communications from Michigan State University. I moved to New York City and flourished in the avenues of music, film and teaching artistry. In music I won the “Who’s Next”/HOT 97 Talent Search in 2006 which enabled me to release a single on Major Label/Koch Records.” He has also worked in film for BET, CBS, MTV and NYC Fashion week. In teaching artistry I taught with the Hip-Hop Project in Brooklyn, NY. “When I moved to the Twin Cities I founded my own curriculum entitled “Hip-Hop, History and The Arts” that I teach in the Twin Cities.” It amazes me how much drive one individual can have. Niles has just that. He has networked and made an impact on people in several different cities.
He applied wisdom given by his parents and used their success as a blue print. I was pleasantly surprised when he shared, “My father is jazz/symphony orchestra bassist by the name of Sam Gill who is featured on albums with Art Blakey and Randy Weston. He came up with Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and all the jazz greats. He graduated from Julliard, got his masters at the Manhattan School of Music and his doctorate at Colorado University. He just retired from the Colorado Symphony Orchestra after a 48 year tenure.”
“I have experienced homelessness and being on welfare at a very early age but I always knew that if I educated myself and believed in my abilities with hard work and dedication then I would be able to succeed. I take that message with me for the people where ever I go because we all are on the same path to succeed and any inspiration can help. I also dedicate my hard work to the memory and legacy of my mother who was the most genuine amazing spirit I’ve ever known.”
When asked if he could leave readers with some advice on developing their brand, this is what he had to say, “Learning the business of the profession that you want to do is very important. Working very hard is very vital to having your own business. You have to truly sacrifice an aspect of comfort (leisure time, sleep, social media, etc.) to get to the next level. Changing your habits on how you spend your day and taking advantage of the little time you have will put you in a continuous flow towards becoming a successful business owner and entrepreneur. True discipline is so important as well. Do it for the passion. Not for the money.
I’ve known Niles for a few years. He’s a brilliant mind and a privilege to be around. Hearing his story has motivated me to go harder as an artist. You have to be hungry.
Upcoming events:
Event: ComoDockside Presents : The Avant Garde
Place: 1360 Lexington Parkway, N. St. Paul, 55404
Date: Saturday, May 23rd
Time: Doors open at 6pm : Show starts at 6:45pm
Price: $10/Advance: $15/Door
Tickets sold at: Amsterdam Bar & Hall (St. Paul), Electric Fetus (Minneapolis), Avenue Eatery (Minneapolis) ; Online athttp://www.ticketfly.com/event/835197.
Social Networks:
Twitter: @Niles_Davis
E-mail: cphillips35@gmail.com
Until next time *insert peace sign here*
On Something Different 