Even with three music videos on MTV, and the debut of his first independent album — which made it to the top 100 on iTunes’ hip hop chart — West Philadelphia rapper Chill Moody still isn’t done.
Surrounded by friends and colleagues, Chill watches his latest music video, “Change Coming,” which premiered on MTV Jams Monday night, inside the Sigma Sounds recording studio in Center City. But he refuses to get excited.
“I’m sitting here planning my next move,” Chill said.
His first independent album, RFM — Running From Myself — debuted in February, and he performed at the Apple store in SoHo later that month. Three of his five music videos, all of which were filmed in Philadelphia, have been played on MTV Jams. In 2012 he sold out his performance at the Philadelphia Hard Rock Café and was named by Complex Magazine one of the top 10 up-and-coming artists in Philadelphia.
But for Chill, the path to rap stardom started in the third grade, when he began to throw down beats to impress his older cousins.
“Me being a little cousin, to fit in with them I had to learn these lyrics and be cool,” he said. “From there I fell in love with hip hop culture.”
In 2009, he graduated from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and asked his family for a year to follow his music. By January 2010, his songs — which were recorded in his basement — were already playing on Philadelphia radio stations.
With his early success, Chill decided to “put my foot down” and turn his passion for hip hop music into a future career, recording songs that center around one overarching theme.
“Girls,” he said. “It’s all relationships.”
Related: Chance The Rapper Is Coming To Penn
Part of his artistic focus on relationships includes dropping new music every Valentine’s Day. This past February, he released the album “Who Do You Love.” This coming Valentine’s Day, he’ll follow his previous music with the album “Who Do You Love More.”
When not recording or performing, Chill researches the hip hop industry, reading articles on “war strategies” to improve his branding and connects with his fans through social media.
Like other hip hop artists, Chill is no stranger to screaming fans, who often tremble when taking a picture with him. His fan stories run the gambit from crying fan girls to one who bit his arm when he performed at the Roots picnic last year.
“People like to feel like they’re part of something,” Chill said. “I’m just as excited as them.”
On the Nov. 24, he will host a concert he organized with multiple female hip hop artists called “Girls Like Nice Things,” where he might appear as a surprise performer. In the future, Chill hopes to expand his influence beyond Philadelphia, into markets like New York and Los Angeles.
Related: Penn Hip-Hop Initiative ‘spits’ on Locust
Regardless of wherever he goes, Chill, who grew up on 56th Street and Landsdowne Avenue, still prioritizes family.
“[I] still don’t know if this is going to work out, I could lose my voice tonight and be done,” he said. “But if [my career] ended tomorrow, my goal was accomplished — my family’s proud.”
Even with his success, Chill plans to continue writing and rapping his way to the top, following his mantra, “to them never saying I never made it.”
“I don’t want to be that story of the guy that never made it,” he said. “So my life is dedicated to them never saying that I never made it.”
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.