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Hometown: Jersey City, NJ
Label: E.E.E./SouthFresh Records LLC/SpaceLAB Recordings, Effin' Elements Entertainment/ Southfresh Records, Spacelab Recordings
Management: Misha Zamora
Website: www.ciphurphace.com
Sounds Like: Eminem, Chino XL, Redman, Brother Ali, Talib Kweli
Genre: Hip Hop
Imagine Confucius and Shakespeare in the recording booth reciting ill 16's after consuming four Red Bulls.
Ciphurphace is a New Jersey based, Arizona raised artist who originally hails from the city of Tucson. To truly comprehend his style and put this into a "Hip-Hop" perspective, visualize the old school braggadocio of Big Daddy Kane, the witty punchlines of Lord Finesse and the infectious enthusiasm of Redman. Add a touch of Kool Keith's ludicrous creativity with Chino XL's fierce delivery and you have a bona fide MC named Ciphurphace aka "The Asian Pierce Brosnan With A Beard Problem."
Ciphurphace represents the 13th & 3rd letter element with the devotion of a respected Hip-Hop pioneer and the hunger of an underground rhyme warlord. The Phaced God is living proof that true emcees still exist in this lifetime. He labels himself as a W.R.I.T.E.R. (Working Realist Illustrating The Everyday Rituals). "If my music had to be classified, it would fall in a category called 100% pure hip-hop laced with Raw Energy And Life," Ciphurphace says with heartfelt conviction.
"Ciphurphace - you better ask a friend - I get stupid fly like a retarded cactus wren."
• "Reflections" single charted all the way up to #3 on the Rap Attack and Rap Network Top 40 College Radio Chart - August 2016
• "I'll Always Love H.E.R." single charted all the way up to #2 on the Rap Attack and #3 on the Rap Network Top 40 College Radio Chart - April 2016
• "Elbow Space" single charted all the way up to #3 on the Rap Attack and Rap Network Top 40 College Radio Chart - September 2015
• Founding member of RedDirt Specimenz who won a Tammies (Tucson Area Music) Award in 2001 for best hip-hop group
• Two time back to back "Mic Fights" battle champion in Tucson
• Shared stages with Cypress Hill, Too Short, DJ Quik, Pharcyde, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, Fat Joe, Immortal Technique, R.A. The Rugged Man, Ras Kass, C-Rayz Walz, Clipse and Little Brother
• Represented at the Good Life Café in Cali, Nuyorican Poets Café and End Of The Weak in NYC, Jack The Rapper and How Can I Be Down (Music Conventions) in Atlanta, GA and South Beach, FL
• Rocked collabo records with L.E.G.A.C.Y. of Justus League, Copywrite, Main Flow, Chino XL, Mega Ran, Moka Only and Acid Reign
• “Pour” record off his debut album “An Honest Day’s Work” was selected to be featured on the Adidas website
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Alter Egos: Phaced God, Murk City, Douglas GoodBeard, Rabbi Cacti, Ciph Dawg, Phace Manchu, R.A.W.thentik, John Diss
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Affiliation: E.E.E./SouthFresh Records, SpaceLAB Recordings, Moonshine Burrito, Effin Sumbodies, Gladiator Pen, Voodoo Docterz
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Phaceography
Albums:
2016 - Ciphurphace - In Phaced God We Trust - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records/SpaceLAB Recordings
2015 - DJ Grapla & Ciphurphace Present The "Bish Prees" Mixtape - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2014 - Ciphurphace - The Best Of Ciphurphace - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2014 - Ciphurphace - Sick Leave (EP) - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2013 - Moonshine Burrito - South By Southwest - SpaceLAB Recordings
2012 - Ciphurphace - Phacial Features 2 - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2011 - Ciphurphace - Apply Within - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2011 - Ciphurphace as Murk City - Murky Waters: The Endless Pursuit - SpaceLAB Recordings
2010 - Ciphurphace Presents Phacial Features - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2010 - The Effin' Sumbodies - Straight Outta Tucson - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2009 - DefCiphur - So Def It's Fresh So Fresh It's Hype - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2008 - The Effin' Sumbodies - Cactus Stew - E.E.E.
2007 - Ciphurphace - SOUTH 'NotTheDirtySouthEastCoastNotTheWestCoast' WEST - E.E.E.
2007 - Ciphurphace & Scorpioflo present Time & A Half: The Overtime EP - E.E.E.
2006/2005 - An Honest Day's Work - Flux Jargon Music
2004 - Antique Skies - Flux Jargon Music
2000/1999 - RedDirt Specimenz - The Monsoon Cometh: Season Of REDemption - EyeSoulated Legendz Ent.
Compilations/Mixtapes/Guest Pheatures:
2017 - Taboo - Big Things Have Small Beginnings Pt 2: Family Tree
2016 - Per C. Wells - PerCeption
2015 - ArcSteady presents Family Tree Mixtape Vol. 1 - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2013 - Habeas Corpus - Breath Of Fresh Air
2012 - CrayonBeats Presents: Vol. 5 - The Monsters Are Due On CrayonBeats - CrayonBeats.com
2012 - John Henry Vs. Seth Mul - For The Crown - Mangonel Music
2012 - Talk-Sik - Inner-War-Kings - Kamerata Records
2012 - The Natives Are Restless - Like A Dream E.P.
2012 - SpaceLAB Recordings Presents Space Camp - SpaceLAB Recordings
2010 - DJ Grapla Presents The James Ciphurphace Mixtape - E.E.E./SouthFresh Records
2008 - Arkatek - Book Cover Judging - Espionage Records
2008 - Change - Hate To Love You Legacy Vol. 1 - Modern Organic Music
2008 - Jake Palumbo - District Selectman - Space Lab Recordings
2007 - Bombatomik presents Nuclear Holocaust (collabos w/ Chino XL - MainFlow - Copywrite)
2007 - Lendo Duggan presents Bubblegum Populace 3
2007 - JBL presents Alien Warfare Mixtape Vol. I - hosted by Vinnie Paz of JMT
2007 - 007 Musik presents The Breakin' Word Mixtape Vol. II
2007 - S Class & Steve Willz presents The Enclosed Documents Mixtape Vol. I
2006 - Random - The Call: The Re-Mixtape
2006 - Easta Cali Crew presents Car Tunes
2006 - 007 Musik presents The Breakin' Word Mixtape Vol. I
2006 - DJ Grapla Mixtape - 99 Problems But A Mix Ain't One
2006 - Pen Pointz presents Midgets Among Giants
2006 - DJ Balance presents Official Bootleg Vol. II
2005 - Jump Mobile presents Hometown Heroes (Tucson) - Rebel Organization/Native Son Media
2003 - Louis Mercury presents The Mercury Project Vol. I - Chicken Salad Recordings
2003 - Blaze City Mixtape - Durty Worldz Productions
2002 - The Alpha Project - Vol. 1 - Shaman Work Recordings
1998 - The Union 'Uncharted Grounds' Compilation - Mad Lad/Reek Of Indo Productions - R.O.I. Records Inc.
"Roads Are Rough (Holdin' Up)", is featured on South By Southwest, the new ten-track album from SpaceLAB Recordings label mates Jake Palumbo and Ciphurphace. Together these longtime pals combine to form Moonshine Burrito and, as the name probably suggests, the music made by this dynamic duo is all about unholy unions and unlikely combinations.
St. Paco - Kung Fu Grip! Zine
“James Ciphurphace is a hard-working hip-hop wordsmith whose rhymes often reflect back on that time when rap music was much less commercial, and rap artists seemed to place more emphasis on the 'art' portion of the title. Ciphurphace himself embodies this period on "How to MC," a heavenly Koncept Jones-produced track on the Arizona mic controller's ambitious sophomore album, Apply Within. Riding deep in the groove – seemingly in the spirit of Wu-Tang's GZA drivin' a topless Bentley down the autobahn – the "swAZian" microphone fiend from Tucson waxes metaphoric on the challenges of staying true to the art of meaningful rap music. For a no commitment test drive of Ciph's newly-released Apply Within, download "How to MC" and "Maker" for free-ninety-nine by clicking on the links below. – SP”
St. Paco - Alive Not Dead
“Ciphurphace calls out every aspect of hip-hop that he is disgusted by with an unrelenting conviction. He leaves no stone unturned with lyrics like /your live show that ain’t nothin’ amazin’ to see/man, you paid the promoter to be on stage to MC/let me break this down to make sure y’all brains grabbin’ it/the new age promoter this is how they handle it/get 10 opening acts that pay to play, advantage is/ tickets get sold, headliners paid, no cancellin’ a show/3 hours of garbage the real fans ain’t havin’ it/someone needs to make a call to Waste Management/ The video’s backdrop is a brilliant methaphor exemplifying Ciphurphace’s existence within the hip-hop scene; a solid mc holding his own amidst a deserted wasteland of wack rappers.”
Grimey Launderings - Grimey Republik
"Tucson's own James Ciphurphace with DJ Grapla put on one of the most intense sets I've ever seen by an AZ act when I saw them live."
Random aka MegaRan - ArizonaBeats.com
"From the scorching desert confines of Tucson, Arizona comes a true beast of an emcee, the one they call, Ciphurphace. Sounding a bit like legendary mic-holders, Eminem and Chino XL, you know right away that Ciphur is not to be messed with on the mic! Peep his heartfelt jam, "The City Speaks," a true gem." - Myxer.com
www.myxer.com
“James Ciphurphace is a Tucson, AZ MC who is sick wit' it. He puts his all into every verse. He was the first MC I had heard in Arizona, and still manages to impress me. We worked together a while back on my "City Boy" remix, but I hadn't done a joint with him where we were just spittin'.”
Random aka MegaRan - http://www.capcom-unity.com
“James Ciphurphace is a solid first representative for Arizona's up-and-coming hip-hop scene.”
Jordan Davidoff - OkayPlayer.com
“Baptized in the trial-by-fire traditions that produced razor sharp wordsmiths like Kool G. Rap, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, Canibus, Chino XL, Eminem and others, this Asian microphone fiend forged a formidable reputation rocking MC battles and rhyme ciphers across the Southwest "Terror-zona" desert.”
St. Paco - Kung Fu Grip! Zine
“An Honest Day's Work is a damned respectable offering to the underground from an emcee who clearly knows what he is doing.”
Sun Zoo - RealRapReviews.com
“you can tell this cat lives hip hop.”
Final Draft - TucsonHipHopScene.com
“It’s hard to think of Tucson hip-hop music and not think of James Ciphurphace.”
Nate OG - AZNightBuzz.com
“James Ciphurphace can make exceptional songs, and can also rip your stomach from your gut and feed it to you while begging for a response in a battle.”
Analog - ArizonaBeats.com
“James' music is like Einstein and Confucius combined into one with a dope beat in the background. Basically, his lyrics are the work of a genius and make you think.”
Lee Wink - avid Hip-Hop fan
“pure, street, raw, authentic...lets all put our hands together and welcome hip-hop back.”
RenDig - Hip-Hop practitioner
“A mix between Wu-tang Clan and Jurassic Five...beautiful, classic, a breath of fresh air.”
Alexis aka DeadArm - music lover
