When I became dissatisfied with my publicists, I became my own. When I got tired of waiting on graphic artists, I learned to design. I say this today to say that in today’s independent artist landscape, the hustle and willingness to adapt and wear multiple hats is paramount.
Consequently, I’m always looking to converse with like-minded artists who opt for execution over excuses. Glendale, Arizona native Bag Of Tricks Cat is one such artist. He’s toured extensively while charting on Billboard, alchemizing controversy into a statement of undeniability. He dons the artist, producer, and engineering cap interchangeably and sometimes simultaneously. The convergence of the aforementioned makes Bag of Tricks Cat an artist to watch intently.
Felix (as he is often called) has a deeply rooted history in music, traced back to his Grandmother serving as the songstress for the famed “Felix The Cat” theme song, also singing for the “Hooked On Phonics” program. With music embedded in his DNA, Felix quickly sought it as an outlet to counter school bullying he was subjected to as a youth.
Upon graduating high school, Felix dove into audio production immediately and parlayed his burgeoning skillset into studio ownership and continued elevation as an artist. Bag Of Tricks Cat has worked with a who’s who of dopeness, from D12 to Twista to Smoke DZA and many more. He’s collaborated extensively with Arizona scene legend Mega Ran (editor’s note: Mega is as solid as they come, shoutout to him) and has some serious new work on the way.
Felix continued “I put out a song called “Howie Bling,” which is about the main character in one of my favorite films of recent years, Uncut Gems, who has terrible luck. Shortly after, I released “Stay Safe” with my homegirl Whitney Peyton and that record reflects on the bad luck we’ve had as a community, a country, and the whole world with the current events.
The EP will explore more of that concept and reveal more of my personal experiences this past year. I think it’s something that a lot of people will be able to relate to, and I’m excited to finally have some new music for my fans and supporters who have been so patient these past 18 months.”
This resilience and unflappability leading to personal and powerful music can be seen as a testament to why I am such a fan of Bag Of Tricks Cat. A lot of independent artists, particularly rappers, feel something is owed to them, simply by way of being a decent artist. Due to ease of accessibility and publishing, hallmarks of today’s era, many of them know little of the immense sacrifice it takes to thrive in the face of challenges with consistency. Hats off to the homie for refusing to make any excuses and for using his outlet as therapy while showing and proving along the way.
If you’re an independent artist reading this, I would encourage you to continue to explore Bag Of Tricks Cat, both his story and his catalog. Utilize that as fuel for your own journey and as a reminder to keep pushing. Align yourself with the right people, move strategically, and create multiple revenue streams for yourself. Hip Hop will always be a young man’s sport in some respects, but it will also remain a grown man’s game in others. Support Bag Of Tricks Cat at the links below:
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