Rap Is A Martial Art, born as Philippe Prosper, is the definition of a true artist who’s on a journey to build a legacy that will be remembered forever. The biggest challenge posed to artists is thinking out of the box and paving their own way. Rap Is A Martial Art is finding success doing that through music and martial arts. Prosper characterizes these two forms of art as “tools of expression,” both defining him as a person and personality in the entertainment industry. While each artist has their own aspirations and goals to accomplish, Prosper’s intentions are clear — he wants to make art to spiritually connect with people.
Being raised in Haiti with a family of military generals, words and war is instilled in his DNA. Although, the artist Rap Is A Martial Art seen today is the result of years of training and preparation. During most of his formative years, he spent 5 to 7 hours a day training in Shaolin Hung Fut Kung Fu, winning an International Kung Fu Grand championship, and becoming one of a handful of disciples of famous Shaolin Kung Grandmaster Yim and mastering his crafts.
In martial arts, all parts of your body are trained to be used as weapons. In a similar manner, to Prosper, the tongue can be the ultimate weapon. When asked about the parallels between martial arts and rap, Prosper said, “My words are my sword and words can start revolutions. Rap and martial arts are similar in so many ways – but to me, they are one.”
Rap Is A Martial Art has gone further than just martial arts and hip hop. He has taken another step creating a luxury clothing brand called Martial Luxury. Martial Luxury is fashion for fighters built around the slogan “Dressed to Kill.”
In his latest release, Rap Is A Martial Art shows off his lyrical arsenal in a high-action visual titled “Ugly Duckling.” The video is clear proof that artists aren’t limited to one stylistic approach and Philippe is breaking every barrier ahead of him. Literally and figuratively.
