bio

“My music, photography and all other artistic pursuits have always been grounded around themes of loving Black people and revolution” says Philadelphia's Pili X. X is a Modern Day Renaissance Man with his heart rooted in producing actual change for the Black families of tomorrow. His work can be seen all over the universe, whether through his exhibits for photography, the production for artists of many different flavors and genres or through his community work, Pili X’s passion can be felt in anything he touches. As X has continued to work during the pandemic as we head deeper into 2023, he has numerous projects getting set to release. Now’s the time to press play and read up on one of the most important revolutionaries of our time. 

Before we even get started, Pili X is his real name, not a moniker, “my Dad loved the work of Malcom X and decided to name me after him,” X explains. Whether we’re talking about the artistic aspect or the community aspect of Pili X’s life, it all goes back to his childhood and his bloodline. “My dad and uncles were revolutionaries and seeing them active around different issues growing up influenced my worldview and ultimately my path,” Pili X says. On the flip side of this, X had been involved with music the entire time, singing at church, being a part of the music magnet program in High School as a vocalist and was a member of the Overbrook high school concert choir. When one combines the work his family has done, the amount of time he’s put into music and mix this with his introduction to hip-hop via Dead Prez’s “Let’s Get Free”, we can see exactly how Pili X became the Renaissance Man we see today. 

Everything Pili X does is rooted in trying to see his people do well, this is exuded in his community work and photography. This includes the legendary work Pili X has done in cofounding the Philly Peace Park. Philadelphia is one among one of the poorest cities in the country and X looked to change that narrative. The Philadelphia Peace Park looked to have an influence on the over 50,000 lots in the area, cleaning them up and showing the positive opportunity the land presented. This meant taking that land and transforming it to bring urban gardens, marketplaces for small Black businesses to buy, sell and trade; they're even in the process of building and starting independent Black institutions like schools. “The motivation behind the Philly Peace Park” was that age old saying “Be the change you want to see,” X says. At any given time Pili X is doing his best to serve a need for the community, through a myriad of means and he’s still just getting started. 

The one stone left unturned in all of this is the impact Pili X has behind the lens of his camera. Over the course of the last five years, X has created numerous exhibits with his photography telling the story of the people of Philadelphia while simultaneously calling attention to the issues plaguing the city and the world. Even in the midst of the pandemic Pili X presented work at a few exhibits including “I Am A Revolutionary” Exhibit that was a collaboration in St. Louis and meant to celebrate all the Black Freedom Fighters throughout history. “Ecotactical: Earth Day at 50”  ran from September 2020 to January of 2021 and was another collaborative exhibit, this time featuring a collection of photos taken to celebrate the 50th Earth Day. Even now, Pili X is working on a solo exhibit called ‘Land of the Blacks”’ as well as bringing back “Photographers of Philly ", meant to be a group exhibit and interactive weekend for creatives. It cannot be denied that Pili X is one of the most prolific creatives we’ve ever seen and the world is starting to take notice. Between coverage in Vice TV, Fox 29, The Philadelphia Inquirer and more, Pili X has solidified himself as a leader. Generosity named him one of the leaders of Philadelphia with his unique approach to creativity and activism. 

The last couple years has seen Pili X stepping into yet another realm of creativity and that’s production. If you look back X has always been involved in music at one level or another even as an emcee, but now he’s bringing sounds to his audience. 2022 saw X dropping 11 instrumentals for fans to absorb and enjoy. He’s not done yet either as he has some collaborations still in the works as well. As we approach the midpoint of 2023, Pili X is getting back on the microphone for a proper reintroduction. Take your pick, whether it’s rapping, production, community work, photography and more, Pili X puts his fellow man first and that is a rarity in 2023.