If You Try

If You Try

Thursday, December 25, 2014

New Music Video: Sharp Skills - If You Try ft. Gwendolyn Phillips




Today, Sharp Skills, a talented independent emcee hailing from Southern California has released a new music video for his single “If YouTry” featuring Gwendolyn Phillips (his mother). The song encourages men to dream and love again no matter what they face in life. The emotional chorus is sung by Sharp Skills’ mother who is a gifted Jazz and Gospel singer in her own right. Sharp Skills speaks on the significance of the video to him: “I wanted to write something that conveyed the pain that I’ve experienced while pursuing my dream of doing music, but also give hope too. When I wrote the song, I had a vision of my mom singing to me while I was real young not able to fully understand what she was saying. But it was my mom just pretty much telling me that I could be whatever I put my mind to at an early age you know. That was the premise of the whole video.”

The child (young Sharp Skills) in the video is played by his son, Philip Jr. “The song is super significant to me because I got to have both my mom and my son in the video. So it’s sort of multi-generational. I feel like this is something we’ll always have as a family.”

The Moon Buggee Productions video has a retro theme with fashion from the 1940’s and was shot in a rural California city. Musician extraordinaire, Laura D, makes a special cameo appearance throughout the video playing the drums while Sharp Skills raps.
To watch If You Try, click on the link below:


About Sharp Skills:
Sharp Skills is an independent emcee whose music has been featured in the official film trailer for Takers, Slow Burn, hit television shows; Bones, America’s Next Top Model, and Nikita. He has featured Strange Music’s very own “Murs” on his song “Something to Say”. In 2011 he won Cal State Long Beach’s “Battle of the Beats” competition. He has won several competitions and awards including the Inside the Music (ITM) award for Best Male Emcee in 2007. Most importantly, he knows how to rock a crowd. His charisma, energy, stage presence, and high quality music makes him a favorite at various clubs, music festivals, and college campuses around the USA. Sharp Skills is also the owner/founder of the Rebel Firm, a multifaceted creative company which now consists of a music and book division.

If You Try ft. Gwendolyn Phillips is out now on iTunes:

Website/Social Media links:

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Sharp Skills Dropping New Visual Christmas Day





I wrote the song "If You Try" over three years ago. I wrote it to encourage men who have a dream and feel the pressure to quit on it (or themselves) due to the pressure that life puts on us. If you have a dream in your heart, never give up on it no matter what life throws your way. Your dream or your vision is what keeps you going. It is oxygen to the human soul. I know how hard it is to grind and see minimal results. But all hard work brings a profit. That's in the Bible. So continue to work, trust God, and believe in what He has placed in your heart.
 The song features my mom, Gwendolyn Phillips, who brings that soulful gospel feel to the chorus. What's more, this song is probably my favorite on Anno Rebelio because it also encourages me every time I hear it. If you like the art work, I am printing up some limited addition posters (which I will autograph) and send to 20 people. If you hashtag #IfYouTry and you post yourself doing something inspirational on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you will be entered in the pool for a chance to win the poster. Be sure to tag me so I know you did it.

Here are my pages so you can do that: