In June 2019, beatmaker Phil Agudelo—better known as Phil A—teamed with fellow Vegas rapper Omino Jakku to release an LP, Maryland Hark Way, under the name Slump Lords. Just one year later, Agudelo found himself in a far less celebratory situation.
“Sometime toward the end of June, I had a totally unexpected heart attack in my sleep, and my girlfriend saved my life,” Agudelo, 35, says. After she performed CPR and called an ambulance, Agudelo spent days unconscious in the hospital before having a heart stent implanted.
“That whole time is kind of a blur for me,” Agudelo, now fully recovered, says. “I didn’t realize that I wasn’t really living a healthy lifestyle, but that changed my whole outlook. I’m just happy to be alive.”
Agudelo has been a champion of the Vegas hip-hop scene for more than a decade, first in defunct trio Mob Zombie and now with Rap Is Fun, a platform that promotes local artists, albums and more.
Next on Agudelo’s plate: a collaboration with longtime friend Rasson Arigato. The two MCs shared the mic in Mob Zombie, and Arigato has been featured on previous Slump Lord tracks. Agudelo says he finished the beats for Arigato’s upcoming project prior to his heart attack, and now he’s gearing up to give that record a proper push in November.
Agudelo is also at work on an album with longtime friends and collaborator Hassan Hamilton. January will mark the 10th anniversary of that duo’s album, Rap Songs. “Me and Hassan have been hanging out over the past few weeks, so we’re just getting the vibe right again,” Agudelo says, with an eye toward new songs by early 2021.
Recently, Agudelo also produced an upcoming album for LA-based MC LMNO. And since his recovery, Phil A has put out two beat tapes of his own, This Week. Vol Won and This Week. One-Two, with a third planned to hit Bandcamp on October 2, when that website will waive fees for all purchases.
“I’m going to be putting out beat tapes at a more rapid pace,” Agudelo says cheerfully. “I make beats every day, and it’s been a really great thing for me. I just want to release stuff at a faster rate and not hold anything back.”
