Big Piph returns with ‘Far From Finished 2’
Rapper Big Piph wasn’t playing around when he called his 2021 EP “Far From Finished.” The title was used for his 2023 web series and in December he dropped “Far From Finished 2,” a EP of six bangers that is also a sort of companion piece to the web series.
Produced by longtime Piph collaborator Ferocious, the project opens with “Takeoff,” which was released as a single in late 2022 and features vocalists Dee Dee Jones and Bijoux, guitarist Lucas Murray, bassist Corey Harris and a smooth trumpet solo by Jose Holloway. The song is an apt introduction to Piph’s style — a confident, effortless flow with thoughtful, philosophical, positive-vibe lyrics.
“Takeoff is going with the ‘Far From Finished’ theme,” says Piph, who grew up in Pine Bluff and now splits time between Little Rock, Atlanta and Northwest Arkansas. “For me, it’s like you’re at a cool point, but you can go higher. It also mirrors the series and the character Piph.”
“Mindstate of ‘08,” a standout track that hints at nostalgia is unlike anything the rapper has done in the past. The song is delivered several parts — the ominous, club-slamming beginning is followed by audio of an old Piph interview and then a bridge that features him singing before the song slinks into a more atmospheric groove with Piph rapping to an old friend who has passed, remembering their time together.
“That song was a long process,” he says. “I don’t think there is too much in my catalog like it. At the end of the day I liked it, but I had no idea how it would resonate with other people. But I’ve had a lot of good feedback about it.”
Piph’s relentless positivity shows up on “Mo L’s” and “Be Great.” The former is the rapper flipping the script and celebrating “losses” as positive learning experiences but somehow manages to not come across as hokey.
“Ferocious and I approached it like, what’s the most pompous song we can make about losing,” he says with a laugh. “A loss doesn’t have to be melodramatic. It can also be, like, I wonder what I gained and what am I going to do next?”
“Be Great,” with its almost poppy hook, is an amusing look back at romantic relationships and the lessons learned in their aftermath. It’s also nonfiction, Piph says, and deals in part with a long-distance relationship that ended during the pandemic.
“I like the juxtaposition in songs where you have something that was rough and painful, but at the same time we’re trying to be great and give a good effort. Even if it doesn’t work out, I still want to be great and I want you to be great, too, even if it’s not with me.”
That sunny outlook is something that pervades the EP.
“Life is always going to do life things,” says Piph. “People pass away, relationships don’t work out, or they do work out. It’s all life, and for me the choice is to keep going. It’s all the life experience and part of my growth is to accept it all.”
“Far From Finished 2” is streaming on all major platforms. Check out bigpiph. com for more on his music and web series.