BIOGRAPHY
PhD Myth, born Mohammad Keshta, spent parts of his childhood in Texas, New York, Dubai, and California. He began his passion for music during lunch break in a Lower Manhattan high school in between classes his freshman year. He witnessed many students creating beats banging on tables while freestyle rapping. However, it wasn’t until his junior year at a Texas high school that this passion became a career move. At this time, he was hanging out at the local professional recording studio and eventually witnessed Scarface come out of a session and heard Jay-Z’s vocals in the background. The song was so flawless and magnetic that it ignited his desire to embark on a music career.
Ronnie Spencer had pushed PhD Myth on course and promoted his growth with street culture. Later, throughout his senior year in high school, he took his passion for music, paired it with his business mindset, and released five hundred copies of a practice demo to students and school staff. His out-of-the-box thinking led to a front-page cover of the local newspaper and the eyes of a Houston Channel 2 News reporter. After hearing the demo, the reporter interviewed him and included a live freestyle on the evening news to two million viewers. The following events included industry collaborations with New Edition’s record producer and Compton native Ricky Timas, Texas rap stars Scarface, Trae Tha Truth, and Lil Flip. Additional collaborators include Erik James Horvat-Marković, aka Mystery, and others.
PhD Myth’s latest album additionally features productions from many producers. Highlighted collaborations include Israeli producer Daniel Gilad, Berklee summa cum laude Samuel Seibert, Hawaii’s radio personality DJ Jrama, and Way Deep, who is heavily involved in influencing the hip-hop movement to the mainstream audience in Ghana. PhD Myth has also paired with some of the most talented audio engineers. Including Matt Pakucko, John Vierra, Gilad, Studio 713 Media Group, Philip Rohr, Seibert, Paramount Recording Studio’s Richard Segal Huredia, Bernie Grundman, and more to ensure the composition and quality hit your ears and leave a lasting impression.
PhD Myth’s music infuses tuneful emotional choruses with a Rubik’s Cube rap style, inspiring his creative impressionable hip-hop, pop, and rock fusion beats. His sound also honors musical influences such as Ice Cube, Nas, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, 2PAC, Biggie Smalls, Scarface, Trae Tha Truth, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Evanescence, Britney Spears, and many uncounted doyens. Ice Cube’s “Today Was A Good Day” was the first hip-hop record he heard, and Eminem’s “Till I Collapse” inspired him to rap. After a trip through Georgia, 2PAC’s “California Love” took him to the West Coast, fueled his love for hip-hop, and offered an escape for PhD Myth when reality gave him nothing but hard-knock lessons.
He finds his most potential in creating music by connecting with the beat’s aura. PhD Myth combines the power of sound with a nostalgic reflection, which connects with his stored memories and their vibrational voicing. Additionally, he enjoys the art of pairing rhythm, compelling lyrics, and attitude to heighten the song’s message, followed by receiving feedback from listeners.
Like his music, his name has a story and meaning behind it. The artist’s name, “PhD Myth,” originated when the term “PhD” came about. He started feeling and thinking about music from a sonic ecosystem science point of view that stemmed from an academic standpoint. Regarding the term “Myth,” he had asked a Houston producer to work with him, but the producer rejected him. Then, the rejection came with added doubters, so he went to the belief system that it would be a supernatural social phenomenon if he had made the “myth” come true. Using the pessimistic vibes from non-believers as fuel, PhD Myth states, “I wanted to make a myth come true and make it. So, I refused to let anyone or anything keep me down.” His music connects with the audience because he shares outlooks relatable to all situations ongoing in Earth’s societies, contributing to his more extensive fan base. He goes by PhD Myth to add to his identity. The title adds mystery and addresses his encouragement in rappers’ and all artists’ development stages.
PhD Myth’s music is most thought of as enchanting and connected deeply to the essence of his DNA, allowing him to create and inspire many proteges. His unique perspective, shaped by his rich cultural diversity, sets him apart from other artists. Born in America and of Middle Eastern ethnicity, he is well-versed in the mentalities of both cultures. This dual blend has allowed him to use music to share his insights with his audience. PhD Myth states, “Ripening in travels, leading to maturity, has nurtured the signature music style that only I have. My music tells stories of fantasy, real life, and personal reflections.”
These personal reflections dive into PhD Myth’s complex past, which plays an intricate part in his music and message—drawing from his life entirely of socially awkward individuals, frustrations, and mental and precedent non-sexual physical abuse. Perceptibly, all those obstacles played significant roles in his artistry and shaped his frames of reference. The lack of positivity portrayed was a turning point in pushing him to do his music. Outside communication got poorer, and music became disregarded as his primary career track. Venting into creating music as his outlet while coming of age, PhD Myth bought headphones and would sneak out to friends so he could practice rapping to beats using his Boss Digital Recorder.
Growing up in a mixed African American, Middle Eastern, and Latino community on Hillcroft Street in Houston, Texas, the reality of the harsh streets introduced him to a world of illegal activities that ruled within his city. As a teenager, he grew up in adverse environments. Eventually, hostile city influences impacted him. Nonetheless, he paid off his lawyers with the support of selling a property. His attorneys dismissed the felony charge the Texas Lotto Commission brought against him before reaching court, allowing eighteen-year-old PhD Myth a chance to avoid twenty-five years in federal prison. With a blank canvas and a fresh start, PhD Myth moved to Los Angeles, where he briefly worked on music production for a hit VH1 reality show, “The Pick-Up Artist,” but the television program moved on from that show.
Currently, he is blending his roots with his passion and embarking on a personal journey different from the social norms of some Middle Eastern countries. Despite that, pursuing an authentic life has strained his relationships with those of his beginnings and background. Disciplined and dedicated, PhD Myth has kept this away from intertwining in his career and paving a new way for his entertainment projects. At the same time, he continues to stay true to himself and create a peculiar path that will diversify typical Middle Eastern culture but is genuine to his American upbringing, music, and lifestyle.
In addition to music, PhD Myth obtained an education from Harvard University. He also received an Emergency Medical Technician Certificate from EMT Education and Training school in Hawthorne, Califonia. Additionally, he finished a Paramedic Preparation Course at the University of California, Los Angeles. His work as a medical technician allowed him to assist in 911 calls where he witnessed a patient die due to overwhelmed care performed by doctors. This encounter further drove him to his first passion: the musical platform, staying true to his origin. As a result, PhD Myth owns his craft as he pushes for new heights while working on releasing his first album.