About The Pharoah
What up y’all!?
It’s ya boy, !
I’m an artist & veteran. A mestizo Hip-Hoppa and scribe from Colorado. Known for my fierce yet strangely beautiful style of linework, novel and mystical characters, and intricate lettering.
These days I specialize in digital and traditional illustration, drawings, sketching, character design, creative ideation, lettering, and murals.
I’m a Hip Hoppa with mad love for rap music and graffiti.
But, I’m much more than just that. I’ve created art in a huge variety of mediums, all over the U.S. and the world, for a diverse range of folks from circles to squares; from street cats to Navy officers, and every last one of them has been elevated by my dope creations.
Creations so dope, some fools have even taken to calling the DEA!
I’ve got my irons in many fires, and I’ve created everything from music to the visual arts.
It is my honor and pleasure to serve as a lens for people to bring both my vision and yours to life.
My specialty is creating fantastic, stylish, profound spiritual artwork with an attitude and a modern Hip-Hop twist. My aim is to create work that is ruggedly beautiful, inspiring, and transformative.
Want to see my work? Check out my Portfolio right here:
The Short Story
What up y’all!?
It’s ya boy
I’m an artist & veteran. A mestizo Hip-Hoppa and scribe from Colorado. Known for my fierce yet strangely beautiful style of linework, novel and mystical characters, and intricate lettering.
These days I specialize in digital and traditional illustration, drawings, sketching, character design, creative ideation, lettering, and murals.
I’m a Hip Hoppa with mad love for rap music and graffiti.
But, I’m much more than just that. I’ve created art in a huge variety of mediums, all over the U.S. and the world, for a diverse range of folks from circles to squares; from street cats to Navy officers, and every last one of them has been elevated by my dope creations.
Creations so dope, some haters have even taken to calling the DEA! But, Pharocious Art stops for no one.
I’ve got my irons in many fires, and I’ve created everything from music to the visual arts.
It is my honor and pleasure to serve as a lens for people to bring both my vision and yours to life.
My specialty is creating fantastic, stylish, profound spiritual artwork with an attitude and a modern Hip-Hop twist. My aim is to create work that is ruggedly beautiful, inspiring, and transformative.
Want to see my work? Check out my Portfolio right here:
Oooo so majestic!
My Music
In Xochitl, In Cuicatl
I’m not just a visual artist. I also write and perform rap music. I also can sing pretty well. I did my first public performance at the age of 6 where I sang Amazing Grace to a live audience of over 100 people.
I wrote my first rhyme at the age of 10, submitted it to a contest in School, and won! My poem Flying Ruby was a hit and was published in 2004.
I wrote my first rap at age 11. Admittedly, it was a lil too aggressive. But I carried on anyway in private. I started writing heavily in 2015 and started performing at ciphers and house parties in San Diego.
In 2017, I moved to Virginia, for the U.S. Navy, and started regular performances at open mics. I recorded my first song in 2018. You can check it out here:
In 2019, at my college RMCAD in Colorado, I created the Hip-Hop Club Daystar. It didn’t last as long as I’d hoped, but I managed to create 5 songs in that time period, 4 of which are professional grade. I wrapped it all up and released it as an EP in 2021. You can peep that here:
I still am rocking the mic these days! You can check me out on my SoundCloud here:
My Best Song:
My Latest Song:
I’ve done a few interviews by the way… Check ‘em out here:
Canvas Rebel, Online Article (2023):
We Are All One Story, Video Interview (2022):
ShoutOut Colorado!, Online Article (2022):
The Long Story
Born in the ’90s in Colorado, in the United States of America. I’ve been a creator since the age of 2 and have been drawing on everything I could ever since. I started with crayons on the wall, to my parent’s chagrin, and graduated to creating my own characters and painting on the walls. Much to my surprise, the police were eager to inform me that painting on walls without permission was in fact illegal.
My family was pretty poor growing up so I moved around a lot. 21 times in my 12 years of schooling. I grew up all over the United States and have been coast to coast but mainly grew up in Colorado, California, and Arizona. My passion for art really grew when I was 8 in California and was too poor to afford my own Pokemon cards so I drew my own.
I got a passion for graffiti at the age of 10 and regularly drew my name, other people’s names, and characters all over everything. I got my first sketchbook from my brother’s homeroom teacher after a series of complaints were lodged against me and my natural inclination to decorate everything.
My peers, on the other hand, absolutely loved my work and would constantly encourage me. I quickly made a name for myself wherever I went. At the age of 13, I created my own tagging crew in Yuma, Arizona called BTC or “Bomb The City” with 2 of my fellow artists from High School, Dvour and Scribe. We had many a great adventure together until I moved back to Colorado at the age of 15.
I had to deal with constant racism and classism for being a poor mestizo who resonated with Hip-Hop. I was routinely harassed by security guards, neighborhood watch, stuffy teachers, and violent police officers. All of whom were under the mistaken impression I was some sort of gangster.
After getting falsely accused of plagiarism for citing my sources by a particularly stupid Geography teacher and the complete lack of understanding and recourse that followed I ended up dropping out of High School shortly after I turned 16. After I was informed by the state that I’d be imprisoned for truancy until I was 17 if I didn’t go back to school, I quickly enrolled in an alternative High School called Colorado’s Finest. With Colorado’s Finest genuinely helpful attitude and flexible schedule and homework system I went from a Junior with Freshman credits, to graduating early at the age of 17.
Right before I went back to school I decided to join the Navy after reading The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. I enlisted right after I graduated in March 2011. But, I didn’t ship out to boot camp until November 2011. I served 8 years in the Navy, still creating art in my spare time, and was honorably discharged in 2019.
Being a mostly self-taught artist, I realized I lacked any real formal training in art. I also realized that I was pretty tired from my time in the Navy and didn’t really want to rush back into the workforce. So in 2019 at the age of 25, I used my GI Bill to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design for a Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration with a focus on Concept Art. That’s where you’ll find me these days. Right now, I’m really close to graduating, I got about 2 months left and should be outtie come April 2023. I can’t wait, when I finish up around here, I’m get a lil R&R and then open up the floodgates. Just you wait and see!
My Time In The Navy
I joined the Navy as an Engineman in 2011 at the age of 17. I was at the time desperately trying to get a job to establish myself as an adult and while the world was reeling from the economic crash of 2008, opportunities were rare. For me they were basically non-existent, so the Navy was pretty attractive. I didn’t even get recruited. I recruited my damn self.
I went to boot camp in Chicago in Division 043, afterward, I went to Engineman school and was eventually shipped off to Assault Craft Unit One on Coronado Island in San Diego. My primary duties were that of an engineer maintaining and operating the diesel engines and auxiliary equipment aboard 135ft steel boats known as Landing Craft Utilities or LCUs. Think of them as the Vietnam-era versions of the crafts that featured in the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.
On the LCUs I was also a deckhand, a firefighter and so much more. I went on deployment on my 3rd month at ACU-1 and shipped out on the USS Peleliu for 9 months. I made $12,000 that first year and never felt richer. I went on 2 more deployments and hundreds of underways and training drills eventually rising to the position of 2nd Engineer right under the Chief Engineer.
My final deployment was in 2016-2017 aboard the USS Comstock for 9 months. I finished out my remaining 3 years on shore duty at DEPERM in Norfolk, Virginia. I originally set out to do 20 years but after seeing the conditions in Virginia decided the military wasn’t for me any longer and was honorably discharged in 2019 as a 2nd Class Petty Officer.
While serving in the military I still did a lot of art, including T-shirts, flags, coins, and tattoo designs for my fellow sailors. I took the time to still draw my own ideas and my favorite thing was tagging up the clipboards. Though in the final years, with my ever-changing hectic schedule, it was much harder to stay on top of creating art. Eventually, I reached a crossroads where I had to choose the military or art. I chose art.
The Story of Redemer
R.I.P. Joshua “Redemer” Bersuch
1984-2004
My cousin Joshua Bersuch was like an older brother to me. We grew to share a love of Hip-Hop and graffiti, I recall the many times he schooled me about the culture as he’d walk me home from elementary school. It was Josh who got me into graffiti. He was an athletic and tough kid and had to grow up quickly after his parents essentially abandoned him. With no guidance, Joshua fell prey to the street life of drugs, gangs, and graffiti.
He wasn’t all bad though. He was also “Redemer” a skilled artist with the dream of someday opening a non-profit to help disadvantaged artists like himself. He came to live with my part of the family when he was 15 and tried to turn his life around. When he lived with us he got a job, a girlfriend, and started attending college for graphic design.
Unfortunately, the past refused to rest in its shallow grave. On April 25, 2004, Joshua Bersuch’s time and luck ran out. He was brutally murdered in the neighborhood of Globeville in Denver, Colorado. He was only 19 years old. His murder, Case #: 04-18683, has never been solved and his dreams never realized.
His murder still haunts me. I was only 10 years old when he was killed. It’s had a profound effect on me. When I was told about his death by my mother and the homicide detective it felt like my heart was hit by a sledgehammer. I made an oath to his spirit that I would carry on his legacy through my art since he couldn’t anymore. His unjust murder serves as a dark intense motivation and dedication that I carry with me wherever I go. It also serves as a reminder to never take another person for granted because you never know when they gonna go, how they are gonna go out, and/or if you’ll ever get any Justice.
As a result, I make sure I show up and do my best every day. That everything I craft is done with meticulous detail and spirit. That I speak up, stand up for what’s right, and share my perspective on life whenever I can.
Anyone with information on Joshua Bersuch's homicide is asked to contact police and the family's designated private investigator Conte Reyes at thewildhuntinvestigations@gmail.com.