Jeff McNeill a.k.a. Thee Phantom wrote his first rhyme at the age of 8 and made his first beat by mixing the instrumental from the Beastie Boys’ Paul Revere with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at age 12. Little did he know, that combination would later open up a world of opportunities. Thee Phantom is an MC/Producer who specializes in combining Hip-Hop with live orchestration by recording and performing with classically trained musicians. Most notably, in 2002 he became the first Hip- Hop artist to perform at Philadelphia’s prestigious Kimmel Center with musical accompaniment from members of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Phantom was invited back in 2003 and in 2006 where he performed in the 2,500 seat Verizon Hall with a string section, brass section, female soul vocalist, a DJ and a trio of breakdancers. He and the Illharmonic Orchestra recently made their television debut on the NBC 10 Show which airs in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. A documentary featuring Phantom was also aired on ABC’s award winning television program “Visions”. In 2003-2004, Phantom’s independently released single entitled, “Storming the Bastille” received airplay on over 300 college and independent radio stations in the U.S., topping the charts at WGBB and WSIA in New York among others. Storming has also reached the airwaves in Germany, Japan, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Croatia, the U.K., Singapore, Australia, Ireland, Africa and France. Phantom has recently completed his debut album entitled, “Hero Complex”. Thee Phantom nearly discontinued the album and his career after his best friend, Dr. Jason Porter was murdered in Atlanta. However, after a yearlong hiatus he was convinced to resume recording and to honor Jason’s memory by dedicating the album to him. “Hero Complex”, plays out like an audio comic book with scored scenes connecting one song to the next. Thee Phantom’s story is that of the quintessential, overachieving, underdog that never quite fit. However, instead of using that as a crutch, he chose to follow his dreams, develop his individuality and creativity to the point where there’s no choice but to standout.