Thuggizzle
Thuggizzle | |
|---|---|
 Picture of Thuggizzle | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Phillip Hodge |
| Born | May 12, 1984 (age 39) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupations | Rapper, singer, lyricist |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Website | iamthuggizzle.com Thuggizzlecares.org |
Phillip Hodge (born May 12, 1984), known professionally as Thuggizzle, is an American rapper, singer, and lyricist. He also runs a non-profit organization called Thuggizzle Cares and owns Thuggizzle Appalachian Mountain Spring Water.
Early life and education
Phillip Hodge, popularly known as Thuggizzle, grew up under rough conditions in San Antonio, Texas. He was born with drugs in his system. He was taken away from his mother at birth and was placed in the San Antonio emergency children's shelter. Hodge’s mother was a convicted drug dealer and was often involved
in physical altercations with suppliers, due to which Hodge and his three sisters went back and forth between The Emergency Children's Shelter and The Baptist Children's Home for years before his mother's rights were terminated, when he was nine years old, by Judge Sakai. They were placed in the Baptist Children's Home before being sent to a foster home with Theresa and Frankie Brown for 5 years. After getting caught smoking weed, they were all removed from the foster home and were sent to Boysville Emergency Children's Shelter. He was removed from that shelter after a night’s stay for getting in trouble and sent to The Baptist Children's Home emergency children shelter. He and his sisters were now split up for the remaining time in Child Protective Services. He lived in Baptist Children's Home emergency children's shelter before being admitted into their long-term facility, attending Anson Jones Middle School for two years where he played football in 7th and 8th grade. He then returned to Theresa and Frankie Brown's foster home when his level of care went down from level 4 to level 2. He attended Judson High School freshman and some of his sophomore year and was removed again from Theresa and Frankie Brown's foster home and then sent to Pflugerville Emergency Children's Shelter outside of Austin, Texas. He ran away twice before getting captured by police in San Antonio, Texas after walking from Pflugerville Emergency Children's Shelter to Austin, hitching a ride to San Antonio, Texas. He was then taken back to Pflugerville Emergency Children's Shelter where he was on the phone with his foster mom Theresa Brown asking why they sent him to a shelter, a lady who worked at the shelter hung up the phone while he was talking and he threw a phone down on the ground and she stated that it bounced up and hit her in the toe (reference below). He was then transported to Travis County Jail at the age of 16 for Assault and bodily injury. He stayed in Travis County for two months before signing up for trustee where he was sent to Travis State Jail to serve out his 3 for 1 sentence. He cut acres of grass every morning for about 30 days and then he was released to his caseworkers Sandy Bocanegra and Nadine Terry who picked him up from the Travis State Jail and took him to Boy's Town Emergency Children's Shelter downtown San Antonio, Texas. He lived there for 3 months and he was transferred to a foster home in Corpus Christi, Texas to live with foster parents Bobby and Jamie Landrum. He attended King Highschool 11th grade but was eventually removed from that foster home. He took a Greyhound bus to San Antonio, Texas from Corpus Christi hoping to return to Theresa and Frankie Brown's foster home, however they already had new foster kids and stated that he couldn't stay there anymore. He then moved in with his Aunt Pam Hodge and attended Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. He was set to play football but turned to music and became popular at the school, but the principal and coach Guss weren't having it. They stated that he could attend Church Hill High School because they didn't like how their students were being influenced by hip-hop. His aunt eventually told him since he was no longer attending school he would have to find a place to stay. She suggested Job Corps because she had graduated from there back in her days so he signed up. He signed up and got accepted into the program so Child Protective Services honored the program as a school and said that if he finished, he would still get his benefits from foster care. The first year he was getting in trouble. The second year he started changing his life when he was approached by the staff stating that If he helped them they would help him. He was very popular because he would draw crowds by freestyling off the head at lunch and in random places on campus. He would draw crowds of up to hundreds of people so they allowed him to rap at the business meeting every Tuesday if he would get the students to take the survey the right way instead of playing around. Job Corps needed more than 1,900 students to pass this survey with a 90% or better to receive funding for the campus or they would have to close it down. Hodge was able to pull it off. Job Corps gave them a day off where they fed us fried chicken and brought a carnival to the campus. He was published in the Job Corps Newspaper and enrolled in Leadership 1, 2 and 3. He later became a member of SGA (Student Government Association) and later graduated high school in their online high school program and received his CNA (Certified Nursing Assistance) Certification. He left Job Corps and started working at different nursing homes before landing a job at the VA Hospital where he worked for 3 years, shortly after he was found by a local promoter Lane Arnold Of DIN Promotions who put him on Tour with Hip Hop artists like Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and many more.
Career
Hodge initially chose the name “Young Thugster” but later changed it to “Thuggizzle”, a combination of “thug,” a word he had been called as a young person, and “izzle,” meaning “is him.” Hodge follows a “purist” music technique and raps without writing down any lyrics. Hodge founded Thuggizzle Cares, a non-profit organization that he created after watching an aunt struggle with breast cancer. Thuggizzle Cares represents over 20 causes. He also founded ‘Thuggizzle Appalachian Mountain Spring Water’, wanting to provide an alternative to sugary drinks that are so widely consumed by young adults, leading to obesity and diabetes. His Appalachian Mountain Spring Water is sourced from Georgia’s Appalachian Mountains and goes through a meticulous extraction process to ensure its natural purity and crispness. The water contains essential minerals and a pure taste and offers a delicious taste, making it more appealing than regular water. Thuggizzle Appalachian Mountain Spring Water is eco-friendly and comes packaged in aluminum cans that are 100% recyclable with a BPA-free liner to prevent chemical exposure. He also wants to show the disadvantaged youth and those growing up in foster homes that they can also be successful if they work hard. The water is set to be available in major retail chains and grocery stores soon. Hodge also landed a deal with the Hyatt Hotels in Texas, starting with the Hyatt Regency. He is also set to co-star in an upcoming movie, 'Heart Cold’. Hodge has worked and performed with some of the biggest names in the music and rap industry including:
- 2012 Thuggizzle Tours with Snoop Dogg and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
- 2013 Thuggizzle Tours with E-40, Too $Hort, Cypress Hill, Afroman, Juicy J, Lil Flip, Glasses Malone, Cashout, Dorrough.
- 2014 Sold out the Laredo Energy Arena with Thuggizzle, 2 Chainz, and DMX
- 2015 Thuggizzle Tours with Snoop Dogg and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Personal Life
Hodge grew up under rough conditions. His mother was a known drug dealer and often did her dealing at her apartment which resulted in her getting beaten up multiple times and her children being threatened. Hodge has two older sisters and one younger sister, all of whom, including Hodge, were separated from their mother at the age of 9 as Hodge’s mother was unable to provide adequate care for the children. Hodge and his sisters grew up in foster homes, ending up separated for nine years. Hodge was also against being adopted as he did not want to lose his family.
Discography
| Year | Song | Single/Album |
| 2008 | The Wake-Up Call | Single |
| 2009 | No Pen & Pad | Single |
| 2011 | No Pen & Pad Extended Edition | Album |
| 2013-14 | No Pen & Pad Reloaded | Album |
| 2015 | Before The Deal | Single |
| 2023 | Thuggizzle Reads to Kids, Vol. 1 | Album |
| 2023 | Thuggizzle Reads To Kids Vol. 2 | Album |
| 2023 | Goodies (Remix) | Single |
| 2023 | Get Cha Hustle Up | Single |
| 2023 | Burn up the Block | Single |
| 2023 | Can't Leave Rap Alone | Single |
| 2023 | Drop That Shit | Single |
| 2023 | Got That Fire | Single |
| 2023 | Here We Go | Single |
| 2023 | Hit It in the Right Way | Single |
| 2023 | I Run the Block | Single |
| 2023 | Im Just Fuckin Wit U Girl (Remix) | Single |
| 2023 | Im Just Fuckin Wit U Girl | Single |
| 2023 | Im Just Fuckin Wit U Girl (Remix) [Screwed] | Single |
| 2023 | In My Own Zone | Single |
| 2023 | Izzle | Single |
| 2023 | Like a Rush | Single |
| 2023 | Neva Trickin | Single |
| 2023 | Off That | Single |
| 2023 | On It | Single |
| 2023 | Pac Man | Single |
| 2023 | Playn These Games | Single |
| 2023 | Shut Shit Down | Single |
| 2023 | Smoke Sum | Single |
| 2023 | Smokin on the Dro | Single |
| 2023 | Switch to That Course | Single |
| 2023 | Take You Out | Single |
| 2023 | The One for Me | Single |
| 2023 | Too Hott | Single |
| 2023 | U a Hoe | Single |
| 2023 | Voicemail | Single |
| 2023 | Where You At | Single |
| 2023 | Wreck | Single |
| 2023 | Feel the Flow | Single |
| 2023 | Get Cha Hustle Up | Single |
| 2023 | National Pig Day Parody | Single |
| 2023 | Rita’s Funkalicious | Single |
| 2023 | Get Cha Hustle Up | Single |
