West Philadelphia rapper Chill Moody looks to shine a light on city, tech scene at 2024 South by Southwest festival

Chill Moody says that the tech scene in Philadelphia "gets [things] done." That's what drew the local rapper to it originally and that's why he will champion it — and the city as a whole — at the annual South by Southwest when it kicks off later this week in Texas.

The West Philadelphia native will be hosting, performing and curating a lineup of live music at the Amplify Philly House at Stay Put Brewery in Austin on March 10 as part of the overall tech, film, music and culture festival that runs from March 8 to 16. Amplify Philly's Philadelphia takeover event is put on annually by the organization that advocates for entrepreneurial growth, business attraction and talent development, driving the region's presence at South by Southwest.

This year Amplify Philly House has a tentpole attraction in Moody, who has been attending the popular festival for close to a decade.

Moody himself is a founder which helps him identify with Philadelphia's entrepreneurial ecosystem. He created and owns nicethings, a lifestyle brand based in Greater Philadelphia which serves as an umbrella for a record label, a live events company, a beverage company, a clothing line and a golf brand.

A graduate of Millersville University, where he studied speech communication and public relations, Moody also undertakes freelance marketing and artist development work. As such, he knows the challenges of starting a business and balancing it with other aspects of life that so many founders deal with. He wants to use his platform to be a voice for such individuals.

"The message is the city needs a brighter light shined on it," Moody said. "It doesn't matter who brings that light to the city."

More than showcasing music at South by Southwest, the musician and entrepreneur said he'll be championing Philadelphia and "finding more ways to amplify that message" before and after the festival.

Michelle Freeman, the board chair of Amplify Philly, said that Moody is one of the few people who touches each of the vast array of industries and interests at South by Southwest, making him a "great ambassador" for Philadelphia.

"He is a really great walking embodiment of what Amplify Philly is about," Freeman told the Business Journal. "We are really trying to amplify and focus on the intersection of business, art, tech and talent. The sweet spot for us is not only being able to showcase the business side of things but integrate the arts and music into that so it makes it feel a lot more dynamic and gives a holistic flavor and picture of what Philadelphia is about."

Amplify Philly leads programming around Philadelphia's presence at South by Southwest, working with partners like 1Philadelphia, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, the Penn Center for Innovation and the University City Science Center. This year, Amplify Philly's South by Southwest lineup includes a panel on startup capital with the Science Center and one about prejudice and artificial intelligence.

For Moody, working with people in the tech community is a refreshing change from the music scene.

"[You] don't have to deal with some of the politics that music sometimes brings. In music, it's a lot of politics," he said. "Whereas tech, it's like, oh this [technology] works, we're going to use it. ... I'm kind of drawn to that, the lack of politics and the fact that the tech scene in the city gets [things] done."

Moody's foray into South by Southwest came by way of the "Homesick Philly" campaign he collaborated on with Visit Philadelphia in 2014. After attending music industry events like the Grammy Awards where he would see a number of artists from Philadelphia regularly congregating, he decided he wanted to provide the same experience at the Austin festival. As a result, he helped throw a Philadelphia-themed party during the festival.

His role at South by Southwest has evolved over the years as he's gotten involved with Amplify Philly. At this point he knows what to expect, but like anyone in the tech community, he's keeping an eye out for the next big thing.

"The blood of South By [Southwest] is finding hidden gems," Moody said. "That can be the hidden gems as far as barbecue, hidden gems in music, or film or tech."