After playing the two songs together on his double tape deck, McNeill found they meshed perfectly together, despite their contrasting styles. Amazed by the newfound connection between the two genres, McNeill rushed to show off his unique mashup.
“I put it on at my best friend’s house and he popped the tape out, threw it across the room and told me it would never work,” McNeill says. “Then I kind of galvanized in my mind that I’m going to make it work. I’d show that hip-hop and classical music are not as different as people think they are.”
McNeill, known by his artist name Thee Phantom, went on to do just that years later by forming the world’s first hip-hop symphony, The Illharmonic Orchestra. Performing with his wife, vocalist Andrea McNeill, aka The Phoenix, Jeffrey McNeill presents onstage hip-hop performances accompanied by a live orchestral.
For more than two decades, the “house party in a concert hall” has performed across the country at top venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. After years of Texas trips to Houston, Austin and San Antonio, The Illharmonic will make its Dallas debut in March.
The McNeills like to make every performance unique by pulling inspiration from local music history. From there, the couple develops a setlist of original music that weaves in covers from beloved artists with special connections to each city and its crowd.
“We like to make the audience and musicians from the area a part of the fabric that we need to gather for the show,” Jeffrey McNeill says. “Dallas has a rich R&B history, hip-hop history with lots of musicality of its own with artists like Erykah Badu. So we will be borrowing from some of that.”
While half of The Illharmonic’s style is rooted in symphonics, its performance environments are far from what you’d find in your average concert hall. Rather than sat-on hands and silent observers, the McNeills welcome fresh moves, shouts and “ho"s from the crowd. More than a show, Andrea feels The Illharmonic is an experience that is willing to give its fans just as much energy as they will give it back.
By encouraging participation, Andrea McNeill wants the audience to feel like they’re a part of the show and the music it embodies. She says experimenting with a spectrum of musical inspirations drives the couple to introduce each audience member to something new, regardless of their musical preferences or background.
“It's OK to come as you are, regardless of what that looks like or who you are,” Andrea McNeill says. “If you are the most classical of classical, this show is for you. If you are the most hip-hop of hip-hop, this show is for you. And if you’re anywhere in between, this show is for you. We want you to come in and enjoy the experience and walk out feeling good, uplifted and feeling like you've been exposed to something that you maybe weren't exposed to before.”
“We like to make the audience and musicians from the area a part of the fabric that we need to gather for the show ... Dallas has a rich R&B history, hip-hop history with lots of musicality of its own with artists like Erykah Badu. So we will be borrowing from some of that.” – Jeffrey McNeill
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Jeffrey and Andrea McNeill say they have gained so much from The Illharmonic over the years. It's given them an authentic space to perform and to share their longtime love for music as a couple while interacting with other talented musicians. Most of all, the McNeills love The Illharmonic for what it has done for others.
Andrea McNeill has met many professional and aspiring artists at shows throughout the years, but one interaction in particular still sticks in her mind. At the end of a Kennedy Center performance in 2017, a woman and her young son approached the couple. The woman said her son was a cello player and told the McNeills how important and impactful it was for him to see himself represented on stage.
“When we talked to him, we said to him, ‘Continue to push forward and practice and in another few years, you might be playing onstage with us,’” Andrea says. “Fast forward a few years, this young man is 15, the third chair in his school orchestra, and playing with us. [...] He's done like four total shows with us. Those kinds of moments are the ones that are the most meaningful.
"It has been the most exciting to watch individuals become their own people and figure out who they are as musicians, and watching them grow in their journey and being able to be a part of that journey has just been so special to the both of us.”
As the McNeills continue to spit rhymes alongside the symphonic music of The Illharmonic Orchestra, they strive to be active examples of how inclusivity and diversity are possible across all genres and styles of music. To them, each moment being on stage gives them a chance to broaden how others view music and other aspects of the world.
“Being able to continue to connect with people of all ages, all races, all everything continues to drive us to make good music and hopefully inspire folks to do something or try something that they maybe weren't considering before,” says Jeffrey McNeill. “Even if it's not from a music perspective, it's important for people to recognize that everything doesn't have to fit into a neat category, and that it's OK to step out and do things differently. It’s OK to think outside of the box.”
Thee Phantom and The Illharmonic Orchestra will perform at the Majestic Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on March 31. For more information about the event and to purchase tickets, visit majestictheatredallas.com.
