Life & Work with Martio Harris II of Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Martio Harris II.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hello, my name is Martio Harris II, “Martio The Prodigy”. I am a Gospel Rap artist and Barber local here in the valley.
I was born in Tucson,AZ and currently reside in Glendale, AZ with my wife and my son. I began both of my careers. as a barber at 15 and as Gospel Rap artist at 21. I have been cutting hair for 11 years now and my family owns multiple barber schools around the state as well as one location in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. My parents made sure that we picked a trade young that way we would never have to struggle but could always be able to work for ourselves if needed. At this moment music has overtook all my passions and has became the outlet I needed to express my testimony on who I am today. Being an artist, specifically a Gospel artist is very interesting because it allows me to share YAH’s (God) word and bring a refreshing perspective to today’s culture rather than a negative one. I don’t like to make music that degrades our people and community but uplifts. I belive that I was put on Earth to show YAH’s (God) light and love through me so that when people see me they see HIM. What gets difficult at times with my plight is some people can look at religious topics and will judge a person harsh or ridicule a person’s walk with their faith. As I stated before, music is form as expression and I believe what you talk about and your influence matters because I would never want to steer another individual the wrong way. All I care about nowadays is helping others beat their fear, addictions, generational curses, depression and the list goes on! I believe my music can really help. But at the end of the day I am servant and I will always serve my community and serve the Man upstairs for the rest of my life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was blessed to to grow up in a two parent household where I was privileged. My parents worked hard so that we did not have to struggle financially however when I was transitioning to college I battled with depression and health issues. I was not walking in purpose for what YAH (God) had for me which contributed to me developing a Pneumothorax (collapsed lung). I had to change my lifestyle and get back on path for what I know is truth!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am Gospel Rap/Hip Hop Artist as well as a Tonsorial (Barber) Artist. I perform on stages around the state and try to give the best performance experience a person can have! I bring modern day sound with refreshing clean lyrics. As far as for barbering, I am a licensed barber Instructor/barber where I ran a school from 2020-2024. My brothers, Tomari and Demari, and I are known as the youngest individuals to ever receive our barber instructors license in the state of Arizona and possibly in the entire country.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that our city brings a lot of opportunity for whatever you want to do. Growing up in Tucson there was limited resources so it was a lot harder to expand when you get something going. Here the population is big and so is the city/cities so you can blow up faster and grow your businesses. The thing I hate most about our city is the travel time. Everything is 30+ minutes away and you have to leave earlier to plan for accidents since they happen around the city so much.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martiotheprodigy?igsh=MTNlZDV6bTJjbm0xbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/12L6iDXfLU3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCLa85UtufCG3OYnaevrC1nw?si=83higlZbjYBhG9KF
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/hwh6JrETYN5Kx4v31H
• Other: https://squareup.com/appointments/book/LTZB672C7Z215

Image Credits
@Kvisuals
@garzavisualco