Philip Lawrence has established himself as an exciting entertainer in the music industry - and that career comes with highs and lows. The Indiana native is the creative partner in crime of Grammy-winning million-selling artist Bruno Mars, whom he met in the late 2000s and formed a producing-songwriting trio. Together, as a part of Bruno's 'The Hooligans' band, they've sung on some of the world's biggest stages.
"We both had this dream of being on stage and being stars, and we discovered that it’s hard work. Everybody has that same dream, so how do you differentiate yourself from everyone else?," he recalled his first time meeting Bruno Mars in a tell-all 2022 interview.
Philip left The Hooligans and his glamorous life with Bruno Mars in early 2018 and went his own way, citing 'injury' as the reason. Here are some of the facts about Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars' right-hand man.
8 Philip Lawrence's Life Before Fame
Born in Evansville, Indiana, young Philip Martin Lawrence II grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a gospel choir director and a local radio DJ, and his mother was an opera singer, making him pick up an interest in live performing when he was little.
He recalls, "There was a sense of dignity in my household. My mom was really big on speaking the right way, and making sure you understand the power of your words ... My mom and dad instilled a set of values in me that have stuck with me my whole life."
7 How Philip Lawrence Met Bruno Mars
Philip worked at Disney World, Florida, in his early 20s, where he would self-teach how to play piano and warm up the crowds. He met Bruno Mars, a then-up-and-coming artist from Honolulu, Hawaii. Together with Ari Levine, they formed a songwriting-producing trio called The Smeezingtons and co-wrote for some of the biggest songs of the years, including CeeLo Green's "F*** You," K'naan's FIFA World Cup anthem "Wavin' Flag," Flo Rida's "Right Round," and more.
6 The Smeezingtons Is Responsible For Some Of The Biggest Hits Of The Decade
As Bruno Mars' career took off thanks to his features on B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire" as a solo artist, so did Philip Lawrence's. As The Smeezingtons, they crafted Bruno's debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and cemented their names as musical geniuses.
The album managed to put the trio's name out to the public and garnered them a reputation as guaranteed hitmakers, selling over 15 million copies globally by 2020. It landed him his first-ever Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year & Song of the Year for "Grenade."
5 As A Solo Artist, Philip Lawrence Released His Debut Album In 2013
As a solo artist, Philip founded his entertainment company, CMNTY Culture, which he describes as a venture that "is dedicated to advocating for and empowering artists across disciplines, as well as promoting and advancing racial equity, social justice, and diversity/inclusion in all aspects of its business."
His debut 13-track solo album, Letters I Never Sent, was released in 2013, almost a year after Bruno's sophomore project Unorthodox Jukebox.
4 Who Are 'Shampoo, Press & Curls'?
In Bruno's 24k Magic, however, the album's producing effort is credited to "Shampoo, Press & Curls," which is likely the reformed version of The Smeezingtons minus Ari Levine. It includes multi-instrumentalist Brody Brown, who met Bruno in 2008 alongside Phil, thanks to a mutual friend, publishing executive Steve Lindsey.
To further promote the album, the trio, alongside Bruno's Hooligans band, embarked on 24k Magic World Tour and scored one of the highest-selling concert tours of all time.
3 Why Philip Lawrence Left Bruno Mars
During those years on the road, Philip Lawrence's problem with alcohol abuse worsened to the point where he had to leave the tour in early 2018 due to an "injury."
In an episode of the "Male vs Man" podcast with Dondre Whitfield, he elaborates further on what happened behind the scene, saying that he cheated on his partner during the tour. Realizing that he'd hurt his family, Phil decided to take some time off the spotlight and sober up.
2 Philip Lawrence Also Composed Music For The 2020's 'Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey'
Putting his alcohol-fueled life behind, Phil Lawrence ventured as a solo entertainer in recent years. In 2020, he composed and wrote the music for David E. Talbert's Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, a holiday-themed musical fantasy flick starring Forest Whitaker, Ricky Martin, Keegan-Michale Key, and more, alongside John Legend.
1 Phil Lawrence Has Been Living His New Sober Life
Since quitting the band, Phil Lawrence has been keeping up with all the 12 steps of sobriety and surrounding himself with sobriety-inspired artwork and books.
He says during an interview, "I thought that I was who I was: You’re going to be the life of the party, you’re going to drink too much, you’re going to have a hangover, you may have to apologize for a couple of things you did or said, and life goes on. But for me, the alcohol and the drugs, and the lifestyle just took a toll on me."
