Phil Skaff said that the key to balancing your life is to love what you do.

Phil Skaff, also known as Flaw Vic, is not only a student at Eastern, but also an emerging hip-hop artist and the owner of his own record label, Better Cheddar Records Inc.

Flaw Vic, a junior communications major, got his name while doing a free-form rap after an underground hip-hop show at the Metro in Chicago.

“I jumped into one of the several free-form rap circles outside the venue and began to spit,” he said. “When I finished rapping, a guy in the circle stopped the flow and said ‘Flawless Victory,’ and it stuck.”

For any student, it can be difficult to balance school and a job.

“If you don’t love what you have to do 20 hours a day like I do, then there is no hope of balancing it with another major undertaking like school,” Flaw Vic said. “Luckily, I love making music, so it is not a problem for me.”

Flaw Vic became interested in the hip-hop culture as a kid growing up in Chicago. “Often times, people hung around and rapped, and being at the park and participating in rap circles, I discovered how music brings people together,” he said. “It was a big influence in my life, and I fell in love with it immediately.”

His influences include Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A, Kanye West, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Cypress Hill, Run DMC, The Roots, Bob Marley, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Pink Floyd.

Instead of putting out his album with another label, Flaw Vic will be producing and selling his album DIY.

“I knew if I signed with another company, they would alter my music and it might lose the feeling, power and ability to unify people, like the rap circles of my youth,” he said. “Thus, Better Cheddar Records was born.”

Better Cheddar Records Inc. has three artists in its repertoire; CEO and producer, Flaw Vic is the CEO and producer, Josh Goodwin is the operations executive and Andy “AP” Phillippe is the producer.

“We are currently looking at several local artists in Chicago and Champaign and we are always open to new, talented people to inquire,” Flaw Vic said.

Growing up in the city is Flaw Vic’s main inspiration for lyrics.

“My lyrics are all over the place because I draw them from my own life experiences,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like rapping poetically about love. Other times, I feel like rapping about the grimy underbelly of the city.”

So far, Flaw Vic has performed at house parties and private events. He has rapped at the Winnetka Community Center, in front of diverse crowds ranging from 20 to 250 people. “In the future, I would like to perform at big venues such as the House of Blues,” he said.

Listeners can find three songs, “Is It On,” “Got Yo’ Money” and “How We Do,” featuring Quandra, off of his first album, “City Speaks,” on his MySpace page.

The album has nine tracks in total. It is available on his Web site, www.bettercheddarrecords.com and also in music stores. Phillippe produced it, with engineering done by Mark Rubel of POGO Studios.