James Christos

10 Reasons Why You Should Like James Christos (MP3s Included)
Tue Jul 08, 2008 at 08:13:18 AM


James Christos is intense and bad ass and totally underrated in the Kansas City hip-hop scene. It's not for lack of hustling -- the guy plays a ton of shows, drops a ton of CDs, and stickers up the town (to name a few of his tactics). More likely, it's because Christos' music floats between gangsta hardness and indie ideology: He sounds angry and his beats are hard and locked-in, cleaving to a non-jazzy, non-funky, street-angst sound; but his lyrics are devoid of thug-life narratives.

"Its hard to get an audience in KC because the type of music I'm doing is not exactly 'Gangsta Rap' or 'Hip Hop,'" Christos said in a recent e-mail. "It's more like "Neo Rap," something alternative."

Whatever it is he's doing, Christos gets more compelling with each release. His latest is an EP titled The Black Reign, which contains six bangers cooked up by Christos with help from Jaz Brewer and Krush Groove of 64111 Studios.

Here's 10 reasons to dig ya some Christos. ...

10. The Name
"Christos" is an invention. His real name is James McGee. Not only does his alias top his original surname, it's way better than the moniker the gangsta name generator spat out when we put in "James McGee." Plus, it sounds righteous.

9. The Lexicon
We don't know the name of every record Christos has dropped since he started, but the last few have had some impressive appelations: The Guerilla Movement: Fire and Brimstone (2006, his third full-length), The Coup: A 21-Day Revolution Within (2007), and now The Black Reign (2008). On the latter two, Christos has taken to giving his songs corresponding opus numbers, you know, like a hip-hop Chopin. He signs his e-mails with the phrase "Guerilla is the movement." Like his alias, his song titles, album names and slogans, seem significant an portentous regardless of whether they actually are.

8. The Industriousness
Going strong at one CD a year for ... years ... Christos puts other locals to shame on the merch-table front. These aren't skit-loaded filler biscuits, either. When you buy Christos, you get Christos.

7. The Longevity of the Hustle
We first encountered Christos way back in 2005, at an open-mic showcase at the long since gone Red Vine. He's been up in our ears ever since. Oh, and by the way, at that Red Vine open mic, he rapped with a guitar player behind him.

6. The Threads
Shades. Check. Vest. Check. Tie. Check. Gloves. Check. Graduation robe. Of course.


5. The Crew
Called: Tru Spittaz Click. Includes: Christos, Big Frame, Bucc$, Gunn Jakc and DJ Rockwell. Forgive us if we've left anyone out. The five mentioned put on a fantastic live show last Wednesday at the Record Bar. Best live hip-hop performance I've seen in a while.

4. The Party Track
"The Celebration (Opus 10)" from The Black Reign
Stream:
MP3: Download

3. The Statement of Purpose
"The Black Reign (Opus 11)" from The Black Reign
Stream:
MP3: Download

2. The Lyrics
Aggressive, but not meatheaded, with catchy choruses and clever verses, Christos is a writer for thinker and drinker alike. He tends to err on the side of being overwrought in vocal production tricks and shouts, but that's better than being overserious -- or, worse, weak.

1. The Sound and Fury
Echoes of Kanye and crunk resound in the Christos sound, a loud, unabating crash of ghetto waves. Want something that's way meaner than backpacker rap but a bit kinder than gangsta? Christos may be your savior.

- Pitch Magazine: Music Editor Jason Harper

James Christos
The Coup: A 21 Day Revolution Within
Equator Recordings; 2008

James Christos mixes humility with bravado. He isn't called Big this or King that, but shares initials with God's son. The album title is a tall order too and Christos exhibits optimum swagger as he rants, raves and speculates over fiery yet untitled tracks to establish his Guerrilla Movement. Will this Kansas testifier set the world afire with his ministry?

The Coup is a puzzling call to arms: Christos invites you to get hype, but hopes you dig deeper. The songs are titled Opus One through 15. Perhaps this is smart marketing in this age of "track two is hot, track nine is long," egotism or an attempt to assert his creativity.

"This right here is a masterpiece, James Christos is a genius at least, I'm fire over ice there is no retreat, guerrilla movement is here let's eat." Brimming with confidence, Christos buoys you up with "Opus Two," "Act ignant, here to get you lifted" his enthusiasm (and enunciation) is reminiscent of Give It Away's Anthony Kiedis.

Donning a (tilted) conscious cap and wrapped in the garms of "let's get it" anthems and street talking, "I put a lot of glamour on a little logic" his agenda is not explicit.

He displays boundless energy even on tracks unworthy of it and maintains the momentum throughout. The self-produced tracks hustle and bustle whilst Christos infuses them with honesty and passion but not much clarity. Occasionally polemical ("Opus Four"), slightly didactic ("Opus Nine") Christos scatters his rage.

"Opus Four" seems anti-Church; its sinister music sounds like the organist sipped sizzurp. Christos sermonises about violence and salvation, but the song's too busy and the message seems scrambled. On Opus Six he gets a bit clearer over more creepy keyboards, "God's all in me, I'm a top shotta" then ducks behind his love of rhyming (and self).

The bluster can be exhausting. More songs like album closer Opus Nine would be nice. Christos dominates the track but the sparking backdrop invites you to listen.

The Guerilla Movement is vague, but it never hurt Thug Life. The smoke mirrors and metaphors approach conjures up a sense of revolution and the music chugs this feeling along but to where and for what, is anyone's guess.

Christos believes evolution is a type of revolution; it's a slow process, maybe he'll rewrite his manifesto when he hits the top.


- Sonia N.
- okayplayer.com

Pitch CD Review The Coup (a 21 day revolution) By Chris Milbourn
Category: Music


James Christos
The Coup: A 21-Day Revolution Within
(Equator Recordings/Guerilla Movement)
By Chris Milbourn
Published: January 31, 2008
"Opus 4" by James Christos



Underground purists may write off Kansas City's James Christos as having a mainstream sound. Indeed, Christos' brand of epic hip-hop and guerrilla-style industry insurgency should make the nice-guy indie rappers a bit uncomfortable. His latest, The Coup: A 21 Day Revolution Within, pairs his seething, calculated flow with his self-produced style of high-octane, aneurism-inducing beats — many of which might prompt your favorite local rapper to lock his doors at night. On "Opus Four" he writes from an ex-gang members' perspective, detailing his frustration with his peers who are "knocking on hell's door." He spits: Turf politics, is that what we're fighting for? We don't even own the land that we're standing on. These mutinous messages, mixed with Christos' own heat-rock instrumentals, add up to an album that sounds best when you're feeling pissed off and revolutionary. The Coup is what they call "heat" in the hip-hop world. Baby-kissing rappers should get out the kitchen.
- Pitch Weekly

Jason Harper(the Pitch weekly) Blog on New Christos album
Category: Blogging



New Christos
Wed Oct 24, 2007 at 05:20:56 PM
Less than a year after releasing The Guerilla Movement, KC rapper James Christos is back with The Coup: A 21-Day Revolution Within.

Two men figure strongest on The Coup, Christos, of course, and Jaz Brewer of 64111 Studios, a good place to have a soda and make a rap album. I haven't had much of a chance to listen to this yet, but a cursory skimming turns up mainly bangers, chock full of inspiring, self-esteem-boosting rhymes, good turns-of-urban-dictionary-phrase and catchy choruses, like on "Opus 2," with its mighty chant: Act ignint, here to get ya lifted
- Jason Harper Blog