Kritta

Hip-hop is one of those genres of music that I have a lot of respect and love for, but I can tell it has truly gone astray from the original intentions of its roots. Anyone who has an ounce of knowledge about the culture of hip-hop for the past 20 years can easily agree with me in saying that hip-hop’s message has been greatly skewed over the course of this past decade, or at least in the realm of mainstream hip-hop’s offerings, with the unintelligible and misogynistic lyrics of the majority of today’s rappers; a great example being Lil’ Wayne.

In an effort to remind people just what hip-hop stands for, a new inspiration by the name of Kritta has recently released an appropriately titled album called Humble Beginnings that gives us all hope that there are still rappers out there with substance behind what they have to say.

As I met this individual and whom I presume to be his manager during my first visit back home to SoCal in five years on March 10th, our late afternoon encounter on the southwest corner of Hollywood and Wilcox was very random to say the least; when you’re in Hollywood, expect the unexpected. It started with Kritta’s “manager” commenting on my ASU-themed Price Is Right T-shirt in passing by me on the street (yes, I got to be a part of the studio audience that day!) and stopping for a quick chat. The conversation lead to how they were preparing for a show at Chico State for Cesar Chavez Day while looking into new terrain to cover. I suggested that they look into hooking up a gig with ASU, since we are frequently looking for musical artists to book for on-campus events, and the fact that hip-hop has a pretty good reception among Sun Devils. Information was exchanged and a parting word of encouragement was given, but honestly I didn’t think anything of it until I checked my E-mails the next day and followed the link to his download. Within a few minutes of listening to it, my opinion made a 180, as I was convinced that this wasn’t just some desperate burnout roaming the streets, looking for handouts of attention.

I don’t know much about Kritta, but his work is pretty damn good and deserves a listen, in my opinion. With soul and R&B propelling his musical accompaniment in a manner that reminds me a little bit of Bone Thugs and Harmony, Ludacris and Outkast, his lyrics are true to life and are centered on empowering its listeners with talking about overcoming struggle and sticking to your guns, though you may be the only one doing so. While listening to this, pay close attention to “Humble Beginnings,” “Long Days Long Nights,” the pro-education lyrics of “Be a Star” that give a shout out to college students everywhere, the laidback groove of “Know it’s Real” that features Bigg Z and Leplum, and “Hello/Goodbye,” which also features Leplum’s vocal support.

Think about how many things are constantly bombarding you for winning over your attention. Now, think about how many of them are actually worth your time. Big difference, eh? Well, in my standpoint, I unintentionally ran into something worthwhile and that’s why I’m telling you this now!

For those of you tired of the distastefully oversexed, undereducated and constantly intoxicated themes of today’s mainstream hip-hop, I’m here to relay to you that there is still hope for finding new music that keeps that seemingly lost element of the past a relevant characteristic of today. To find out for yourself, check out Kritta’s new album, and see who else is like you in thought on - Music Ug