M
ost artists are considered blessed when they have one exceptional talent. Krizz Kaliko has several. As Tech N9ne’s right-hand man, the Kansas City native excelled as a songwriter, singer, rapper, stage performer, and all-around entertainer. Now, as a solo artist, Krizz has taken each one of these gifts to a higher level.
Through his affiliation with Strange Music, Krizz has co-starred in sold-out shows with countless heavyweights like Jay-Z, T.I., Keyshia Cole, Busta Rhymes, DMX, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Twista, DJ Quik, the Ying Yang Twins and Yukmouth. Barely recovered from the Fire and Ice Tour with Paul Wall, Krizz and his labelmates are already on the road again for the 2008 Strictly Strange Tour.
With his 2008 debut release titled Tech N9ne Presents: Krizz Kaliko Vitiligo, Krizz exposed a new genre of music he calls Funkra. “On Strange Music, we’ve got all of the elements: hood, rock, [and] East Coast,” Krizz says. “Myself, I try to make my own lane. The lane I made for myself is called The Funkra, which means Funk, Rock, Rap, R&B, and Opera.” Blending these influences together, Krizz originated a strong soulful sound that is easily recognized as one-of-a-kind. It is a sound that complements both his larger-than-life persona and his out-of-the-ordinary appearance.
After years of playing a sideline position, Krizz has finally taken the center stage with his own identity. Excited about the completion of his first LP, Krizz says, “If you listen to Tech’s music over the years, you’ll hear me doing all of the hooks, singing on his albums. That’s what people mostly knew me for. But on my new album, I rap a lot more and sing. It’s a rollercoaster ride.”
“I always stood out,” he remembers. “I have a skin disorder called Vitiligo, which is basically white, patchy skin where your pigmentation cells break down. Most cats probably look at me crazy. I stuck out anyway so I was just like, I’ma do whatever to make sure you see me. People started making comments about my hair, so I just went wilder with it. I’m really a rock [star] trapped in a rapper’s body.” Growing up on the Southside of KC, Krizz often felt like an outcast amongst his peers, but with time he embraced his physical differences and used them to his advantage as a musician. After catching the attention of Tech N9ne in the late 90s, Krizz worked with him on several projects and soon became a fundamental element of Tech N9ne’s stage show, eventually signing to the label co-owned by Tech.
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With virtually no major radio play and the absence of a music video, Vitiligo (distributed through Fontana/Universal) has sold over 20,000 copies independently. According to charts on Billboard.com, the record impressively peaked at #20 – Top Rap Albums, #19 – Top Indie Albums, #50 – Top R&B/ Hip Hop Albums, and #167 on The Billboard 200. It is an achievement Krizz hopes to surpass with his forthcoming album, appropriately titled Genius. Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by D-Ray