Today we’d like to introduce you to Krosst Out.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started rapping at age 12, I was just kind of writing simple rhymes in a notebook not really thinking much of it. I was just starting to get into hip hop then and was thinking I would be like the artists I was listening to. Several years down the road, I was digging deeper into hip hop, but I also had friends who were into metal and punk plus I had a rock n roll Dad, so I was being fed this mixed diet of sounds. I was also playing bass as a teen and that furthered my addiction into music. I would go from System of a Down to NIN to Eminem to Rakim and then Rage Against The Machine.
I really became my own artist though at 22 after bouncing around from city to city, all the while continuing to write raps. At 23, I met up with some of the coolest guys I know and they helped push the creation of my first EP, LIFEOFTHEPARTY. It took sometime but on March 10th, 2017 we released it and had huge show to celebrate.
Several tours, singles, features, near death experiences, I’m still here continuing to share my story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It really hasn’t been an easy ride. I don’t think any of the greats in the past had a smooth ride though. People question your motives, they question your ability, they root against you. More often than not you can find yourself rooting against yourself too.
I spent a lot of my time during the LIFEOFTHEPARTY days trying to build my foundation just because I felt like I had to catch up. I lost out on a lot by my bouncing around.
But because I was so new to things though I got burned a lot, I had people steal money from me, promise things that never happened and just overall take advantage of a new artist. It was frustrating but super useful for helping me become who I am now.
A lot of artists get caught up in just creating music and forget that there are those out there that wish ill on you and that happened to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a rapper with a grunge, alternative, punk edge. I released my first EP in 2017 and have since continued to build on that.
I have really tried to remain true to who I am in my music. Taking influence from all the genres, I was raised on and amalgamating them into one cohesive sound. I like having a hip hop/trap influenced track and adding in live instrumentation and then rapping over what would conventionally be a rock track. It can throw the audience through a loop but I think there’s people out there that really appreciate the artists that bridge that rock/rap gap.
The thing I’m most proud of though is my album, Phone Calls With Ghosts. It was a deeply personal album, tackling suicide, death of friends, the coming of age and what it’s like being a true human. It blends sounds with metal, rap and hip hop, rock, and grunge.
But what really sets me apart, I think is the honesty and rawness I provide in my music, sometimes it’s not super over the top lyrical but it’s based on real-life and portrays my emotion. I want to give the listener my truest self. That’s what I do when I record music and what I think separates me from the others.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I found so much value in A Mans Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. That really inspired my last album. Also, The Portrait of Dorian Gray and Cain. Both books were thought-provoking in their own right.
I really don’t have any specifics though, I would just encourage people to read, and consume ideas, think about what they believe. I’ve spent the past 1o years really questioning what I believe, studying the great philosophers, reading books on the bible, satanism, Buddhism, and everything else. I think you really do have to create a sense of chaos in your life to find peace. That’s what I’ve been doing.
I’m also rambling right now, I dunno, just read cool books goddamn it.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.krosstoutmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krosstoutmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Krosstout/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Krosstoutmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChNrTFttdmA2tdUOWli_s5A
Image Credits
Photos 1,2,3 are by Tavish Kincaid Photo 4 is by Amanda Yung Photo 5,6 are by Nicolas Bondu
