Krizz Kaliko Biography
Krizz Kaliko also known as Samuel William Christopher Watson is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is known as a longtime collaborator with fellow home town rapper Tech N9ne. He is also signed to Tech N9ne co-owned label Strange Music. He was born on March 7th 1974 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Krizz Kaliko Age
Krizz was born on 7th March 1974 ( 45 years old as of 2018). He was born with a condition called Vitiligo. He was bullied for it and as well as for his weight. He spent his childhood running from school to home to get away from other kids who would ridicule due to his condition.
Krizz Kaliko Wife/Kids
Krizz is married to Crystal Watson whom they have known each other since high school. She has contributed a lot to his music as she has sung her own vocals and spoken word. They got married in 2005 and had a boy Chris Jr. who was born on 6th June 2006.
Krizz Kaliko Career
Krizz began his career in the late 90s when began working with local producer IcyRoc Kraven. It was then that he met with Tech N9ne as he was also working with IcyRoc. At that time Tech N9ne was working on the song Who You Came To See. It was then that Kaliko commented that the song could have a better hook. Tech N9ne offered him the chance to prove his point. Tech ended up being blown away. Tech later brought him into his inner circle and he was signed to Strange Music.
Ever since Krizz has contributed to Tech`s albums or providing background vocals. Apart from working with Tech N9ne he also worked with other labelmates such as Kutt Calhoun, Rittz, Skatterman & Snug Brim, Ces Cru, and Prozak. Also E-40, T-Pain, Twiztid, Andy Mineo, and Chris B.
He released his debut album Vitiligo on May 6th, 2008 it charted on several Billboard charts and even peaked at no. 19 on Top Independent Albums. His second album Genius was released on July 14th, 2009.
His EP was released on 17th May 2011 June it was featured on Winnipeg’s Most second single Forgive Me. May 15th, 2012 released his fourth studio album Kickin and Screamin it became his highest charted album on the Billboard 200. It featured Tech N9ne as well as Twista, Chamillionaire, T-Pain, Twiztid, and Rittz.
November he released his second Ep, Neh`mind. The song Damage made the lead single which was featured alongside Snow Tha Product. A video was shot and released on YouTube and received 100, 000 views in two weeks.
Krizz fifth album Son of Sam was released on August 27th 2013. It featured appearances from Tech N9ne, CES Cru, Kourtney Leveringston, IcyRoc Kravyn, and his wife Crystal Watson. The album debuted at number 56 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 8,000 copies in the United States.
On April 8, 2016, Kaliko released his sixth studio album, GO. Unlike his previous albums, which were predominantly hip-hop, GO is his first R&B/pop album. The album features labelmates Tech N9ne, Stevie Stone, Rittz, CES Cru, Wrekonize & JL B.Hood. It went on to chart as the #4 Rap album on Billboard and #28 in the Top 200.
Krizz Kaliko Vitiligo
Krizz was diagnosed with Vitiligo a medical condition which the skin has smooth white patches on various parts of the body. This is caused by loss of the natural pigment of the skin. Krtizz came to use the name of his condition on his debut album.
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Krizz Kaliko Interview
The Source: Listening to GO, I was blown away. I had no idea you could sing like this. What made you want to do this record?
Krizz Kaliko: That’s a crazy record, huh? That album is like you’re dancing and your heart is broken at the same time. Some of the stuff that’s positive I love reliving, but some of the negative things I’m forced to relive because of interviews and everything else I do. I talk about it, but it can be a little bit painful sometimes. I feel like I make the sacrifice for fans and other people; new fans and people who have been with us forever. I feel like I make that sacrifice with my music.
It gives the listener a lot of insight into who you are as a person. Was that kind of the idea behind it?
That’s exactly the idea—to be more and more transparent. It’s a sacrifice I’m making. I’ve grown up as a Christian guy and I’m not sure where I am with my Christian faith anymore, but if you believe Christ existed at all, it was a sacrifice—not the dying part, but going out on a limb and saying what you believe is a sacrifice for other people to learn and grow from it.
“Stop the World” is a tough one. You lay it all out on the line. It’s clearly addressing suicide and depression. What was going on that propelled that song to come to light?
Just going through things I go through—like life and relationships. It takes you up and down while going through mental things I go through, which is something I’ve openly talked about—from having trauma as a kid to my young adult life to everything I’ve gone though. I’ve even had some exams done on my brain, where I found out my chemicals are off. The good part is it makes me ultra-creative. My mind was taking me on this trip earlier this year and I felt like I was seconds away from…you know, I was trying to get help. I was trying to get help with therapy and all that. I was really close to feeling like this wasn’t the place for me anymore. The blessing is I can write about it. I have a way of putting all of those things into song form. It is what you hear on GO.
Right, and you wouldn’t have true to yourself. It’s so authentic you can’t help but to feel it.
And I mean it. We’ve been selling it on the road the last couple of days and fans have been coming up to me just crying. Everybody online has been telling me that, too. A buddy of mine who customizes all of our cars, who I’ve known forever, text me the other day saying, ‘I can’t believe you have me in tears over here. I hate you [laughs].’ I was like, ‘Man, I was just writing my life.’ I’ve ben getting text after text saying they can’t believe I can do music like this.
I can’t either. It’s like you’re an undercover Michael Jackson [laughs].
That’s what everyone’s been saying all day—even about the album, not just about the video. You know what’s really weird? I fell asleep last night in front of the T.V. on the tour bus. Our big homie and security guard Muggs watches all this death and destruction stuff. I woke up and he was watching Autopsy and it was about Michael Jackson. It’s funny because everything they were saying about his last days, I identified so much with it. I went to bed dreaming about it. I woke up and I was like, ‘Damn there’s so much Michael Jackson in my head.’ It kind of creeped me out.
How does it feel for it to finally be out in the world?
I’m really excited about the release, but I was kind of sad to that day, too and I was like, ‘Why?’ I think it’s because I see a lot of him in me. For a lot of diff reasons—creatively and the medications he was on. I knew every single one. I took ‘em all. Only thing I didn’t take was demerol. I’ve taken all of that other shit. I even took propofal when I had knee surgery. I never allowed myself to get hooked on prescription medications even when my brain was telling me to. My brain was telling me drugs and alcohol would get me over the hump. I don’t think that’s what the universe has in store for me. I’m stronger than I think. I just start eating organic food and working out instead. I have children. That’s the most important thing.
Yeah, you want to be around for them.
I do because I lost my daddy when I was a little kid. I feel like I got cheated. I want to be there for my kids.
I totally get it. Once you get to a certain age, you’re like, ‘Oh wow I’m not immortal?’
Exactly.
It’s very interesting you started off the interview the way you did because I remember interviewing Tech right after K.O.D. came out and that was a super dark record, and he said it was really hard reliving it over and over again any time he’d talk about it or perform it.
We talked about that. We always talk about that kind of stuff. When he was going through it, we talked about it. I’m with him every day. He’s literally 20 feet from me right now. We only live separate lives when we’re in Kansas City. He’s a single dude and I’ve got a family. I’m at Little League games and changing diapers, so it’s a totally different life when I don’t have to be Krizz Kaliko. I mean, I always have to be, but you know what I mean.
Right. There’s a difference between the artist and the man.
Absolutely, but not much though. My art imitates my life.
Especially on this record. There’s not much more you can say. I feel like I know you more than before I listened to it.
You do. Everybody does.
I think it’s super brave. How were you feeling the day before it came out?
I was living with that music for awhile. I knew what was coming my way. I knew anyone that interviewed me was going to ask about anxiety and depression, and mental health issues. I’m getting ready to do Sway in the Morning and I know that’s going to be the first thing he’s asks me about. It’s just crazy because I don’t want to be known as some psychotic dude, but I want to bring awareness to mental health issues. It doesn’t mean I’m a maniac. Life happens to people. Trauma happens to people that creates negative thought processes in your brain. They can throw off chemicals in your brain where you’re suffering constantly, which is what happens to me.
Does it scare you?
I feel like my brain is saying go do drugs, commit suicide, get on alcohol, but that’s not for me. It’s for me to go through these things and paint the pictures for the people so they can party with my pain.
You are talking to the world. Why do you think it’s so important to get this message out there?
I can’t remember where I was, but a fan told me they loved my message in my music and that I talk about issues nobody else talks about, but there’s never a solution at the end of my songs. They said, ‘If I was suicidal, I would probably still do it because you don’t have a solution.’ I was like, ‘Damn, there’s no resolve.’ When I was doing “Stop the World,” I was like I just cant’ leave ‘em like this. I remember Tech having that message to mentally disturbed to his album. I snatched the vocals to his song and put it on mine. I went to his house and played it for him. He was really tripped out. After my mother heard the album, she called me saying how sorry she was. I told her I might be a bit of a sacrifice. And said, ‘Mama, don’t worry. You don’t know how much my music helps people.’ I feel glad I’m able to do this.
The more I talk to you the more I admire you.
Thank you. The music is going to find its way to people. I feel like it’s God’s order for me to do this. I don’t even have to blast it to people. It’s going to find its way to the people and it’s going to be the biggest shit ever.