Krizz Kaliko

Rapper Krizz Kaliko first came on the scene collaborating with his fellow Kansas City MC Tech N9ne. In 2007, he made an appearance on the Kottonmouth Kings’ album Cloud Nine. A year later he released his debut solo album, Vitiligo, the title being a reference to a skin disorder that Kaliko suffers from that causes skin to lose pigment in certain areas. In 2009 he returned with the ambitious Genius, a dramatic, dark album featuring a guest shot from E-40. His 2010 release, Shock Treatment, was a much lighter album, filled with club tracks and strip club anthems. Kickin' & Screamin', from 2012, combined the two styles, offering the sweet along with the sour, and T-Pain and Twista as the rapper’s guests. Son of Sam followed in 2013, its title referencing Krizz’s real name, Sam Watson. In 2016, he returned with “Stop the World,” a hope-filled single that focused on depression and the MC’s own battle with mental illness. ~ David Jeffries