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