Go figure, my first assignment for this website would be from a genre of music that I rarely listen to – hip hop.  I figured the artist would be lucky if I even listened to his work, much less give a positive or invigorating review of it.  However, Chromatics managed to startle my senses with the superior quality and sheer scholastic aptitude which I heard in his work.

My background isn’t in hip-hop, and why should it be? I grew up in Texas, I have red hair, and I cant help but scoff at any artist who considers themselves “post modern” in any light.  Despite all of this, Chromatics presents a characteristic that I haven’t seen out of any music scene in quite some time: courage.

This writer’s journey into the underbelly of hip-hop began in the same place where any modern journey of musical discovery begins: Myspace.com.  Myspace, where any artist with three chords and a buddy list can advertise themselves, featured a complete page about Chromatics, by Chromatics himself (I’ll be kind and refrain from using his real name (Richard)). Myspace paid me a kind favor by immediately playing Chromatic’s “Wont Fall,” which at first sounded like something off the only rap album I’ve ever listened to (Dre 2001, during an 8^th grade make-out party) and forced an eye-roll out of me.  After a few moments a familiar tune kicks in the background and I had to grin a little as I realized Chromatics had brazenly sampled The Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs”.  I start the song over just to make sure I am hearing what I hear and progress into a more critical analysis of Chromatics.

Nothing from the smattering of songs on the myspace page sent me head-over-heels for the genre, but Chromatics managed to get a few more minutes worth of listening time out of me. Born in Trinidad, an island in the south Caribbean, Chromatics bravely couples elements of American hip hop with sounds from the West Indies.  The most notable of the island motifs are in the reggae inspired lyrics and music that is glazed over with calypso.  In other words: music that would easily belong at a resort stop for a cruise-ship.  Or Maybe Bruckheimer would use it to soundtrack an episode of CSI: Miami.

After a thorough listen to “Wont Fall” I listened to what crunkbox.com had to offer.  The most worthy track here is “The Ballad,” where the elements of reggae and calypso are most evident with a rhythmic guitar and mandolin backed by heavy percussion and laid over with spit-fire staccat-ic lyrics. All done while maintaining a minimally threatening soul-like tempo that your girlfriend won’t mind having played next Friday night.

Chromatics’ career started in Trinidad, which is currently home to a sizeable hip-hop movement, and after several stage appearances and free-style performances he released the hit single “Start It” in 2003.  He followed up this success in 2005 with “Put it up” and again in 2007 with Against the Grain, which sold over 1,200 copies in the Caribbean – probably enough to make even Ivanhoe Martin turn a little red.

Even though Chromatics only seems to be known in the tightest of independent circles, there is no doubt that this artist’s popularity could blow right open.  Already Chromatics has established a solid arsenal that is recognizable enough to the hip-hop crowd but at the same time unique enough to prevent him from being lost in the plethora of formulaic hip-hop that drowns the American market. Chromatics’ music doesn’t seem to know any boundaries, and because of this there is no limit to the potential that this artist has.  His unique sampling choices and his blends of reggae/hip-hop allow Chromatics infinite possibilities in just how wide of an audience he would be able to reach. 

Chromatics is set to release another album early 2008 on Highway Records.  More on Chromatics can be found at www.myspace.com/chromatics1 & http://www.crunkbox.com/music/members/173/. More information on HighWay Records can be found at www.musikshed.com.