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Music

Kris the $pirit Gives Us Some Grown Ass Raps On "Poverty's Paradise"

The Posterz alum strikes out on his own.

Photo by Ryan Jay Kris the $pirit is one third of the Montreal hip-hop rap trio The Posterz, who will be releasing his debut album later this year—a follow up to the 2016 EP Bored In Canada. They've consistently been a festival favourtie, giving engaging high-energy shows. The Posterz even produced some original tracks for the upcoming film BOOST. We're premiering Kris the $pirit's debut "Poverty's Paradise," which features New-York native Gabe Nandez with production by fellow Montrealer Mike Shabb. The track starts out as a freestyle and it is, as Kris the $pirit describes, "some straight hip-hop from the dungeons of rap-type shit." His solo EP will be dropping later this year and so we chatted with The $pirit to discuss the track and how his solo work varies from his work with The Posterz. Listen to "Poverty's Paradise" and read our interview below:

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Noisey: How do you feel like your flow and artistic outlook differs between your work with The Posterz and your new solo work?
Kris the $pirit: With The Posterz I just try to get the right vibe for the song and try to make better, I don't attempt to out rap Nate, or overthrow the music, I just add my touch. With my music I'm able to build the beat, paint the picture, and bring it to life. We always had plans on making solo music it's just The Posterz shit took up so much fuckin time, now I'm able finally to wrap my head around my sounds.

How would you describe yourself, your music, and your style then?
I don't describe my music, it's always different vibes. It's rap but I been tryna build on different things for the EP. My style is just pure spirit, however I'm feeling is what the verse or song gonna be like.

What was your musical upbringing? What did you listen to? What influenced you personally?
I listened to a lot of rap growing up: Biggy, Lloyd Banks, Kanye West. I was just obsessed with all of it growing up. Hip-hop has influenced me greatly growing up as a young kid with no father, always turn to hip-hop I find, it's weird but that what it is.

I read that this track is a cut off a project you were working on last year
but later scrapped. What made you keep this freestyle and turn it into something more?
I just wanna be active. I'm tired of recording music people never get to hear. I wanna create music and put it out, whether it be a freestyle or a whole EP, album, whatever. At the same time, the kid that made the beat… I like his music, so why not. Was this scrapped project also a solo project?
Yeah it was. It was my solo I was working on. Was quite right had to rethink it, it was always in the plans. You said that you didn't want to go through a huge mix & mastering process with the track, how come?
Well it's just a rap song, man. Freestyle oldschool sounding shit from the basement type. I didn't wanna stress it.

What can we expect from your upcoming solo EP?
My sounds, my vibes, my stories, the shit I like.

What do you love about the Montreal music scene? What do people not know about it?
Its young and it's always evolving. We got Husser & Gabe Nandez. We got Speng Squire. We got KGoon, CJ Flemings, Jei Bandit and Joey Sherrett. We coming up man. Mike shabb! So, yeah, we got some flavours.

What can we expect from The Posterz much anticipated debut record?
Grown ass men rapping. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Kate Killet is a writer and documentary photographer living in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter.