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Shawn Chrystopher’s tale is far from the typical rap story. While many rappers glorify stories of crime, Chrystopher’s chronicle is the exact opposite. “I was always the kid on the honor roll, so when I told people I was rapping, they’d be like, ‘What?!?’ I could never go to the hood niggas and get beats,” laughs the rookie rapper/producer.

Chrystopher was raised by a single mother in Inglewood, California. His love for music began when his mom placed him in an afterschool program where he learned to play the drums. From there, Chrystopher’s passion for music only grew. He added the piano, trumpet, and saxophone to his repertoire and joined the school band. Influenced by groups like Kris Kross and Bone Thugs N Harmony, he also began rapping.

He graduated from high school in 2003 at the age of 16, earning a full scholarship to the University of Southern California. And on the music side, he taught himself how to produce, mix and master his own music. He soon found that being a full-time student and an aspiring rap artist were tough acts to juggle. “My schoolwork became mediocre because I was focusing on music so much,” he remembers. “I had to make a decision.”

Needless to say, Chrystopher choose rhyme books over textbooks. He spent the next two years crafting his sound and studying the success of artists he admired.

“I sat back and watched who got hot,” he begins to explain. “I studied [rap] like I did my school work and tried to figure out where I could fit in. I went to school in 2004, and that’s when 50 [Cent] was hot. I’m like the exact opposite of 50. So, I had to sit back and wait for music to change. And once it started to shift, you started seeing everybody going the Lupe [Fiasco], Pharrell way; people on TV started to look like me. And I’m like, ‘Okay, now I’m ready.”

He began leaking music on the internet and was soon contacted by Elitaste, Inc., (the management team that reps Interscope artist Wale), who expressed interest in the Inglewood rapper/producer. Chrystopher signed with Elitaste Management, who linked the artist with Lifted Research Group. And in 2008, he released his LRG presented debut mixtape, I Wear Glasses. His follow-up mixtape I Wear Glasses 2: I Told You So! came in May of 2009 and gained appreciation from blogs and admiration from fans.

Still unsigned, Chrystopher released his debut album, A City With No Seasons, through iTunes in November of 2009. And as he ponders the possibilities of signing with a major, Shawn Chrystopher is confident in a future filled with continued success. 

“2009 was a great year for me, but 2010 and beyond is about to be something ridiculous,” he boasts. “And I know everybody says that, but I really have a great feeling of what’s about to happen because of what has already happened. This won’t be the last time you hear from me.”

Words by Randy Roper
Photos by Brian Tampol