KAMIKAZE
I don’t advise going to the mall in Jackson, Mississippi, with Kamikaze, unless you have some time to kill. It’s a slow process. "Hey, ain’t you that rapper that be with David Banner?" a female stops him to inquire every ten steps or so. Despite the attention, there’s only one word to describe the lyrical half of the Crooked Lettaz duo: humble. He’s got the ride to prove it, too. While most rappers are bragging about 24" rims, Kamikaze is promoting his upcoming album, "Too Broke Too Ball," by posing with his "new" car (he recently sold his ‘79 Chevy Malibu station wagon for $300), a 1991 Ford Crown Victoria, minus the front fender.
You get a headache just listening to Kamikaze describe the struggles, bad label deals, and bad management that he and Banner endured as the group Crooked Lettaz. Their debut album, "Grey Skies," received critical acclaim and was lauded as one of the most slept-on albums of the year (1999) in The Source, but didn’t achieve mainstream success. Their label at the time, Penalty Records, absorbed into Tommy Boy. "We were sitting back watching CNN get their albums done, albums come out, videos, the whole nine. We didn’t have any representation, so it just became a squandered opportunity. We asked for our releases and they let us go. We were neighborhood superstars, but still completely broke. We were right back at square one again." After deciding to pursue solo careers, Banner and Kamikaze each released independent albums, which sold moderately well on the underground circuit. When Banner’s breakout single, "Like a Pimp," found its way onto the Top 10 nationwide earlier this year, you might suspect that Kamikaze harbored some animosity towards his former partner, but there isn’t even a trace of resentment in his voice. "Next thing you know, [Banner’s] got a deal with Universal. I opened my own company, Our Glass Entertainment, and put out my first record. People started calling me and knocking on my door. Mississippi is hot right now. We’re on the radar real big, and it’s just God’s blessing that a lot of people consider me to be the next big cat to come out of here, whether it’s by association or work ethic. It’s always been a competition, so if [Banner] raises the bar to a certain level, I have to raise it a little bit higher. No matter what, we always gonna be linked together. Always. It’s important that we keep the level of creativity up and raise the stakes."
With his single, "U Ain’t Hard," blazing mixtapes, clubs, and airwaves across the South, the offers have been pouring in. "I got Elektra calling me. Def Jam calling me. Atlantic calling me. Sony calling me." Through his past experiences, however, he’s learned not to jump at the first offer. "I know how the game goes. The more I sell independently, the better my situation is when I sign. It was God’s blessing, you know? I think he wanted us to go through what we went through, so that we could be prepared at this stage in the game." - Photo and words by Julia Beverly