When it comes to pure Hip Hop production with ranges in soundscape from gritty to jazzy, and harmonic, with intricate melodies and diverse drum beats, there aren’t many more renowned in the underworld than beatsmith, Khrysis. The Durham, NC producer is signed to Grammy Award winning super producer, 9th Wonder’s, Jamla Records imprint and is one of seven producers on the labels production team, The Soul Council.
He began his career in 2003 as one of the main in-house producer’s, along with 9th Wonder, in the Hip Hop collective, The Justus League with membersLittle Brother, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Median, Chaundon, Edgar Allen Floe, Ceasar Comanche, and Sean Boog. Later, he and rapper Sean Boog would go on to form a group themselves, known as The Away Team releasing their debut albumNational Anthem (2005), followed by Training Day (2007), before the Justus League disbanded.
During his time in Justus League he engineered some of Hip Hop’s most notable and classic releases like The Minstrel Show, The Chittlin Circuit, …And Justus For All, and Get Back by Little Brother, and Foreign Exchange’sConnected and Grammy nominated Leave It all Behind.
In addition to producing Justus League artist, he also produced for artist such as Sean Price, Masta Ace, Smif-n-Wessun, Buckshot, KRS-One,Evidence, Jean Grae and more, and released two solo mixtapes in a series titledKhrysis On The Boards With The Heat; which would become his slogan as a result of of his standout production. In 2007, he was chosen by Nike to create the soundtrack to the documentary LACED, celebrating 30 years of Nike’s association with Basketball.
In 2010, along with Away Team member Sean Boog, Khrysis joined 9th Wonder’s Jamla Records label and production team, which he is currently an active artist. He has since released Scars & Stripes (2011), the final album byThe Away Team, an instrumental album, fUnkwhatchuheard (2012), and an EP with labelmate ADD-2, Between Heaven and Hell (2013); mixed, produced and mastered entirely by Khrysis. He continues to build his astonishing catalog of production credits, and ear for mixing/mastering with his labelmates Rapsody, GQ, HaLo, ADD-2, Actual Proof, Big Remo, Heather Victoria, and TP, while preparing for his upcoming release Khrysis On The Boards vol 1.
Most recently, outside of Jamla, he has contributed his production genius toTalib Kweli’s Gutter Rainbows (2011) and Gravitas (2013), Phonte’s solo albumCharity Starts At Home (2011), and provided the entire soundscape for Chicago emcee Verbal Kent’s (Ugly Heros) solo project Sound of the Weapon(2014). He is currently working on side projects with west coast emcee/producerOh No and Heiro’s Del the Funkee Homosaipan. He also has worked withKendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, De La Soul, Redman, Problem, and Bad Lucc, while growing as an engineer mixing and mastering for Jamla, and most recently Virginia based rapper Mad Skillz.
When it comes to pure talent and skill, it’s not a hard bet that Khrysis is on the path to be one of the best beat makers of our time, he’s already known to many in the underground as such. Legend and super producer 9th Wonder won’t even hesitate his praise saying, “He is a way better beat maker than I am!”