Crizzy White Interview
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Crizzy White. I am a singer, songwriter, producer and engineer. I was born and raised in Ohio in the absolute middle of nowhere. From a young age, I've always sang melodies and wrote poetry, but I didn't fully try to start recording my music until I was 14. My first song was made using a webcam in my room after I made a 15 subscriber YouTube special. Ever since then, I've fallen in love with the craft and I wouldn't trade anything in the whole world for the passion I have with music.
Where did your name come from?
I've always hated my real name and in eighth grade an old friend of mine nicknamed me "Lil Crizzy" as my rapper persona. Ever since then I've started going by "Crizzy" in my day to day life. For search optimization reasons, I extended the name to "Crizzy White". I chose White because I had just got done watching Breaking Bad and Walter White is my goat.
Who or what inspired you to start?
I honestly can't pinpoint what pushed me to finally start making music. My first few songs were all jokes but when I experienced my first real heartbreak I used music as an outlet. If I had to place the true inspiration to start, it would probably just be the truest form of self expression I can use.
What’s your favorite moment so far in your career?
My favorite moment in my career is probably when I performed in Boone, Iowa with epitomeoffailure, Tameron, Danny Adventure, xipz, Teddyboi, popularreject and several more of my friends. That night was incredibly special to me as it was not only my first time performing my music live but also I made several deep connections with people I consider family now. xipz and reject were probably the best two people you could do an 11 hour drive with, they're both super funny and easy to get along with. Mac (epitomeoffailure) is a real GOAT for letting me stay at his house before the show. It was an incredible night and I relive it often in my head.
Who is your favorite artist?
My favorite artist often flips between Sewerperson and Quadeca. I love Quadeca's vision for music and I seriously believe he will one day become a household name. As an artist I'm someone who loves to create stories, worlds and characters for my albums and Quadeca is the best artist at that I've ever seen. As for Sewerperson, I am very envious of his drive and honesty as a person. Back in the day he was releasing a new song every other day and it was always better than the last. His work ethic truly inspired a huge chunk of my artistry and for years I would make a song every single day. Now that I'm fully self produced and my living situation is finicky, I can't make as much music as I used to but the drive Sewerperson has still pushes me to work the best I can when I have the chance.
Who is someone who inspires your art that might surprise your fans?
Finding an artist that inspires me that others would find surprising is hard for me because I feel as if I am extremely vocal about the artists who inspire me. At this current moment, I'm working on an album that is very influenced by a lofi psychedelic rock sound and I would say Tame Impala is an influence for that. As for my general sound for most of my singles I think the biggest influences I've had are a fusion of Travis Scott, Quadeca and xipz.
What have you found to be the best way out of a creative rut?
Honestly, everytime I'm in a creative rut I just start a new idea or vision that I scrap until I land something that sticks. I have A LOT of album/mixtape concepts written in my notes that I've done literally nothing with. I never have issues with a creative rut/ideas forming but I do have a huge issue when it comes to the drive of recording any of it. Often most of my ideas don't leave my brain or notes app.
Who would be your ultimate super group? (Any genre)
Lately I've been heavily into the more emo trap sound and it's inspired me to crave artists who normally wouldn't tap into the genre to be a part of it. There's this unreleased Yeat song named "Terrified" and it's absolutely beautiful. If I could make a dream group based on this emo trap genre I would love to get Seejayxo, Yeat, Brennan Savage and Tom Delonge in a group as vocalists. I think the best producers for this sound would be Nedarb, BNYX and Smokeasacc. I love hearing artists out of their comfort zone and the difference in all of their voices would make such a beautiful sound.
How do you approach converting haters into fans?
I try to be my truest self on my social medias and if someone doesn't like me and doesn't see the vision of my art then I don't mind if they never give me the time of day. Certain music isn't for everyone and I'd rather give love to those who care for me than worry about the ones who don't.
Dream collab?
In terms of an unreachable collab I would probably say Travis Scott. I love his psychedelic trap sound and the way he uses autotune is genuinely phenomenal. I think my most attainable dream collaboration is Savage Ga$p. Gaspare and I would make such a good song together, I feel like our voices and flows match each other's very well and out of any other artist in the world Ga$p and I would make the best song.
What’s your favorite accessory or piece of clothing in your closet?
My go-to flexy fit is this King Ice Shadow The Hedgehog chain I bought last year and a Shadow The Hedgehog Hawaiian shirt I often wear with it. I'm a huge Sonic fan and as of late, Shadow has become an obsession of mine. I used to worry about being considered cringe for what I enjoy, but as I age I really don't care what other's think about my interests.
Message to the youth, or those getting started in your craft?
If you're young or just starting get into music then my advice is to just start. Don't push it back for a better setup, make-do with what you have in the moment because it might not be for you. I didn't invest in getting a better microphone or an interface or anything like that for five years into my craft. Find your sound, find your passion and find your drive before you worry about buying accessories, equipment or features. Create first and invest when you're ready.
Where can we find your work? (Shout out social media and/or the work you’re most proud of
If you haven't listened to any of my music before, I truly urge you to listen to my newest full length album "Mountains." It took me over a year to create, tells a full story, fully self-produced and engineered and I couldn't be more proud of it. If you ever want to talk to me, I am most reachable on Instagram @crizzywhite. Shout-out jadedloner and his team for letting me do this interview, I appreciate all of you.