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When most people talk about Texas rap, the conversation immediately turns to the slowed down, slabbed out country rap culture that began percolating some two-plus decades ago in the sweaty swamps of The Bayou City (aka Houston, TX). Outsiders whom are aware of the wealth of talent and musical diversity hailing from the lesser known reaches of The Lonestar State (just beneath the shimmering surface of the 'Everythings Big In Texas' rap scene) are few and far between.There is one emcee who is not satisfied with the status quo; cannot make peace with the idea that a rapper must sacrifice the heart and soul of their art form or conform to the trends dominating the national Hip Hop landscape in order to succeed. That person is Austin, Texas emcee: The Culprit."I was the youngest of six, so I have pretty much had the finger of blame pointed at me all of my life." says The Culprit when asked why he chose the name. "Somehow that seemed to carry over into school and the neighborhoods where I grew up. It was really disappointing to see how low everyones expectations were of me. It was enlightening also. I became gradually more detached from the idea of school and trying to integrate with society. Eventually, I started writing down my own rhymes and just got addicted. When I would spit my written verses, a lot of times guys would just tap out right on the spot. Everyone I crossed paths with respected what I was doing from the very beginning, so there was a lot of outside motivation and reinforcement all along. I grew up all over the world. I never stayed in any one place long enough to become completely immersed in their little local and regional rap styles or habits. I finally settled in Central Texas, but I still felt boxed in. In '99 I finally made the move to Austin."The move paid dividends almost immediately. After recording a primitive demo, The Culprit got his first record deal with Mentally Twisted Records alongside (now) Austin rap vets VIP. The deal wasn't the right situation, but it did help garner support from local radio station KAZI and led to hundreds of shows, from the historic Juneteenth celebrations, SXSW, the old school Jump On It! shows presented by Austin rap veteran, Nook, major car shows, and opening for most of the national and regional acts that came through Austin in the mid-2000's. He's provided support for everybody from De La Soul and Digital Underground to Lil Jon and Scarface. His face often pops up in far less traveled circles, having been spotted as far away from home as Missouri, Colorado, Arkansas, every major and medium size market in Texas, often heavily. "I have slept in the truck, stood out in the sun selling CDs and Merch and got the worst sunburn you can imagine at the Texas Heat Wave, you name it. I keep it pretty low key, but I'll just let it be known, I definitely dont get credit in a lot of circles for doing the amount (and caliber) of shows and performances that I have."The Culprit does not plan on being overlooked much longer. He has paid dues over the years and like a wise man, never got ahead of himself, a pitfall many aspiring artists have faltered into. ---"Theres a creative recession right now and we are the creative stimulus." ~The Culprit
photo by OG Bootleg
SAMPLE TRACKS IN PLAYER // CLICK COVER TO D/L
The Culprit - Straight Jacket Radio v1 (Double CD / 2009)
Killer Smoke + Vice N Mic Trey
Tired Eyes
Friendly Enemy
Far Away Place
Problem Causer ft Chad Locc
Hold Ya Breath ft Mossberg
The Culprit - The Great & Terrible Mind of Lucifix (CD 2010)
Lucifix Returns
Greatness ft Gerald G
The Culprit & Mossberg - Grand Theft Audio v1 (CD 2010)
Wander vs Portishead
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