As 2Pac said on “I Ain’t Mad At Cha,” change is good. After four albums — The Life and Times of Johnny Valiant, Next To Nothing, Top Of The Line and the recently released Last Call — Rittz has confirmed he’s leaving Strange Music.
Rittz stopped by the HipHopDX offices in Hollywood, California to chop it up with Trent Clark, Kiki Ayres and Jake Rohn about the new album, his time with Strange Music and moving on from Travis O’Guin and Tech N9ne’s independent juggernaut.
Anytime an artist leaves a label, people are quick to assume there’s some type of turmoil between the two parties. But according to Rittz, the move is strictly about his own evolution as an artist.
“[Last Call is] my last album contractually with Strange Music, but everything’s good with Strange,” Rittz told DX. “I signed a four-album contract with Strange and my contract is up, so it’s time to figure out what to do next. Everything’s good though. Business doesn’t stop running with Strange. We had a great conversation with Travis, with Tech.”
As word of his impending departure spread, Rittz’s fan base anxiously awaited the rapper’s next move. While he did tease the possibility of starting his own label, the “Inside The Groove” MC explained that him, Travis and Tech still plan to do business in the future.
“I’ve been getting a lot of comments from everybody like, ‘What are you gonna do next?’” Rittz said. “Everybody speculates different kind of things, where you’re headed to or is there an issue [with Strange]. It’s no issues, it’s business. Right now, I still do have obligations to be with Strange but my contract is over and I will be leaving Strange. But we will be doing business together. Travis put some opportunities on the table that may work out, may not. We also deal with them with merchandising. And besides that, it’s like family to me.”
As for his swan song, Last Call, the Atlanta-based rhymer wanted to make sure he went out with a bang.
“First of all, with it being the last Strange album, I wanted to go in and give ‘em my all,” he explained. “I didn’t wanna slack at all. Also, I wanted to do this really creatively ‘cause I know what it’s been like in the past to get a single, try to work it. You get let down and you try to put somebody on the record and I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna do it myself and get it done and get it out there. It’s been a great run at Strange, and I’m still here repping Strange. It’s still going down, but this is last call. This is it.”
Check out #DXLive every Thursday 3-5 p.m. PST. Rittz’s Last Call is available through digital outlets and in stores now.
Who?
You’re a clown
Calm down junior. Maybe he really doesn’t know who Rittz is.
Thanks
Sign with Scale-a-ton… So that way you have the best producer in the game making your beats!!
You spelled Stones Throw wrong…
I wouldn’t mind hearing Rittz over some DJ Paul production.
Only rapper on strange that actually made listenable music, the rest were decent rappers but just made shitty music, Ritzz albums are way better than Tech’s
So Brotha Lynch album was trash too? Lynch ain’t wack. Some of the beats don’t match his lyrical skill. He needs a Dre or Daringer or Battlecat type beat. Strange is cool but Shady is where he should be
Don’t get me wrong I think majority of all the artist on Strange currently and former are above average rappers skill wise, flow and lyrics, but the albums are just not good, Like to me Tech has only one decent album, it’s not that they can’t rap it’s the production and subject matter. I don’t think Rittz uses in house production from strange, same with that Jay Rock album his people handle the production made the album really dope.
ritts absolutely uses in house he thanked Seven( strange’s music in house producer) for the production on the album
rittz is a slumamerican its rite that he goes to shady records because of yelawolf
Remember though it was because of Yelawolf that Rittz even had the opportunity to be signed by Strange
That part I gotta agree with you. I’m not a Tech groupie. I only liked The Noose and Psycho Bitch
Tech’s last good project was “Something Else”. After that, he became a one trick pony and his music got stale rather quickly.
I agree
If I had to guess why he is leaving (other than the fact strange may be eating a lot of his royalties and he is a perfect candidate for being independent) is because he wants to put out music much more quickly.
This guy should be firing singles like a machine gun waiting for one to hit the target!
I see you on this one but strange is pretty good for that sort of thing, the only time I could see that happening is when other artists were prepping there releases tech might of been like “hold up on that one, this guy needs his hype first” which could of been enough to push him away. I’m thinking it just makes sense for rittz, if you look at him when he signed to strange till now, he has grown tremendous amounts and has far more opportunities as an/a (fully) independent artist then he would of initially. We’ll see man totally could be about quantity.
When u can rap like rittz, write like rittz, perform like rittz, or do any of the things rittz can do and how well he does it, then u have every right to diss, but I don’t know any song with millions of views, or an album or ANYTHING from a guy named trill. So stfu
Glad to see this dudes finally gna cake out like he should. You knew he was gna jet from Strange cus every record he updates his record sales and said he wont ever get a dime for a album sale. I can see why thats the model when Tech was the only one selling. When Rittz dropped Next 2 Nothin I knew he was def gna get bigger than Tech…white privilege? Lol. They shouldve gave him a way better deal but they penny pinchers. Now Rittx got that wave and he takin it with and major or not hes outselling most artists.
One name, Kutt kalhoun, but where is kutt now? Exactly. Strange is a powerhouse and rittz can get that money at a major but he won’t get the creative control and his album releases will actually slow down.
So whats next then? Last option is to either team up with someone to start an independent grind or independently grind your own label. His own label doesn’t make sense to me since he doesn’t have rappers or productions under him to sign and market.
I hope he grows and moving on is starting ground to grow but i can’t say I’m not concerned.
you crazy, with a sea of awful rappers rittz is one of the best out right now.
Rittz better stay independent, because signing a label deal? HE’LL END UP IN DEBT AND THEN COMMIT SUICIDE! reverbnation.com/rapmagic
glad hes gone
why??r u saying hes trash or what?i personally think hes a beast