For the Fifth installment of the Charleston Based Art Festival Kulture Klash more than 50 artists showcased work blending multiple inspirations, talents and media.The festival’s original goals: to exhibit what is unique in the Charleston arts scene and to help give the city and the artists the publicity they deserve. With the incorporation of an additional night to highlight the artists in a more relaxed, approachable setting, it seems like the artwork has again taken center stage.There were several places in the enormous warehouse where live painting, photography, and preformances took place. Some of the more interesting points were the Starving Artist gallery where the particpants produced work over the period of a week to see if there would be an effect on the work. Scully Sullivan had a whimsical room set up in which the person or in many cases persons jumped on mini trampolines. When in the air a photo was snapped making the subject look as though they were floating. I got the chance to take one and I must say, it was so much fun, it was like being a kid again. There were several stages one mainstage and two others outside. I caught an energetic preformance from Short Shorts, and the song that I still can't stop humming is O.O.C. The art was definitely the star of the show there was work that was stunningly realistic but after close examination was painted and others that were extremly minimal. One such example was "Concrete" and inch thick slab of concrete casted in a large gold frame. I had to scratch my head at the “The Church of Art Sins,” by Scott Debus and Jarrod Charzewski I just could not wrap my brain around it.
My reason for coming to this event was to see rapping prodigy Matt Bostick aka Righchus and former cipher rival turned super producer Max Berry preform. I did not get to see or meet Max but I was front and center for Righchus's very raw preformance of several song from his album Chaos Theory. I later spoke candidly with the man himself in a Righchus conversation.
A Righchus Conversation at Kulture Klash.
A few weeks ago I was invited to the Righchus Renaissance by friend Trey (Fletcher3)and that was my first meeting with rapper Righchus after listening to your first and latest album Chaos Theory several times I feel like I know you very well.
TFN: Where are you from?
Righchus: I’m from Charleston, North Charleston Acabee, Forest hills area between those two
TFN: Oh I know that area, I go to church in Acabee
Righchus:Oh really what church do you go to?
TFN: Mmmm it’s a long name, I go to New Tabernacle 2nd Missionary Baptist Church.
Righchus: Oh cool my grandma, Lives in that area, My mom was in graduate school for nursing so I spent a lot of time with my grandma. My mom lives in Forest Hills so I stay with her sometimes too, I would stay with either of them.
TFN: Ok, Cool…In your raps or shall I say verses, you say “in the streets” quite a bit what do you mean by that?
Righchus: Its like to different worlds like when you collaborate the world how you and I know it the corporate and compared to the streets the streets has it own corporate world within illegal matters but when I say in the streets I refer to those people who don’t get off there streets, outside of Charleston that’s all they know so the things that they know are just different. They aren’t exposed to a lot of the things that we are exposed to.
TFN: Ok When did you get started rapping?
Righchus : Third Grade.
TFN: Third Grade?!
Righchus: Third Grade.
TFN: Really?!! What was that first verse about?
Righchus:I don’t even know something about mouse, house, couch…ouch…I dunno.
TFN:Oh Ok Cat in the Hat lyrics, Ha Ha…
For me my favorite song on the album is “definition of greatness what in the song I feel like your defining yourself as a person can you define yourself as Righchus the rapper, Who is that?
Righchus: Ummm Its… I’m glad you asked this question it’s two different people the person is more like uh I have problems like every other person in the world but the rapper just kind of express the problems of that person through music, therefore people can relate to those problems we are all human so we tend to have the same problems you know and the problems only differ by what class we may be in, lower, middle, upper but sometimes those classes don’t make a difference because some one in the upper my have the same problem as the on in the lower class may be going through its just about Righchus being the person that expresses the problems and as a result allows listeners to relate, Oh hey I go through that too, or I have that problem too. Its Honest!!!
TFN: And that’s the wonderful thing about music everyone can get something out of it because its universal. I LOVE HIP HOP MUSIC but I have friends of different races that also love it so its all the same.
Righchus: So that the beauty of it.
TFN: Why are you “The Modern Martin Luther King”, you said that in one of the songs on the album?
Righchus: OHHHHHHHHHHH I don’t want any one to take that the wrong way. Because I don’t think that I’m nowhere near or could ever be near what he did, Martin Luther King was just a person who stood out in his time period and to revolutionize and became an icon for what he did for the people at the time and for that culture. I’m coming up in this street culture of hip hop and in Charleston nobodies doing kind of what I’m trying to do. Charleston is one of the top ten deadliest cities in the nation and the music reflects that, but everyone may not have those problems so therefore I try to provide and alternative I’m on the other side of the spectrum.
TFN: What’s weird is that were kind of from the same area and we don’t come from broken homes and such.
Righchus: Right.Like I grew up in the hood (Acabee) but what does it matter if when I rap I’m saying the same thing as the other artists on the CD rack. So in the modern Martin Luther King line I just want to stand out and make something of our city, there is just so much potential in Charleston music wise and its just not get exposed because it so covered up with all the other bullshit.
TFN: And Kulture Klash is the perfect venue because its mixing so many different cultures.
Righchus: Everybody Everybody I Love it.
TFN: As far as art there is so much variety, there is a box Cathedral in the showroom! Its kind of ridiculous.
Righchus: Yeah I saw that, I saw that ,I was like “WHAT” there is a spoken word room hip hop, rock, alternative… its crazy its what we need.
TFN: When did you start writing the current album and how long did it take to write and how long in terms of production?
Righchus: What’s crazy about the albums is every song with the exception of “Go Hard” was written back when I was seventeen.
TFN: And how old are you know?
Righchus: I’m twenty-one,It took so long because we went to so many studios trying to get recorded and we kept getting rejected and people kept standing us up. So it took about two years to build our own studio and develop the sound quality to where we could release it. Everything on that album was recorded in our own studio
TFN: Really?!
Righchus: Yeah!! A lot of people don’t know that we bought all of that equipment and recorded it all ourselves
TFN: It sound is good!
Righchus: Yeah I think so it’s pretty decent. We had to build that studio to record. A lot of these songs I hadn’t even written down I free-styled a whole lot of that.
TFN: Oh WOW!!!
Righchus: It was a good experience and the writing reflects what was going on with me at the time in my life. Like “Go Hard” I don’t know if it sounds different from the rest of the album because lyrically im at a whole other level now.
TFN: There is one freestyle that you did for the record and just preformed you said “ I go hard like just before masturbation” I … no words
Righchus: Ha Ha, That line was crazy because we were just joking around in the studio and after I said it Max was like “No, we need to keep that!” so we did.
TFN: __Like its so stupid that it just works.
Righchus: Yeah
TFN: What did you learn about yourself after the release of this first album?
Righchus: Um…Man? I learned about work ethics uh and if you want something bad enough you can get it. I really wanted to put this out so I took my self to the limit to expose this an get it out so I just learned that I don’t have boundaries and limits.
TFN: Do you have another album in the works and what’s your direction?
Righchus: I’m putting out a mix tape soon but on Monday (11.9.09) I’m putting out a song from that mix tape. Are you following me on Twitter?
TFN: Im not on Twitter, but I am on Facebook.
Righchus: Your Not?!!
TFN: No, But I follow You on Facebook.
Righchus: Well its gonna be available there as well. It will be up Monday it’s hot and called “Stone Cold”
TFN: Well I do A lot of Sartorial work on my blog as far as style is concerned,Can you just describe your personal style?
Righchus: Well its real simple, If I’m not going out or performing I will basically were some sperry’s , I have two pairs of jeans that’s all I own and some plain solid color t-shirts and maybe a hat to cover my ears up but that’s about it I’m not too crazy. If I’m going on stage I wanna be comfortable.
TFN: Designers?
Righchus: Supra is my favorite.
TFN: Ok
Righchus: Supra and I dunno… I have my own T-shirt line coming out in the Spring its called Krush Klothing.
TFN: Alright that’s what these shirts are Mr Hustle and Mrs. Hustle.
Righchus: Yeah, Those are the samples like a lot of the streetwear designers Johnny Cupcakes, The 100’s, 10 deep, you know those people.
TFN: I actually got the chance to meet him a few months ago
Righchus: Yeah I met him too he’s a real cool person.
TFN: What do you feel best wearing? Obviously jeans right.
Righchus: Yeah some jeans, sneakers
TFN: What is your go to shoe?
Righchus: I Love Supra. I have some wheat colored Supra’s-
TFN: What about the Terry Kennedy joints
Righchus: Those are the ones that I have on right now
TFN: Oh I love those they are dope.What is your go to drink?
Righchus: Red Bull, I don’t really drink a lot.
TFN: Is that what your drinking now.
Righchus: No I had to settle for something else so.
TFN: What’s your go to vacation spot?
Righchus:Miami. No JAMAICA
TFN: I have friends in the Bahamas the Caribbean is great.
Righchus:You know its cool but I have just been there so many times. I really enjoy Jamacia if I can afford it I will go.
TFN: What I have found is to stay with friends because it allows see so much
Righchus:Yeah I have learned that to
TFN: Do you collect anything?
Righchus:I collect a lot of art. I don’t know if you are familiar with Fletcher Williams, Fletcher3
TFN: We go way back
Righchus: He was in Righchus Renissance, he is a great artist and when I say art I mean Music, Photography, Posters all of that I just like to look at stuff because it’s very inspirational to be surrounded by that kind of stuff.
TFN: Oh I definitely agree with that?Are you gonna be buying anything tonight? Have you gotten a chance to look around?
Righchus: I’m gonna go look but I dunno about buying.
TFN: Well I thinks that’s it Thank You so much for taking the time to answer all my questions and I Love Your music. Stay true to yourself and who you are and there is no limit to where you can go.
Righchus: Thank You I appreciate it so much.
Righchus's Album Chaos Theory is available on iTunes.
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I just find this typography interesting. For me this is not commentary on world issues or anything of the sort.
If you see something you don't recognize that means you have homework to do.Écoute heureuse!!!
My reason for coming to this event was to see rapping prodigy Matt Bostick aka Righchus and former cipher rival turned super producer Max Berry preform. I did not get to see or meet Max but I was front and center for Righchus's very raw preformance of several song from his album Chaos Theory. I later spoke candidly with the man himself in a Righchus conversation. 
These are five classic albums that I would say you should have heard by now. I certainly have not always done my homework when it comes to hip hop history but after hearing De La Soul's 3 feet and Rising I get the hype behind this trailblazing trio of socially concise lyricist. The same goes for Mos Def's Black on Both Sides, It literally shines a light on everything that we remember about the late 90's and new millenium.Besides the fact that when I play it now the issues discussed are still relevant which in the case of tracks like "New World Water" and "Mr.Nigga" Erykah Badu's Baduizm is just mind blowing ,Badu pulls you in with her deep beats and melodic harmonies leaving you wanting more. Her newer records have more of a political stance showing her changing interests over the years. Like Water for Chocolate is the album that lives in my heart, I remember first listening to this in middle school, An hundreds of times in college. I was amazed at how deeply I was touched by the lyrics and how my understanding of them changed overtime, Obviously "The Light" is a great song about an enduring love. Other stand out tracks include "6th Sense", "Thelonius", and "Nag Champa". As for Illmatic I think the name speaks for itself.
