Lyndon Griffith, aka Caspa Narkz, is a rapper who hails from the East New York section of Brooklyn. Enough said – the neighborhood's reputation precedes itself. He grew up fatherless, like many of his contemporaries, and as a young kid he looked to the male actors on TV to provide positive examples of father figures. But don't feel bad for a second – this isn't a story about pity, but about ambition and retribution.
A kid from the streets whose dad bailed – this is the kind of background that can land a kid behind bars. Yet this upbringing can also have the reverse effect and produce an unstoppable drive to succeed. And in the case of Caspa Narkz, that's exactly what has happened – the desire to live a better life, to prove that nothing can stand in his way, and to rub success in the face of the father who didn't hang around long enough to hear him utter his first words. Ironic, then, that words will be his tool for payback. "Basically my whole life at this point is based on revenge for my father leaving me to grow up alone," he says. "I guarantee myself I'll be rich just to give him a taste of his own medicine."
Caspa Narkz's passion for music began at the young age of seven – he and his cousins would take apart radios and make sound systems out of them, battling to see whose was the loudest. This sparked his creativity and love for music, which he began expressing through the form of rap at the age of 14, when his feelings of boredom, anger, and frustration at his life and the people in it began to build up and take the shape of words. After writing his first rhyme he ran straight to his cousin, the best rapper on the block at the time, who thought it was hot. From that point on, Caspa Narkz was writing rhymes and battling kids in school, in a quest to become the best rapper in the neighborhood. It was also in high school where he met fellow rappers Chex Luther and Marvelous, with whom he formed the group Warfare. Caspa Narkz realized his prowess at the mic and began taking steps to bring his music to larger audiences. He started to perform around town and has appeared on several local mixtapes (Warfare, Bullets over Brooklyn, and Misery) and street DVDs (Raw 1, Raw 2, and Raw 3).
Caspa Narkz soon came to the attention of the upstart New York City independent label, Black House Records, LLC. He was signed as the label's first rap artist and has recorded his debut single, "Fitted 2 Da Side." With its tight flow, infectious chorus, and "club banger" track produced by Jay Deasel of Deasel Music (and freelance producer for Chris Styles' Dangerous, LLC), "Fitted 2 Da Side" is an ode to the fitted cap that is poised to become one of the great rap anthems of 2008, popular both in the clubs and on the streets.
When asked about his biggest influence, Caspa Narkz immediately cites Tupac. Personally, listening to Tupac's lyrics got him thinking hard about things such as social issues and race. Musically, his inspiration gave him the confidence and boldness he needed to step up his game.
An equally important influence on his sound has been growing up in New York City, particularly his area of East New York, Brooklyn. "Brooklyn makes you hard man, you know how it is when . . . all your other friends kill, rob, smoke and sell drugs, you automatically fall into that shit and do the same shit," he says. "The only thing that saved me in the end was my ambition to be rich and not f**k around and end up in jail or dead." In his own opinion, Caspa Narkz' biggest strength as a rapper is his versatility. "I can go from being all grimy to all loved up," he says.
To his growing number of fans, Caspa Narkz says, "I just want y'all to support me like I would you, if you were an artist coming out of the hood. As long as my fans ride with me, I promise not let you down – I'll give this music game 100% of my effort just to satisfy my listeners. Trust and believe that there's much more than rapping that I'm capable of, but stay tuned and you'll see what I'm talking about."
With the confidence, determination, and talent that he brings to the table, there is no doubt that we'll all be staying tuned.
Photos by Jerry Ciotola. Design and bio by iKon Promotions.
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