Abyssinian Creole, the newest demographic category on the national census. But in order to check that box off you'd have to either be Ethiopian and Eritrean or Dominican and Haitian, and hands down, be one of the illest cats on a microphone. But then it's still not even that simple. You'd also have to be named either Gabriel Teodros or Khingz (aka Khalil Crisis), and you'd have to have a man named Kitone working musical magic behind whatever you spit. And since I'm guessing most of you can't fill all of these criteria, then this new cultural group should have a very slim, but talented population.
Standing alone as established emcees with existing followings from Seattle, WA, Khingz and Gabriel put their heads together around 2001 to come up with the idea of forming a crew. The name Abyssinian Creole is a melding of both of their ethnicities to form a unit that exhibits every aspect of them as individuals within an African diaspora. In Gabe's own words...
We didn't get to be really tight homies 'til this trip we went on together to New Orleans in 2001 .... I remember sitting on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Mississippi, talking about how that was the closest we've ever been to both of our people's "homes". And we realized there, how much we had in common, from both losing our mother's tongue, to longing for a home we might not ever be accepted in, to how we grew up in the South End of Seattle, to all the racism we have to face here, to the human beings we both strive to be. We didn't form a group for a few months after that but in my mind, that was the birth of Abyssinian Creole right there.
Both of these able storytellers bring a nice balance to the other, Khingz willingly admitting that he is the "less harmonious" of the two. That is what makes these two microphone masters the perfect match - Gabriel's spiritual approach to an often ugly world, and Khingz also spiritual, but more grimy street ethic. This coupling was only further complimented by the later addition of the inspired musical intricacies of Kitone, and now we have a nice gumbo.
Kitone himself is from the school of cassette tape looping (record, pause, rewind, repeat), in the same spirit of Pete Rock. This humble beginning, matched with a resistance towards structured musical instruction, helped this melody man explore beat-making from the inside out without mimicry. And clearly his musical ear seems to fall right in sync with the cadence and spirit of Khingz' and Gabe's intricate and interwoven lyrics.
Since its inception, Ab Creole has been rocking shows from Seattle to the Bay, from Vancouver B.C. to Brooklyn, getting crowds hyped and ready for the release of their album, Sexy Beast. Sharing stages with the likes of KRS-One, GZA/Genius, dead prez, Hieroglyphics, Fishbone, The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, Aceyalone & Abstract Rude, Immortal Technique, and Zap Mama, I think it's fair to say that this crew is mustered. If you don't believe me, just take a listen to their music, it'll speak for itself. Abyssinian Creole, simple and plain, look for that box to check next time the census rolls around.
