Crumm

In CRUMM youll find a deeply complex individual whom life has provided its fair share of struggles. With both West Indian and southern roots, he is able to borrow from these uniquely different rhythms and produce a sound that is unlike anything the world has heard before. The self-described "unpredictable" person is a melting pot of different types of artists. Influenced heavily by Outkasts uncanny ability to take calculated chances, CRUMM wants to create a new genre of music. In a market that has rendered lyrical ability secondary to thumping beats, he wants to challenge the current paradigms that say, "The South ain't talkin about much." An old soul, his music is filled with raw emotion and the lyrical storytelling of yesteryear. This wordsmith is guaranteed to change the industry's perception of what to expect from the talent below the Mason-Dixon Line.CRUMM aka Oliver Ottley III was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia. Naturally crafty with his words, he started off writing poems in high school as a means to charm the ladies. A talented two sport athlete, it was always assumed that he would go on to a career in sports. His first stop on his collegial journey took him to South Carolina State. There on a full athletic scholarship for Track and Field, music was not yet a major part of his life. The rigorous demands of the athletic program required that all other aspirations take a back seat. As time went on, running track was slowly losing its appeal and the motivation to excel in this arena was waning. With a sponsorship contract from Puma on the table and a whole family in the background thinking that he'd made it, he felt very conflicted when he became consumed with a burning desire to forgo his education. After one year in South Carolina, CRUMM moved onto a small junior college in Texas. This move proved to be pivotal and it was there that the artist he has become emerged. Screwed, a slowed down form of music with its memorizing rhythm and pulsating beats, was the sound of the region. His arrival into this new world made him realize that he really had to step his game up if he was going be respecected as an artist. The local scene was full of phenomenal freestylers who were not above sending an emcee packing if their skills were not up to par. Freestyling is one of the most difficult forms of flow. It really taught me how to keep the thoughts flowing continually. There for a little over a year, his overall skill level increased ten fold and before he knew it people were coming out the woodwork to prove they were better than him. The search for new opportunities and the birth of his son, made his return to Georgia inevitable. Trading his cleats for beats, he decided to apply his full energy into exploring the possibilities of a music career.Not at all afraid to go against the grain and ignore the traditional southern formula, CRUMM is on a mission to restore some of the traditional values that once constituted HipHop. Creating Riches Using My Mind (CRUMM) is not only the name, but also the motto. The consummate perfectionist, he thinks about not only what he is talking about, but how his message is going to be perceived. "Thinking is one of the hardest things to do. Thats why a lot of people don't participate." When asked about how he wants to be seen, he says with conviction that he wants to be seen as a Renaissance MC. "Putting together thoughts that you must be responsible for, is a hard job" remarks CRUMM. I think that is the biggest difference between a rapper and an MC. A rapper does just that-- he raps or talks. An MC is the keeper of the culture." He knows that he shares responsibility for what becomes of this art form and takes his job very seriously. This philosophy lends further proof to the reality that just because one is from the "block" does not mean that they must possess a "block" mentality. Nor should he be allowed or comfortable with using that as an excuse. It is his belief that through music an artist is immortalized forever, "That is how you leave your legacy. With timeless subject matter, his songs will be as relevant 10 years from now as they are today. His music is filled with meaning that both the streets and music lovers the world over will embrace.The flow is quite southern, but the word play is very much characteristic of his brethren in the North. With an emphasis on lyrical content, it's no surprise that he has found the greatest acclaim for his current body of work in the North. "In the South, lyricism often falls on deaf's ear." In his music, he chronicles life from his window sill. With a hustler as a daddy and a Christian for a momma", there exists in him a balance that is missing from much of the music today. The internal conflict that exists within one from this upbringing comes through loud and clear via his verbal prose. "Music is a very hypocritical sport. No one gets in this business to not make money. If that were the case no one would sign contracts. The difficulty occurs when one tries to balance their core beliefs and marketability." Though deeply introspective and wise beyond his years, he is not above making tracks that the club deejays will embrace as well. As evidenced by the success of his two mixtape releases, Trouble and Apologize (Street Mix), the streets are now ready for his full length effort to drop.His resume includes opening for Young Bloods and Lil John (Paine College Homecoming) and performances in San Diego (CA-Cantos Street Fair), Las Vegas (NV), Baltimore (MD), Augusta and Atlanta (GA) and U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as finding the time to work with super producer Dallas Austin, good friend Orlando Jones and their "Gangstir Rock" movement, a supergroup formed in late '05.Next on the horizon is the release of his first solo CD which is entitled, "Was You Ready?", a question directed at all listeners. Was I ready for what?, some might ask at first inspection. The album promises to surprise all those who assume have come to expect the same signature southern sound, but who are searching for something different. C.R.U.M.M., trendsetter from the south, ready or not, here he comes. ..