Citi Hampton

My job is to sell you inspiration" says citi with a look of the deepest sincerity, with eyes that are piercing and cold as they are gentle. They exude the subtle confidence of a quiet and humble fearlessness. They tell the story of a man traveled and showcase the soul of a someone who was fallen and has been redeemed. The 27 year old rapper/producer/ singer -songwriter and polymath has decided to take a break from his vigorous schedule of writing, recording and producing, as well as hobbies that include things such as Tai chi and mer-ka-ba meditation to tell his story and give you a first class trip to his traveling mind. ?"Time is an illusion contorted under the subjection of individuals consciousness. I incarnated into this body on the second month of the fourth day in the year of 1986 of the Gregorian calendar. Prior to that my soul existed in the bosom of the All and it is well over 76 trillion years old" Its this kind of new wave space age futuristic philosophy that has led some people to consider Citi a weirdo or a Hipster a loser or genius but all of which embody the essence of his way of life, the tao of the Dropout. ?
Born in Nassau County, Long Island, to two ordained Christian ministers who made ends meets by taking trades as a custom tailor, and a nurses aides respectively. As a child people always considered him different, a child aloof who always seemed lost in his own world. While his friends who lived in his housing project complex building were outside playing basket ball, tag and hide and seek, he would stay inside and rummage through his fathers book and record collection Listening to everything from Bob Marley, to Curtis Mayfield, to Fela Kuti while reading books such as Kahlil Gibrans The Prophet but it was parents divorce at the age of 12 that made Him want to try his own hand at creative expression. He began writing poetry as way to cope with the pain of his family breaking up. Those poems turned into rhymes and at 17 he began producing beats and starting coming up with full fledged songs.

"my music is about is about love, life, righteousness, and royalty because I believe if you love life and live righteous you can become royalty I experienced alot of hurt and been through of alot of things that couldve drove people crazy in the process to complete this album. From living in poverty and dodging eviction notices, from having to deal with the people I work with trying to sabotage my career by deleting my masters recordings of this project, My girl leaving me. The process of finishing this album made me a man. I was able to take the dreams of a Ghetto child and use them to build the vision of a man living life in search to become a king. ?
Citis Debut Album The Traveling Mind Of Citi Hampton is a sixteen song opus with exception to two songs was entirely written and produced by Citi. It is aimed to spark conversations, Kush rolled joints and your Consciousness. These songs tell the story of a man filled with hope and faith who knows hes a child of a force that is greater than him but also battles with the finite struggle of his own mortality. He learns the universal law that what goes up must come down , As so above as so beneath and in all life is simply a school and some individuals are smart enough to learn through observation and some are brave enough to learn through experience. Each song is a testament to his journey. You hear it in The rebellious war cry of Zone out as well in the cosmic swag of Here I go(the introduction) where in the opening lines he bodly declares the revolution will be digitized/ I rather give my own life than let the mission die/ Im in the sky watching heaven and hell intertwine showing bitch niggas the exit sign in my enterprise/ ?
The sound is warm and embracing, as it is abrasive and sonically borrows influences and inspirations from Genres ranging from hip hop, soul and progressive pop music that make for Interesting and ear opening experience to say the least I made this album for the dreamer and for those who sometimes feel as if they are a prisoner of circumstance or of the past or simply their surroundings. Thats why I experimented and tested the boundary sonically and lyrically to show people they can let go and let their mind be free because now is the time, the Future is now so Tune in, Turn on, and Dropout.