KLUTCH: "Thats Mr. GameShifta To You"

By Hard Knock

SM: Let’s start off by introducing yourself to the readers of S.T.I.L.L. Magazine. Where are you from?

KLUTCH: What’s up! I am KLUTCH, Tha Game Shifta born in Dirty Jersey raised in the durty south Augusta, GA to be exact. I am hip-hop artist representing the KattPack Records family. Katt Williams’ record label.

SM: Your handle “Klutch Tha Gameshifta” is rather unique. Break it down…how did you get your name?

KLUTCH: Well man when I started taking my talent as a rapper seriously I sat at my desk at work and wrote down like 15 names trying to find something that fit me as a man and as an artist. I looked up the definitions of “KLUTCH” and I thought they all fit who I am. Klutch in the sense of grasping something and not easily letting go, I hold on to what I want in life and I don’t “let go” I’m not a quitter. Klutch like the apparatus in a car that assists in changing gears, which I think, describes me because I am a very versatile artist and person I’m not a one “gear” type of dude. Also the slang form of Klutch as in sports meaning coming through in a crucial period, (down by 1 with 7 seconds on the clock) if u make that shot to win the game, you made a Very KLUTCH shot..lol!!! I come through when I’m needed and I work extremely well under pressure. As far as “Tha Game Shifta” a close friend of mine named Skinny was listening to a new song a made a long while back and when the song ended he told me “Man you gon shift the game” he took a long pause grinned and said “Klutch, Tha Game Shifta”. We laughed but he nickname jus stuck and everyone has added the tag to the end of Klutch now. I like it!

SM: You’re officially signed to Katt Williams’ label Katt Pack Records and Universal. How did that come about?

KLUTCH: I used to work for Katt as one of his tour merchandisers since his first tour Pimp Chronicles. The 1st tour was all business the 2nd tour (American Hustle) was a lil more personal we would hit the after parties with him and joke around with him back stage a lot more. I also became
close with his whole staff. I gave some of his staff my music and one of his security guards played my music on the tour bus, which caught Katt’s attention. When he found out it was me he thought I would be a good choice as the first solo male hip-hop artist to his up and coming label. Shortly after I was being flown out to LA to negotiate and I was on tour 2 months after I signed. Katt knows what he’s doing…“Believe Me”

SM: I know you did something like 107 cities on tour with Katt and your label mate Xplicit Lyric. What was that experience like?

KLUTCH: It was the experience of a lifetime, to not have an album out and still have the opportunity to perform in front of thousands! Xplicit and I can’t thank Katt enough for allowing us to be a part of history like that. The tour gave us experience, great memories, money, lots of fun and cemented the strong brother sister relationship that I have with my label mate Xplicit and it brought the KattPack Company closer as a whole I think we will do better business because of it!

SM: I understand you didn’t really start taking rap serious until you were about to get out of high school. What lit that spark?

KLUTCH: I have ALWAYS been a fan of music and I have also always been an exceptional writer. I was in advanced English classes all through high school and used to do poetry in my free time as a release from my personal pains. I finally decided to try to put my poetry to music and I wrote my first rhyme to the instrumental of We’ll Always Love Big Poppa, the Lox dedication to Biggie in his passing. The strong and positive responses I got from friends about my first rhymes sparked me to continue and I developed extremely fast and listen to me now! I think I made the right decision? Lol!!!

SM: What does Klutch bring to the game that sets him apart from all the other rappers out there?

KLUTCH: I feel like the whole package that I bring to the game is original, reason being KLUTCH, Tha Game Shifta is NOT a character I play it’s the artistic manifestation of who I am, Nikkar Balkcon. My words are non-fiction. I want to bring back some of the emotion that came along with buying an album. When I fell in love with hip-hop I used to listen to songs that made me laugh, cry, get excited, get angry, and make me think. It seems now that in order to get that emotion I have to GO BACK to those songs because there isn’t much current music out that evokes those emotions any more. The majority of the game now is DDGF=Dance Dope Gangster & Flash. That can be cool but I plan to bring more.

SM: What’s your opinion on the state of hip-hop today?

KLUTCH: I think hip-hop today has gained a lot commercially but lost a lot of integrities Artist used to do what they feel now many of them do what’s “In”. I think the commercial success; the climate of the economy and the love for the dollar has caused many rappers to sacrifice who they Really are in order to get what they Really want. Fantasy and flash has its place in urban music but I feel like its too much fantasy and flash in urban music (especially) hip-hop when there are SO MANY real and vital issues going on in the world and in our personal lives that WE have the power to highlight about and change.

SM: If you could do a track with any artist who would it be? And why?

KLUTCH: Wow, man its so many artists I would love to work with right now but a few on my list would be Jay-Z, T.I, Scarface, The Dream, & Snoop Dog just to name a few. I think all of these are true to themselves; they are original and have staying power in the fickle game we’re in. In addition to doing a songs with them I can definitely learn something from each of these artists and many more.

SM: What’s next for Klutch? When can we expect an album?

KLUTCH: Right now I have a mixtape coming called Extermination Vol. 2, which will be released, online along with a mixtape from my label mate Xplicit Lyric with original music. We are thinking about putting together a small tour after we choose singles for the both of us. We had some things within the KattPack family that caused us to re-evaluate our game plans, definitely not set backs but quality thinking and planning for the future for us as artist and KattPack as a company. We are now on track to get back in the public eye to start showing how hard we have been grinding in the past year. My album should be out by early 2010, but there will be plenty coming from the Katt Pack to keep you all entertained until then! “Believe Me”ß which is also the name of my upcoming album…LOL!!!

SM: Where can fans go to keep up with Klutch?

KLUTCH: Man the fans can catch me everywhere I clown a lot at www.twitter.com/gameshifta I have music, pics & interesting blogs at www.myspace.com/gameshifta video clips at www.youtube.com/jsoulvideo I also am on FaceBook just search “Tha Game Shifta”