CRISTYLE GETTIN IT IN
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Crystal “Cri$tlye” Johnson is without a doubt one of the most talented singer/songwriter/producers on the planet. For years Cri$tlye has been grinding behind the scenes, lending her incredible songwriting skills and background vocals to several music icons including Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey andBeyonce. While the industry knows all about her heavy-hitter talent, Cri$tyle received some well-deserved public recognition at last month’s Grammy Awards when her song “Only Girl in the World” won for Best Dance Record. With a solo project set to drop soon, we guarantee you’ll be hearing a lot more from Cri$tlye. GlobalGrind had a great chat with Cri$tyle about funny experiences she had at the Grammys, where she finds her inspiration, and her favorite pro wrestler of all time. Check out our exclusive interview with Cri$tyle as well as some of her very own photos from the Grammy Awards!
So what were your favorite moments at the Grammys?
Wow… it was amazing. The best moment would be when “Only Girl in the World” won the Grammy for Best Dance Record. Aside from that I really really enjoyed B.O.B., Janell Monae and Bruno Mars’ performance. I thought that was just out of this world. I really enjoyed Eminem and Rihannaand Dr. Dre. They shut it down. I thought Justin Bieber andUsher did a really good job. I enjoyed watching them dance together at the end, I thought that was very cute. And of course Jaden Smith when he came out and did his rap I thought it was just so dope seeing Will Smith and Jada in the audience all happy so that was nice.
We heard you got to hang out with Will Smith?
Well it was a very short moment but it was a moment I will never forget. I was at the Roc Nation pre-Grammy brunch, which was amazing. I got to catch back up with Beyonce I hadn’t seen her in awhile. I got to catch up with Rihanna. It was a great brunch and on my way out I ended up on an elevator with Will Smith and that felt like a Grammy to me (laughter). I told him it was the best elevator ride in my life.
We liked your tweet about what Rihanna said to you at the Grammys… (Cri$tlye’s Twitter: @CRISTYLE_) –
@CRISTYLE_: “Cristyle to Rihanna ‘thank u for singing the crap outta Only Girl!’ Rihanna to Cristyle ‘thank u bitch u wrote it ahhh!’ haaaaaaaaaa !”
(laughter) Yeah she has a way with words. She’s very poetic (laughter).
Were the Grammys the best moment of your career?
Well I have stages so at each stage I have a moment that stands out. There’s the moment when I first got signed as a songwriter to EMI and Jermaine Dupri’s SoSoDef. At that stage that was the biggest moment of my career. And then working with Mariah Carey on “Touch My Body” and six other records on the album, that was a very special moment to me. And then working with Beyonce and doing a lot of records with her. There’s all different kinds of special moments in my career so as of right now where I am in my career winning the Grammy for “Only Girl in the World” was extrememly amazing and overwhelming.
So what first drew you to songwriting music and performing and were you always writing or were you singing first?
(Cri$tyle on the red carpet at the 2011 Grammy Awards)
singing. I’ve been singing since probably about three years old. I used to go to the grocery store with my mom, my dad and my sister and we used to harmonize in the car to old Sam Cooke records and things like that so I started at a very early age just falling in love with music. And way later in life I realized that I could write. I had no idea. I’ve probably been writing professionally for about six, maybe seven years now. It just kind of came out of the blue and it’s been an amazing journey to now have both of them. Singing on one hand and the writing and its amazing how they enhance each other. My vocals are better now that I;m a writer and the writing is better because I can sing the record and it’s just really cool how that worked out.
So how did you originally get linked with Jermaine Dupri?
I’m an Atlanta native and he heard of me from another producer or something and I went to meet him and I just remember meeting him at the studio and he was playing pool and he reached across the pool table and shook my hand and I was like “this is the moment” (laughter). Jermaine Dupri is like the musical President in Atlanta and everyone wants to get to Jermaine. That’s the dream. So just growing up singingXscape records and Jagged Edge records, wearing my pants backwards (laughter) doing Kriss Kross stuff it was amazing for me to finally meet this guy.
UK Ocean
@JD – dude, I’mma keep this short and sweet – may God give you the strength to continue to seek new talent in the music industry my brother. Single handedly pioneered the urban music movement. Good luck with So So and its future. Amen.
The Fastrax
awesome!