Rittz

Rittz approaches Southern rap with rapid-fire delivery, sharp humor, and an aggressive stance that echoes the approach of earlier figures such as Eminem and Twista. Early setbacks nearly ended his momentum, yet he persisted long enough to issue his debut project, the 2011 mixtape White Jesus. After joining Tech N9ne’s Strange Music roster the next year, he recorded four studio albums for the imprint throughout the 2010s. By decade’s end he established independence, issuing the 2019 album Put a Crown on It through his own Cli-N-Tel Entertainment imprint.

Jonathan McCollum entered the world in Pennsylvania and grew up in Gwinnett County outside Atlanta. His quick tongue and intricate wordplay earned local notice when he won a contest on Hot 107.9, momentarily placing him on a trajectory comparable to Eminem’s; however, management conflicts and contractual obstacles prevented any label commitment. Discouraged and prepared to abandon the genre, he accepted Yelawolf’s invitation to appear on “Box Chevy” from the 2010 mixtape Trunk Musik 0-60. Subsequent features led to the 2011 mixtape White Jesus and its 2012 sequel White Jesus: Revival. Strange Music finalized the signing late that year and released his first proper studio album, The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant, in 2013. The 2014 follow-up Next to Nothing included contributions from Mike Posner, Yelawolf, Twista, and B.o.B. Posner reappeared on 2016’s Top of the Line alongside MJG, Devin the Dude, and E-40. In 2017 the singles “Dork Rap” and “Indestructible” preceded Last Call, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 43 and contained “Fuck Cancer” featuring Candice Freeman. Two additional collections, White Jesus Loosies and White Jesus Loosies, Vol. 2, surfaced in 2019 ahead of Put a Crown on It. That project showcased Paul Wall, Jelly Roll, Too $hort, and others, and highlighted the single “Wake Up Call” with Yelawolf and Twista.