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Peace Pittsburgh Ppl,
For your consideration, we have what promises to be a memorable Thanksgiving Eve event at brillobox. This is my first time back at the venue in quite some time and I’m joined by my homie, current Stones Throw Records artist, Atari Teenage Riot member and official Saul Williams tour DJ, CX KidtroniK. I’m scaling back from producing and promoting my own events next year, so there will be far fewer opportunities to hear me DJ in 2013. I have several gigs between now and then and I hope that you can make it out to this one! Some of you are already familiar with CX, while some of you are not. Here goes some CX KidtroniK background info for those of you who are not.
Thanks for reading!
– J. Malls
CX refers to Pittsburgh as the only city that he’s ever been in “every single year” of his life. The current Brooklynite was raised in Madison, WI, but his family ties bring him back to the Burg annually to visit for the holidays. His father, a former member of PA’s House of Representatives, is a board member at CMU and his relatives owned a popular local BBQ spot, Boykins Restaurant, which was located in East Hills.
CX was a one-time member of the Hip Hop iconoclasts, Antipop Consortium who eventually disbanded spawning the trimmed down version of the group, Airborn Audio. The variations of the group released records on a variety of labels, including the UK-based Ninja Tune imprint, throughout the early half of the 2000’s. While CX collaborated with both versions of the group, he is not featured on those recordings.
It wasn’t until 2006 that CX signed with the NYC-based Sound-Ink label who released his debut LP, KraK AttacK. The album features a long list of contributors including Angelo Moore of Fishbone’s alter ego Dr. Madd Vibe, legendary NYC emcee Rammellzee (featured in the original Hip Hop film Wild Style), High Priest (of Antipop Consortium/Airborn Audio), 90’s underground Hip Hop veteran MF Grimm and many, many more.
He contributed to twenty-five plus percent of Saul Williams’ 2008 LP, The Inevitable Rise And Liberation of Niggy Tardust. His production credits feature collaborations with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, who he’s also done some touring with. His affiliation with Williams dates back to the early 90’s while they attended Morehouse College together in Atlanta, GA. At that time Williams was a dancer for CX (then known as Brother Christopher X)’s group, K.I.N. K.I.N. fans from these early days reportedly included a young Lil Jon as well as Andre 3000. CX, who’s currently Williams’ official tour DJ, has been on the road with him for years. It was also in 2008 that he toured with Pittsburgh’s own, Girl Talk.
In 2009 Kanye West invited CX to a recording session in Hawaii. The results of the session became the Consequence single “Whatever U Want” featuring West, as well as John Legend on the hook.
He also signed with LA-based Hip Hop connoisseurs Stones Throw Records in 2009, who released his picture disc single “Black Girl White Girl” b/w “Wild Kingdom.” His sophomore LP Krak Attack 2: Ballad Of Elli Skiff is still in anticipation featuring cameos from the likes of Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), MF Doom, Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets) and more.
In 2010 he was featured on the single “Activate!” by the German digital hardcore group Atari Teenage Riot, who reunited the previous year. Since then he’s been a regular member of their live line up, which played European music festivals extensively in 2010 and 2011.
For more corroborating factoids check out his official artist page at www.stonesthrow.com/cxkidtronik. RSVP for the Facebook event page at: www.facebook.com/events/286751901442434