“When you first come in the game they try to play you”… Jay-Z’s line best describes the feelings of a new artist, and one of the newest additions to the world of Soul, Krissy Krissy. Mentored by Slaughterhouse rapper Joell Ortiz , she is a Brooklyn native, songwriter, artist, and guitarist. Krissy Krissy fights to stay true to herself in a male-dominated and often criticizing industry. Recently dropping her new EP, Above All, AllHipHop.com sits down with the ambitious singer to chop it up about what motivates her and her music. Background: When Krissy Krissy was a little girl, she would get behind the pulpit at church, hype up the crowd with a lot of “Come on everybody! Get your hands up!” in a voice soulful beyond her years, and belt out Fred Hammond or Kirk Franklin songs so hard that the veins in her head would bulge, her face would turn red, and the congregation wouldn’t know what hit them. Not much has changed since then. When the 23-year-old Pop/Rock artist sings, that same guttural passion still shows on her face and her audience is still dumbstruck at this “little White girl with soul,” as she was so oft described. Except today, instead of doing it at the church in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood that she grew up in, she’s singing it out to millions nationwide via MTV, Logo, iHeartRadio, and YouTube, thanks to her summer hit, “Dream”. The single is the first from her debut EP, Above All, which is a Freshman Pick on MTVu, a “NewNextNow” featured video on Logo, and a Top 10 hit on iHeartRadio. AllHipHop.com: How does Hip-Hop influence your music? Krissy Krissy: I believe Hip-Hop writers are very conceptual, they tell a story, and I’m a big fan of storytelling. Which is why, I’m a big fan of Jay-Z and Joell Ortiz who is a part of our camp as well. Within three minutes, they are able to tell you the story of their life and I feel like being a songwriter that should be evident to. So I take that craft from rapper and put it in my music, although I don’t rap the ability to tell a story is in my music. AllHipHop.com: What is the hardest thing for you to tackle every day when you wake up? Krissy Krissy: Every day is a gamble; every day is taking a chance. Especially now in the line of business I’m in. You never know what’s accepting and what’s not. I guess the biggest gamble is for me to continue to be myself, even when society wants to change you to be a little prettier or be a little bit more feminine. My everyday me is cargos in a white tee to society that may not be accepted. Every day pushing pass the criticism. It’s hard. This music industry is hard it’s a lot of opinions and a lot of people trying but it’s very few stars. I enjoy being myself. AllHipHop.com: Why do you sing? Krissy Krissy: I was raised in a musical family, my father was a man of faith, and he was a pastor. All six of us [sung]. The apartment that we lived in wasn’t really safe to go outside, so we stayed in the house singing, while my father played the guitar. My father taught me how to play the guitar. Then we would go to church on Sunday’s. I was the first they asked to join the choir, you had to be 25 and I was 13. I would sing all the big records; they took me on trips, I would sing in prisons, etc. I just continued to pursue that. I knew that I was changing; I didn’t feel comfortable, singing to the same type congregation, who kept trying to put in this type of box. I started hitting the karaoke bars, doing competitions, and I would win. It started when I was younger. I really mastered my church. AllHipHop.com: Tell us more about your new project. Krissy Krissy: The EP is called Above All, which was inspired by my father. My father passed away a year ago Nov 4. All the records on there are based off love. Dream is about the love of music, maybe it is about wishing you could have loved someone better; your love is about the perfect love made for you, and Broken Glass is about loving yourself. AllHipHop.com: At the end of it all, what do you want to be said about you? Krissy Krissy: I defiantly want to be labeled a Grammy award winning artist. Krissy Krissy. Similar to Elton John, Madonna, they have so many fans because they were true to their selves. No matter what happens, I want them to know I stayed true myself. One More thing ,I want to give credit to Joell Ortiz. Joell really helps me, he’s a great writer. A lot of rappers write really well – he’s one. I just wanted to thank him; he does a whole lot for me. Follow Krissy Krissy on Twitter @KrissyKrissy1 Listen to Krissy Krissy’s second single “Suspicious” off her Above All EP on itunes.