Spotlight on MR. Craig (@MRCRAIGTA)
Washington, DC – A Queens, NY native, Mr. Craig began his career as a poet. His affinity for words and rhythm lends itself to his unique writing style – evocative, emotional, and powerful. Previously known as “Strict-ly Shadow,” Mr. Craig reinvented himself with a new moniker. The artist and his music are influenced by classical rap legends such as Tupac and Nas. “Their music has a poetic feel to it. Their lyrics had a lot of meaning,” says the performer of his musical heroes. Mr. Craig, too, is a man with a message, using his powerful words to relate to and connect with others.
Craig entered into a joint venture deal in 2016 with Image Sight and Sound, a multimedia production company, and has worked alongside company CEO Anthony “Mr. Tuck” Richards, who directed Craig’s music video. With Richards’ help, the artist has released his latest single, “One + One.” The song is a true story, an anthem of love and loss experienced by a once broken-hearted Mr. Craig. True to his poetry background, the song evokes feelings of hurt, but mostly hope. Says Craig of the song, “If you’re lucky enough to find someone you can connect with, that’s a really special thing.” Most recently, the artist released the song’s music video, which features actress Hada Vanessa, handpicked by Mr. Craig for her immense talent. “
Mr. Craig is a man of many talents that span far beyond songwriting and rap. Deeply rooted in the entertainment industry, he holds a degree in radio broadcasting, has worked in audio and video, voice-over, mastering, producing, A&R, and more. With his background in video, Craig was responsible for editing his own music video. He continues “behind-the-scenes” music work under the umbrella of Strict-ly Entertainment, a company of which he remains CEO.
With all of his experience and knowledge, the artist and creative entrepreneur is eager to pass on his knowledge to upcoming artists. His advice to others? “Learn the business,” insists Mr. Craig, “Music is not an easy industry, and a lot of young artists don’t understand the logistics – they just want to rap.”
Driven and immensely talented, Mr. Craig is an artist to watch. Stay tuned for his album, Evolutions, which is set to release Winter 2016, and his next single, “You Wouldn’t Understand.”
Learn more about Mr. Craig: http://www.mrcraigta.com