Acerbic, agile, and engaging, Birmingham, Alabama’s Christopher The Grey is slyly making a name for himself in the world of Hip-Hop. Boasting a recent collaboration with Snoop Dogg, Christopher has made great strides in affirming his credibility. His newest single, “Oh My Damn!” is every bit as novel and frolicking as the title would indicate. Christopher’s musical journey starts with a story that sounds like a made-for-cable movie. As a teenager in Birmingham, he had a chance encounter with a fellow teen from New York, who convinced him to freestyle on the spot. It was after this serendipitous event that Christopher knew what he was going to do with his life.
The sulky, even slightly foreboding undertone of the beat on “Oh My Damn!” is skillfully offset by CTG’s motivated delivery. It’s easy to understand why Snoop chose to collaborate with CTG, the originality and dynamism he shows on this track alone. With a charisma that literally leaps out of the speakers, CTG is a rare entity for modern music. While there’s a certain degree of sameness to most Pop and many Hip Hop acts, these days, Christopher The Grey is a welcome departure.
He’s as immediate as he is enduring throughout “Oh My Damn!”Gotta feel Me like/I’m feelin myself/gotta feel Me like/nobody else. At a little over 3 minutes, “Oh My Damn!” feels like a smoky joyride around the neighborhood. It’s bouncy yet has a consistently low groove. The bass is particularly tasty as it reminds you how visceral the right levels can be. CTG has you “feelin,” exactly like he is, or as he wants you to be, from the very first beat. One element of his delivery that allows him to stand out, is Christopher’s vocalizing. His inflection is just as reticent of a singer as it is of a rapper. With a bright and natural mid-register, he’s able to be simultaneously melodious and dexterous. It’s obvious he has crossover potential without making any sort of concerted or premeditated effort. “Oh My Damn!” is organic and sincere fun, with a musically layered backdrop.
LINK TREE: linktr.ee/CtheGrey
Burn money for the smell of the vapors/it ain’t about nothin but the papers. “Oh My Damn!” is slickly and rather expertly produced. CTG is accentuated and enhanced by the hypnotic and detailed mix. Now that Hip Hop is becoming such a saturated market constructing the right arrangement is as imperative as ever. With “Oh My Damn!,” CTG grabs your attention swiftly and voluntarily. “Oh My Damn!” is the lead single from what will be Christopher The Grey’s upcoming album. He’s gone on record saying that the track’s descriptive lyrical style is secondary to the expression. The phrase itself is the key element, as it’s meant to invoke an exclamatory feeling. It’s fun to imagine, Oh My Damn!, catching on as an expression across the country, as you can’t deny its triviality. As for now, Christopher The Grey has once again delivered a damn good track.
Clay Burton