St. Pete’s spotlight artist Cristol, also known as Herman Grant, is turning heads everywhere and is being recognized as one of Florida’s hottest entertainers. Growing up in the spotlight, Cristol always knew he was going to be a star. He has developed his craft over the years playing key roles in chorus, band, and drama. Now he has completely developed into an entertainer.
Cristol’s raspy but unique sound has grabbed the attention of many. He was raised in the streets but wasn’t in the streets. This has enabled him to market a variety of music and maintain his respect. With a total package, Cristol is ready to place his stamp on the entertainment industry.
In 2005 Cristol dropped his first hit single “Whatcha Drinkn On” produced by DJ Trans. This classic hit features Strizzo and Sojo. “Whatcha Drinkn On” lead Cristol straight to the center stage. Before long he was headlining his own shows and creating a major buzz in the Central Florida area.
Cristol than got offered a deal with an independent label based out of Miami Florida. It was only a matter of time before he started getting caught up in the spotlight and his project would take a turn for the worse. Being released from his first deal Cristol quickly started learning the highlights and pitfalls of being signed to an independent label.
“Don’t get caught up in the spotlight without knowing the business first. If you don’t know every aspect of the music industry it could possibly land you in a bad position.” - Cristol
In 2007 Cristol decided to make a come back and hit the industry hard. He released another banger, “My Pockets Swoll“ featuring Lil Boosie. Within weeks of it‘s release it was featured on mixtapes all over the world. Cristol’s buzz was not only continuously growing in the streets but he started creating a major buzz online as well. Throughout the year of 2007 Cristol was Mypace’s #1 Hip-Hop artist in Florida and #30 in the Nation.
He then won the opportunity to open at 98.7’s Wild Splash Concert in 2008. His awareness was growing so fast he had no choice but to release his mixtape, “Famous & Broke.” It featured fan favorites such as “Swag So Mean”, “Ahh Ahh”, and “She Don’t Give A Damn” These singles have had the streets, clubs, and mixtapes ringing around the St. Pete, Tampa Bay and Florida area. Along with the mixtape he released his first industry video for “Swag So Mean” which can be found on you tube.
In 2008 a friend of Cristol’s, named Big Gill, asked him to produce and feature on a song for the Tampa Bay Rays. "It’s Our Season" features Cristol, Big Gill and Bay Boy. What the trio didn’t realize, is that they just had released the first big sports song to hit the Tampa Bay area. With the Rays being #1 in 2008 it quickly lead Cristol to being the center of the media’s attention. Throughout the baseball season the hit song was being featured on almost every radio station, news channel, and in a few news papers in the Tampa Bay Area . It also lead the trio the opportunity to perform the song at various locations throughout the area and in front of over 30,000 fans at the final ALCS game of 2008
Cristol has recently released his new mixtape “Famous & Broke 1.5”. It features songs like; “Haters Anthem” (produced by Mydo Music, featuring Rick Ross, 2 Pistols, and Sekay), “Bottles Poppin” (featuring Skroodle, BJ, and a sample from Gucci Mane), and last but not least his first crossover single “Smack It Up” (produced by Mydo Music, featuring Sekay).
“Smack It Up” is on it’s way to becoming a great success. Djs and fans are taking a huge liking to the song. It’s currently being featured on GreenHitz.com and Wild 94.1.com. The hit record is also being spinned at Skye, The Venue, Mirage, Underground, V's, Empire, FullMoon, The State and a variety of more venues in the Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater area.
As an unsigned artist, Cristol is taking a major independent approach to his music career. Cristol expects “Smack It Up” to make an impact on the radio and the Billboard charts in 2010. In 2010 Cristol will have the major label's attention.
-Urban Addiction
