Lee Jessen

www.kingcruff.com A lyrical maestro with an undeniable edgy and an ancient spirit has emerged onto the hip hop scene and is turning heads along the way. King Cruff has set himself apart in the industry by proving himself to be an intriguing storyteller, whose words resonate not only with the hip hop crowd but also to a wider crossover audience due to his vibrant and deep rooted Jamaican flair. He not only garners his inspiration from his life experiences, but from world affairs and for social change. King Cruff weaves together compelling narratives which move the mind, body and soul. He compiles music like a story, vivid, captivating and transformative is how he describes his music.

Solomon Marley-Spence, aka ‘King Cruff’ born in Canada, grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and now lives in his hometown. He has been honing his craft and ushering his vibrant, hip-hop anthems from the recording studio to the global stage. Like a true creative, King Cruff harnesses his own experiences and feelings to create music that is moving. He defines his image in the same way he crafts his music – ever evolving, empowering and transformative. His music videos are meant to capture the essence of how a Cruff becomes the King. As one who relates to anyone from rejects to royals. King Cruff’s music transports his audience and unites everyone under the banner of humanity, free from discrimination and other forms of social engineering.

Since 2019, King Cruff has released several well-received singles and collaborations with other up-and-coming artists. His previously released songs include Imitation Game (2021), Blackberry Groove (2020), Let Me Forget (2020), Say Sumn (2019) and Drop (2019). His undeniable talent led to two nominations for the FCLMA Best Hip-hop Artist Award in 2020 and 2021.

As a hip hop artiste, King Cruff is known for his mesmerizing storytelling, hard-hitting bars and fiercely intelligent lyricism. His self-born style pushes boundaries, creating a fresh genre-defying sound that is distinctly his. King Cruff uses his music to paint vivid pictures of real-life stories, similar to his main influences Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Stephen Marley, Chronixx and of recent, Smino. His lyricism is genuinely creative, combining a blend of precise bars to deliver an effortless flow that glides over slick rhythmic beats.

With his music, he hopes to inspire, empower and enlighten his listeners as he pours his passion in every beat. Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, King Cruff was always surrounded by reggae and dancehall music, both genre profoundly influences his style. Musing from his musical family background and creativity, he started rapping in high school and recalls having rap battles with his friends. Music gave him a way of expressing his ideas and stories in a way no other art form could. King Cruff was always in love with the art of storytelling. As a youngster he often wrote short stories and drew comic books to bring his ideas to life. It was only natural that when he moved back to Canada for University, he started taking strides towards launching an explosive music career. With his producer Smoothe’s support, he started crafting King Cruff’s unique sound from the ground up.

Being in Canada for studies, King Cruff worked a myriad of different jobs. Still, the most enjoyable to him was being an Audio Engineer at Smooth Music Studio. This was the perfect platform for him to get more in tune with his musical craft, helping him to emerge as an performing artist. Being an audio engineer for other artists cultivated his skills in many ways. This work experience sharpened his listening skills, his appreciation for vocal range and taught him how to artfully arrange music.

The ever-talented King Cruff formed his own promotional company called Urban Flavors to connect hip-hop artists to their local audience. He is working on a clothing line and promotional merchandise to streamline along with his burgeoning music career. He has performed at venues in Canada and the US. He sees himself headlining his own sold-out world tours in the near future, bringing electrifying performances to the world stage.