Kid Crab aka Lamontiz (Artist Bio)

Milwaukee-born Kid Crab aka Lamontiz began his hip hop career in the mid 80's winning first place in a midwest regional talent contest. Joining forces with Speech and Strick, the trio of teenagers rapped, recorded and toured the midwest as FRESH WALKING FAMILY. But changes pulled them apart with Speech joining Arrested Development and Strick signing to Tommy Boy Records. With a family on the way, Crab chose a steady income with the Milwaukee Police Department, taking a 9 year hiatus from recording and PUBLIC performances. However he kept his ear to the street and continued writing in his spare time. In 1999 he resurfaced with a topical single called WUTZ GOIN' ON, spirited by his troubled and visible departure from the MPD. In 2000 Crab had his first nationwide radio hit - PLENTY MAN ENUF - an answer song to Toni Braxton's Wasn't Man Enough. When the money didn't roll in, Kid Crab rolled on - literally - to truck driving school and a different kind of 'touring the country'. With long hours on the open road, Crabs' radio was always blasting. Sometime in 2002, on a lonesome highway somewhere in Nebraska, Paul Hardcastle's smooth jazz sounds grabbed the Crab. Within weeks the Crabby-One had written, recorded and mixed a complete hip hop treatment to a Hardcastle track and had inked a deal as contributing artist to Hardcastle's upcoming JAZZMASTERS 4 CD. In 2003 that disc reached No. 4 on the Billboards International Contemporary Jazz charts. It remained on the charts over six consecutive months , helped in part by Crab's auto-biographical contribution "IF YOU KNEW", a rap about growing up in Milwaukee. In 2005 a new CD, HARDCASTLE 4 made it to the top of the International Contemporary Jazz charts, holding the Billboards No. 1 position for several weeks and spurred on by another Crab-Hardcastle collaboration, SMOOTH JAZZ IS BUMPIN'. He has since released two solo albums: "Worldwide Hustle" as Kid Crab and "Waitin' To Excel" under alias Lamontiz. Following the 2007 release of Worldwide Hustle one of the singles from his album entitled "Krack N Blow" which was produced by Ivor Novello award winner Paul Hardcastle was licensed and included on a compilation album "Delicious Grooves" which also featured Urban AC superstars RAHSHAAN PATERSON, ANGELA WINBUSH and ABODIUM from THE LAST POETS to name a few. Kid Crab is also featured on the 25th anniversary remix of Paul Hardcastle's biggest hit record "19" which sold in excess of 4 million copies worldwide.
In 2010, less than one month following the release of his sophomore album "Waitin' To Excel", one of the singles from the album entitled "Definition Of A Boss" was selected and placed on (The LARGEST most downloaded mixtape series in the WORLD)- Coast 2 Coast Mixtape Vol. 131 hosted by Wale featuring such other artists as Jay-Z, Rick Ross, T.I., Drake, Busta Rhymes, Usher, John Legend, Young Jeezy & Big Boi to name a few . 2011 jumped off to a great running start with another of his singles entitled "No Problumz" being 1 of ONLY 5 out of THOUSANDS of independent artist submissions chosen for placement on another MAJOR Coast 2 Coast mixtape Vol. 146 Hosted by Dipset featuring a host of other "GREATS" currently in the music industry.   Shortly after, another of his singles entitled "Give U My All" was placed on "The Indie Top 50 Vol. 15" mixtape which was also sponsored by Coast 2 Coast.   In February of 2011 he landed himself on another HIT album with Paul Hardcastle. The album entitled "Desire" entered into the Billboards at #2 on the album sales charts worldwide and again featured Kid Crab.  It is no doubt that Lamontiz aka Kid Crab is destined for GREATNESS.