Mc’s and rappers have been rhyming about hustling, and the easy come easy go lifestyle since the dawn of hip-hop. But what distinguishes Chalys, the newest leader of the new school to rise from Ill-Legal Ent./Shutdown family, which also includes Kurupt Connect (Chalys, King Khan & Big Mo) is his unique approach to tackling these subjects on his highly anticipated self titled debut album. Chalys neither boastfully brags about his hustling on the downtown crime-ridden street corners of his native Calgary, nor does he preach at his listeners while lecturing them to live right. Instead, his lyrics are laced with street-weary “been there done that” sentiment that suggests there is life beyond the game. Call it street-hop if u will. “I got a song on my album called ‘Ya Know Me’ talking about all the things that Iv’e experienced out there but, of course, there are reasons why I move like I do”, explains 26 year old Chalys. “For example I’m talking about a friend of mine who was killed in a really harsh way, and how that has changed me a lot. Life means more now. I’m giving you my perspective on my life according to my day to day. Ya dig?”, he continues. “My music is soulful like, you can feel it in your gut, you can feel everything. I’m not rhyming over beats like, I’m a killer bang bang , now lets go dance all night.” Chalys says laughing. “It’s NOT like that, everything makes sense.” Chalys crafts his music as if he were speaking to anyone who could relate to his right cash wrong way, tales from the curb. One of the album’s many highlights is “What I’m Here For”, which Chalys penned as a letter to a friend named Vicious who has been incarcerated for seven years. “We came up in the same lifestyle, same age and everything”, he explains. “Seven years is a long time. It’s hard. I keep in touch best I can through his baby mom three way”. Chalys says, “I’m also talking about how my lifestyle affects my daughter and our relationship. I make music from the belly. Right from the gut, heart on my sleeve type music. Chalys raps,“but daddy gotta go/cause that dough in daddy sight then I’m gone”. And then there is “Oh My” a song oozing with pure swagger and clever wordplay. Chalys continues saying, “It’s for the rider’s whether chicks or dudes. It’s that ride through the fast life, ya dig? A street banger for sure.” Another ingredient that enhances Chalys’s flavor is his unique vocals and delivery. His vocals are crisp yet his tone is ever so gravely. He finds flow patterns inside the beat and flips what can’t be flipped. And his wordplay and lyrics are sincere and 100% new school. But Chalys is an old soul and considering how he came of age, its no wonder he feels a sense of responsibility to lace his lyrics with a sense of right and wrong and a degree of morality. Unlike most MCs who falsely brag about living the life they rap about, Chalys truly did live the stories that he tells in his rhymes-and he suffered the consequences for his actions. “I had good folks, they did right by me but I love quick cash! I love it.” he says, describing the setting of his adolescence. “There was a time in my life where I made things a lot harder than they needed to be. I was impulsive. I took big risks, and I served my time solid. I was just wildin out.” Thankfully, he chose rap and with the release of his ep, the future has never looked brighter. “Everything is progressing”, he says. “This is work don’t get it twisted. And I got a beautiful child to bring up. It takes time and time is money. Its just worth it to go in the studio and tell my story and lay it down on music for people to appreciate- that feels good to me.”