In an era where music often glosses over the raw complexities of life, Karl.witaK delivers a profoundly personal and unapologetically honest project with Sayless Karter.
This latest album isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s a cathartic reflection on trauma, resilience, and self-discovery. As an artist who transitioned from an award-winning journalism career to hip-hop, Karl.witaK carries his storytelling prowess into his music, ensuring every track serves as a chapter in his emotional odyssey.
From the first track, Karter Eugene, it’s evident that Sayless Karter isn’t a surface-level project. Karl.witaK invites listeners into his world, navigating the turbulence of loss, fatherhood, marriage, and the burdens of being a man in today’s society. Each song is a testament to his emotional depth, a quality that sets him apart from the mainstream. He doesn’t just rap—he confesses, reflects, and exposes his vulnerabilities.
Songs like Everything Karter Not tap into the difficult balance of speaking one’s truth while managing the emotions that come with it, where Bad News Karter encapsulates his struggle with self-expression amidst personal hardships. With each verse, Karl.witaK paints a vivid picture of his mental battles, from the pressures of being a husband and father to coping with the devastating loss of his grandmother in October of last year.
The production on Sayless Karter is a seamless fusion of classic hip-hop grit with modern melodic elements, creating an immersive experience. The beats are not overpowering but rather complement Karl.witaK’s introspective lyrics. There’s a sense of restraint in the instrumentation, allowing his words to take center stage. Listeners will hear moments of soulful samples, brooding basslines, and minimalist yet impactful drum patterns that reflect the raw emotions embedded in each track.
Beyond the personal anecdotes, Sayless Karter is a manifesto on emotional honesty. Karl.witaK doesn’t shy away from the struggles of maintaining relationships or the internal battles that come with growth. He reminds listeners that true strength lies in acknowledging emotions rather than suppressing them. His hope is that the album provides others with a sense of understanding—an invitation to embrace their feelings and communicate openly in their own lives.
Karl.witaK isn’t here to conform—he’s here to carve his own lane in hip-hop. Sayless Karter stands as a bold statement of authenticity, a project that demands attention not for its trendiness but for its unrelenting sincerity. For those seeking music that resonates on a deeper level, this album offers both a shoulder to lean on and a mirror to reflect upon if you've ever felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on them, anyone who has lost someone they love, and anyone who has ever battled their own mind in the quiet moments of the night.
Your music is deeply personal and often touches on heavy themes. What’s your process for translating real-life struggles into lyrics without holding back?
Well, my process always starts with prayer. Especially if I'm feeling some type of way concerning issues in my life, should I say anything, should I not? If I do, will there be an understanding or will I lose friends or family, etc, and as a journalist, comprehensive analysis.
The truth is vital to detail. So when writing thoughts that feel all over the place in my mind, I try to condense and tell the story behind those thoughts. In hopes that there's a relatability the audience will have with me.
You’ve had an award-winning career in journalism before transitioning into music. How does that background influence your storytelling in hip-hop?
In journalism, you should have three crucial skills: Writing skills, research, investigative skills, and the ability to get vital information, conducting interviews. So, with storytelling in hip-hop, I have three skills that I use from my time in journalism, that's vital to explaining news in my opinion. Its creativity, being able to manage conflict with understanding, and lastly, empathy.
So by being creative, whether it's words or sounds, I try to give an interesting story that sets up plots, characters, and details. Then comes the conflict. I try to make conflict central to my storytelling. I like tension, I think it's from being a former journalist, lol. But hopefully by the end of the track, I've given a resolution to that conflict.
Empathy is just considering the audience's emotions and perspective in hopes they can relate. The one thing people have trouble with is expressing how they really feel about something or someone. I want my music to relay that you don't have to be afraid to say how you feel, especially if the person across from you has no problem just saying anything out their mouth.
But in my opinion, responsibility, acceptance, and self-awareness have to play a part in my storytelling process too. If you notice in my music, I take responsibility for my part in creating the conflict and why. As human beings, we have to take ownership of our mistakes with the choices and decisions we have made. Then we'd have a better understanding of why life went this way. It's not always someone else's fault.
You mentioned the emotional rollercoaster of the past three years, especially with the loss of your grandmother. How did that impact the way you approached writing and recording this track?
Well, I was watching a Kevin Hart special called Reality Check in ‘23, and everything he said was exactly how I felt about life, people and love at that time. He was brutally honest about family, friends and his personal thoughts. That is why you hear certain narratives from that stand-up on the album. I wanted them to convey a particular message that I understood and hope the audience would too.
I said "Well, if he can do it, why can't I?" lol. At that time I was dealing with a lot of personal issues with family, friends, and marriage. Then my grandfather died of Covid-19 in ‘23 but I didn't find out until January of last year around my birthday, which is what I talk about in the opening track, Karter Eugene. Then on top of that, my grandmother died in October of last year, and there was so much craziness around that situation, even to this day, which had a lot to do with family.
So to make a long story short, I wanted this Album, Sayless Karter, to be a reality check to everyone in my life and the audience. We say crazy things, do crazy things, and as crazy as they may be, we sometimes don't care how far we take it, and it may come off as weird.
But it's nothing wrong with saying you're human, and because of trauma in our lives, this is how we decided to walk, act, or justify actions in our lives, but also no excuse, especially when there is help out here. We just have to be open to healing.
There’s a raw honesty in your music that isn’t always common in mainstream hip-hop. Do you ever struggle with how much of yourself to reveal in your songs?
Honestly, no. Whatever I reveal, as deep as the context may be at times isn't for public opinion or judgment. It's for understanding. I'm a strong believer in God, which you'll hear in this album, because of my grandmother. If you've ever heard my album “Lite-Skinned Jesus”. The most important thing that should have been received from me on that album is I don't care what anyone thinks.
I only care about my relationship with God and only he should have any type of judgment about how I carry myself in life. Not people. Especially if they aren't judging the mistakes they've made in life.
What’s next for Karl.witaK? Can we expect an album, more singles, or any collaborations in the near future?
I'm taking a break. I think I've left enough music in the world for right now lol. But I'm working on a podcast that should be out before the year is out with my brother and fellow rapper Murdalandzown called “Sheetz and Bluntz”. We also have a collaboration album called “Himtoomovement”, which we are currently working on.
I'm also going to be doing vignettes on my YouTube channel called “Addies Diaries,” which is basically giving teachings that my grandmother gave me that could help someone else in life. I have one video up so far, so check that out. So just more content, maybe music videos to a lot of my material from the last few years. But my next solo album which I've also been working on is “Addie”. So expect that in January of next year.