State Of Krisis

Working heavily over the past few years opening for the likes of T-Pain, Ying Yang Twinz, Tech 9, Whitney Peyton, Spice 1, and Andre Nickatina, S.O.K. has been spreading their blue collar hip hop, creating enough buzz to secure a meeting with Def Jam Records this last year. In July of 2016, State of Krisis completed their second headlining tour spanning 10 cities in 11 days. High energy, thought provoking, 90s flavor hip hop are words to describe State Of Krisis.

Armed with captivating performances, strong delivery, and thought provoking lyrical content, State Of Krisis breaths new life into the music industry. State Of Krisis is one of the more exciting new hip-hop bands in that they combine a lot of styles. There is a groovy hardcore vibe, combined with a rap rock feel, and yet the band knows how to create spacey dynamics and clearly has chemistry as an organic unit.


With their second studio release “Chaos Theory”, State Of Krisis returns to the scene with a force of lyrical prowess and a variety of songs to appeal to any crowd. Known for their live performance, SOK has steadily grown into one of the premier hip hop acts from Washington state. With plans to hit the Festival Circut in 2017, SOK will soon stand toe to toe with today’s top hip hop artists. Enjoy the ride. Welcome to the State Of Krisis

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: What city and State are you from

STATE OF KRISIS: State of Krisis is comprised of 3 members from throughout Washington State. From Centralia, Washington, known as Hub city located between Seattle and Portland is where front man Jason “The Krisis” Kennedy is from. Just a half hour north from Lacey, Washington hails Jason “Jack Skiles”. Named after Skiles, a progressive city in Western Washington. Mark “Reverend DarkBlood” Hopkins is from the eastern side of Washington known to perform over the past many years in Spokane, Moscow, and Pullman. Pullman is where the three roads intersect on the beautiful WSU campus where all 3 members met in 2013. Now with ties from all over Washington and so many places to call home, it’s safe to say that the State Of Krisis hails from the Great Northwest.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: What is your Music Background

STATE OF KRISIS: “Reverend DarkBlood” has been a fixture in the Washington DJ scene for the last eight years. Proficient in “Scratching” Reverend DarkBlood has a musical background that includes rock, metal, hardcore hip-hop and even horror core. However the Rev. has performed in the hip-hop and EDM scenes as well.

“Jack Skiles” has been writing and recording music for the last five years. With a heavy influence from 90’s hip-hop and deep lyrical content, Jack derives his music from his personal influences and experiences. With a fondness for classic rock and old school hip hop, Jack Skiles brings a very different element to SOK.

“The Krisis” has been performing and creating music for over 10 years. From a town based in rock and roll and a heavy background in musical instruments such as the bass, guitar, and drums, The Krisis is affluent in many musical styles. A one-time front man for a local rock band and a 6-year solo hip hop artist and even a stint in the locally famed “Gonzo Family” for 2 years, The Krisis has remained in the limelight of Washington. Grunge, Rock, Hip Hop and EDM are the styles that create The Krisis’ unique sound.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: Why do you want to record and release your own music?
STATE OF KRISIS: State of Krisis has a duty to the blue-collar fans that support them to keep releasing music. All the members of SOK are full time workers in the community and stand side by side with the middle / low class of America. “A break from the day. A break from a life,” that is what SOK strives to do for their fans and people worldwide. SOK believes that this amazing gift of making music is something that they need to continue to share with the world on a bigger and bigger platform. SOK believes that their songs can change lives if not for one person, but rather millions. If we can prove to every single person out there with a dream and a hard road ahead that they can make it. The mission is accomplished.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: What are your songs about?

STATE OF KRISIS: The topics of their songs range on each album. Whether its songs of female empowerment ‘Red Lights’, or songs of the political system and the depths that we are headed (Chaos Theory, To Be an American’, State Of Krisis always delivers with empowering lyrics and ideas. Even when they lighten up a bit on songs ‘Without Sayin’, ‘#GrimeWitIT,’ ‘Minutes’ SOK still manages to deliver some sort of message. A soft solemn side can be show on ‘Adams Song’ telling the story of a fallen friend, or ‘Pages’ where Krisis talks of his kids and past transgressions. SOK is however known for their live performance and the ability to share the stage with any other performers weather it be rock, hip-hop or even comedy. With party anthems like ‘Vodka and Whiske’, ‘Already Tipsy’, ‘We Came Here To Party’, SOK shows their exciting college atmosphere, still all the while dropping in a bit of knowledge along the way.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: Who is your fan base directed towards?

STATE OF KRISIS: SOK is directed at any human being that works everyday, takes care of their family and is looking for a break to the monotony. SOK does aim at the 16 to 36 crowds of both males and females. The musical tastes of SOK fans range as widely as their influences, thus making it even easier for State of Krisis to perform with such a wide variety of artists. “Blue Collar Hip Hop” is what one A&R has said to describe SOK’s target audience.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: Who are your musical influences

STATE OF KRISIS: Rush, Ice Cube, 2 Pac, Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Tool, B.I.G., Mos Def, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, heavy metal, hip hop, rock and even country are the many influences of State of Krisis. Rooted in the Northwest it’s hard to ignore the “grunge” sound to SOK. With so many influences the sound of State of Krisis can constantly change and evolve. So in a nutshell the greatest musical influence of State of Krisis are themselves.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: How would you describe your music?

STATE OF KRISIS: “Blue Collar Hip Hop” is how SOK describes their sound and their music. Songs that can make a person physically bounce and move as well as move their mind as well with the relatable lyrical content. Grungy, energetic, thoughtful and real are all words to describe SOK unique sound.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: What makes you stand out from other artists?

STATE OF KRISIS: The colorful personalities and high octane live performance is what sets SOK far and above the rest. Krisis is known for climbing the highest point on a stage while Jack Skiles rhymes in triplets and Reverend Darkblood scratches on the tables. Hands waving and fist pumping, SOK will be heard many times igniting the crowd to “Make some noise!”. With a performance to pair with the off the wall antics of the SOK members in real life with the fans and in the public, its impossible to miss them. Whether it’s giving away half gallons of whiskey to vets in downtown New York or walking around Paradise Festival in a bright yellow “Fuck Donald Trump” shirts, or even just filming random music videos with fans in each city, State of Krisis is undeniably a fan favorite.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: What are the upcoming projects you are currently working on?

STATE OF KRISIS: With a new album “Chaos Theory” in full promotion, State of Krisis is focusing on finishing up the year strong with show stops with Tech 9, Rittz, and Jarren Benton. Furthermore 3 videos from the album are currently in the works for release before the end of the year. Over the winter ,State of Krisis begin booking their 3rd headlining tour in 3 years, this time aiming for over 13 states and 22 cities to begin in June of 2017.

IAA INDUSTRY NEWS: Where do you see yourself in 10 years / career goals?

STATE OF KRISIS: State of Krisis envisions themselves still performing live shows and making music in 10 years. By then with multiple Grammy and awards under their belt they will look to mentor and help influence the next batch of artists coming up the pipeline. Music is not a hobby to SOK it is in their blood. An instinct. Something they have to do. Ultimately with a goal of playing a worldwide tour and selling out the local football stadium, Quest Field, State of Krisis doesn’t plan on stopping until they are reached. - Industry All Access

As a Centralia native, Jason Kennedy feels the gravitational pull Centralia has on a young person, and it’s not always a good thing. Now, at 34 years old and an up and coming rapper, he wants to use his music as a lesson that the next generation doesn’t have to be trapped by it.

“When I was there it was meth; now I see it’s heroin,” he said.

Kennedy goes by the moniker “Krisis” for his music. Recently he’s partnered with Jack Skiles to form a duo called State of Krisis. They haven’t hit the big time yet, but Kennedy thinks the “make it or break it” moment is coming next summer.

In the last few years, Krisis has shared the stage with world-famous musicians such as T-Pain, The Ying Yang Twins and Tech-9, so he’s optimistic about what’s ahead. He’s piqued the interests of the record labels Def Jam and Atlantic and found himself performing in front of their talent scouts, he said. Now that he and his partners are on their radar, they have to convince the labels they’re good enough to be signed.

There’s a lot of work to be done between now and next summer when their new album is released, and he and his partners are funding it themselves.



As a young teenager, fitting in wasn’t easy for Kennedy, but finding hip hop helped him find confidence and give him a vision of his future. Suddenly the self-described “class dufus” created a new version of himself and decided not to be insignificant, to impact people’s lives.

But even with that new motivation, escaping Lewis County and stepping into the limelight hasn’t been easy.

Kennedy grew up at the tail end of what’s known as the Golden Age of rap. It was a period between the late ’80s and mid-’90s where rap dominated the music scene. Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur, to name only a few, chronicled the raw and usually violent tales of life in the inner city.

Songs about gang violence, drug use and violence toward women terrified parents in middle America, but excited their children. Most people of his generation didn’t embrace the violence but they did embrace the music. Kennedy is no exception. He loves the artform, but resists what he considers the fake gangsterism of modern hip hop and doesn’t include it in his own music.

“We play to fans who work 12 hours a day, go home and take care of the family then drink a six-pack of beer,” he said. “Our philosophy, so to speak, and our content isn’t violence, drugs and nonsense driven. …We’re here for the working man because we are the working man.”

Currently he lives with his girlfriend in Pullman. She’s going to school and he works two jobs, splitting his seveb-day work week between bartending, cooking and performing.

Kennedy said he’s worked behind just about every bar in Centralia while he honed his style and scraped and saved for recording time. For a short period of time, he was even homeless.

“I had nothing, but through music I was inspired to keep going,” he said.



A few years ago he moved to Longview for a job, but after the business failed, he considered coming back home, but a good friend in Centralia convinced him to do otherwise.

“He told me don’t come back, if you come back it’ll be a failure,” he said. “He wasn't’ telling me that to hurt my feelings, he was trying to motivate me. If I wouldn’t have listened to him then it wouldn't have happened. It’s like a guy digging for diamonds that gets an inch away and gives up and walks away.”

The move proved fortuitous. He’s connected with a couple music promoters and found himself as the opening act for some big names in Spokane, Portland and Seattle. He said he still tries to come back to Centralia once a year to perform. His latest show at The Hub featured an associate of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Some good things have already happened, but the year ahead will be something of a decision point for he and his partners. The new album, video and singles will hit the Internet and fm radio stations in the summer. Kennedy and his partners will support the album with a tour, but the question is, will they build a big enough fanbase to intrigue the record labels enough to get them signed?

“We’ll take one more step put us at the door,” Kennedy said. “It’s kind of make it or break it moment, but we’re putting ourselves in the best position.” - Dameon Pesanti - Chronicle Newspaper

Jason Kennedy’s fruitless pursuit of music was beginning to seem absolutely silly.

The 33-year-old Centralia native’s desire for hip-hop relevance had collided violently with a depressing wall in Longview, where the death of his father and the absence of money had rendered his dream all but pointless.
“There was nothing for us anymore,” said Kennedy, known on stage as The Krisis. “For me to be doing my music really seemed ridiculous … It was at the expense of jobs. It was at the expense of bills.”

Kennedy may have been short on money. He may have been short of inspiration.

But there’s one thing Kennedy has never lacked: perseverance, a pure, relentless and constant will to see his aspirations molded into reality.

So, when he and his fiancee moved to Pullman, where she now attends Washington State University, the rapper continued to push.

His breakthrough came from the result of what some would describe as a failure.

Scheduled to headline a show, he learned that the venue had been double-booked with a more established act, the Ying Yang Twins.

It was his birthday, and his one wish had been denied.

Years ago, the gritty Centralian with a penchant for foul language and little fear of confrontation would have handled it differently. But this time was different. This was a man who had seen struggle, confronted it and hustled past it.

He paired his aforementioned perseverance with a pinch of professionalism, and it paid off.

“I just decided to run the high road and let it go,” Kennedy said.

A short time later, he received a phone call from the promoter offering him a chance to open for TechN9ne, a veteran of the genre with 15 major album releases under his belt.

Now, he’s scheduled to take the stage in the same show as T-Pain, a two-time Grammy Award-winning artist with a national following, Friday at the Roseland Theatre in Portland. It follows impressive performances with artists such as Whitney Peyton, Cautt Calhoun, the Ying Yang Twins and others.

And none of it would be possible if not for a few choice words from a good friend when Kennedy was pondering a return to Centralia after apparent failure in Longview.

Justin Ames, a Best Bartender of the Year Nominee for his work at The Hub in Centralia, was completely direct in his advice, Kennedy said.

“He told me, ‘If you move back to Centralia, it’s going to be considered a failure. ... Keep doing it. Keep doing it,’” Kennedy recalled.

Those final three words comprise Kennedy’s mission now that he’s digested a taste of success that has redefined his definition of personal accomplishment.

He wants to go bigger. He wants to perform better. He wants to provide inspiration, both for those who listen to his music and those who call Lewis County home.

Many of those people are responsible for his success.

In June, an online fundraising drive amassed $1,100 in three days, allowing him to travel to New York City to audition with Universal Records.

That trip created the framework for contract negotiations currently underway with a subsidiary.

Kennedy’s plan is to eventually bring a big-time artist to perform in Centralia, a gift for the people and places that formed him and allowed him to dream.

His affection for his hometown doesn’t supersede his desire to see his friends escape it, at least temporarily. Traveling elsewhere resulted in his current success, and he wants to see others accomplish the same sense of satisfaction.

“I love my hometown,” he said. “It’s tattooed to my arm. But my hope is that everyone gets out. You should only go back when you’re done.

“I want to continue to give them support and motivation.”

That’s not silly at all.

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Eric Schwartz is the editor at The Chronicle. - Eric Schwartz - Chronicle Newspaper Editor