The San Francisco Bay Area has a storied history when it comes to musical talent and influence—also known as The Bay, this region has given the music industry countless artists and musicians who have shaped music and its culture.
Barritz hails from a small city in the South Bay called Milpitas and his music is a reflection of many of the artists who have come before him from this spot on the map. “My musical palette runs deep and I’ve just begun to create a sound that reflects the artists I grew up on and the sounds I’ve been listening to my entire life,” Barritz shares.
From rap artists such as Too $hort, E-40, and Mac Dre—to funky pioneers such as Sly & The Family Stone and Con Funk Shun—to rock and alternative bands such as Metallica and Green Day—The Bay has been an incubator of genres, movements, and legends.
“My album The Cadillac Man was heavily influenced by the sounds of Too $hort and the funk music a lot of his albums were inspired by,” Barritz explains, “it is a snapshot of a moment in time of my late adolescence and early 20’s. I worked heavily with a good friend and super-talented musician Gyrefunk of the Trademark Krew, along with his fellow collaborators Ed Roc and Eratk. I also did a couple of tracks with my boy ProHoeZak who can get funky with the best of them.”
As Barritz was in the final stages of recording for The Cadillac Man album he started to explore other genres of music to incorporate into his songs. Rock and roll, blues, and pop-inspired tracks were recorded but many of them ultimately didn’t make the final cut of the project. “Rock, Roll, Rap or Stroll” was the only track of those recordings to grace the final tracklist.
“I felt there was this moment where the creative doors opened and the style for the project was starting to mix and meld with other genres and I had to make some hard decisions to keep the feel of The Cadillac Man to a certain vibe. The new project I’m working on Barritz & The Lacz is going to really explore a wider spectrum of musical influences and presentation that is slightly removed from my debut album,” Barritz explains.
An artist creates a style that is unique to themselves, their signature sound per se, but every artist has a history and love affair with music that also influences and drives the direction in which they create. Barritz has a formula he’s getting ready to share with the world and it’s going to be a musical plethora of genres and styles galore. Keep an ear out for what Barritz has coming next for you.
