ArtistDirect News
GRYSKLL Marks Five-Year Anniversary with First Vinyl Pressing and New Single
Five years of beats, community, and a bold leap into vinyl. GRYSKLL, the hip‑hop and creative wellness collective, marks its fifth anniversary with a double‑EP vinyl that pairs the group’s debut project, \"A Tension Deficit\", Episode 1 of The GRYSKLL Saga, with the introductory EP, \"The Interlude\", Episode 0. The two chapters will be pressed on one record, with availability details to be announced on GRYSKLL.com, the collective’s Patreon page, and its social‑media channels.
The vinyl bundle also comes with two limited‑edition t‑shirts: the \"Beauty\" Collectible Tee and the \"GRYSKLL Bitch\" Tee. Each shirt is bundled with a pre‑order of the vinyl, giving fans a physical collectible that ties the music to the collective’s visual identity.
Five of GRYSKLL’s six founding members appear across the two EPs, joined by Qthulu, who joined the crew during its second recruitment wave. Production on \"A Tension Deficit\" comes from Dragon’s Pitchfork, Qthulu, and Zo the Instrument Being, while vocals feature deMond dUshawn, Zo the Instrument Being, Qthulu, and Yani (known as \"The Ghost of GRYSKLL\"). DJ T‑Bear 183 contributes a guest verse on the track \"Bleeding Out\". The EP’s release follows deMond dUshawn’s recent rotation on SiriusXM, where his single \"D.R.E.A.M.\" featuring The Black Mavericks is in regular play.
\"A Tension Deficit was a declaration. It’s dedicated to every artist who felt overlooked, burned out, or alienated from the culture that helped raise so many. This anniversary is evidence that we’re doing the right thing in continuing to build for the culture and sanity’s sake,\" the collective said in a statement.
\"The Interlude\" features 1.to.Dial of The Black Mavericks as the sole vocalist, alongside Aïda. Beats are produced by Dragon’s Pitchfork, with Qthulu insisting on mixing the project and co‑producing it with Dragon’s Pitchfork and 1.to.Dial. All three served as executive producers on the EP, while Dragon’s Pitchfork and Qthulu handled executive production duties on \"A Tension Deficit\". Qthulu’s role in mixing, mastering, and co‑production has reshaped GRYSKLL’s sound; for the vinyl, he remastered the double EP in full and had verses from two songs re‑recorded, resulting in a version that is essentially a different album in several respects. Qthulu opened a new studio space in May, which contributed to the project’s revamped vibe.
Dragon’s Pitchfork, the collective’s co‑founder, has produced beats for all of \"The Interlude\" and most of \"A Tension Deficit\". He is also a founding member of the Wu‑Tang Killa Bee collective Tha Beggas (also known as The Beggaz or The Beggarz). GRYSKLL and Tha Beggas formalized their collaboration through the \"GRYSKLL Meets Tha Beggas\" series, positioning the collective as a second‑generation extension of the Wu‑Tang lineage.
The vinyl pressing marks GRYSKLL’s second physical release, following the cassette‑only mixtape \"WGRY\", which was distributed as part of the crew’s prototype CSTL Capsules in the summer. The collective has been building a physical catalog this year, with the first intentional collection drop, \"Summer Soulstice\", and a fall collection currently in development.
In addition to the vinyl, GRYSKLL is celebrating its anniversary with the release of \"The Beauty\", a single that serves as an ode to the crew. The track was conceptualized and initiated by Tobias Black, the collective’s sixth co‑founder and 1.to.Dial’s rhyme partner in The Black Mavericks. The original hook was generated by AI, but the crew replaced it with three singers and an engineer, creating a human‑led version of the song. \"The Beauty\" will be released on GRYSKLL.com, Bandcamp, and Patreon, with the original AI demo available exclusively on Patreon.
GRYSKLL describes itself as a Hip‑Hop & Creative Wellness collective rooted in the belief that self‑mastery is accessible through creative practice. Grounded in the five elements of hip‑hop—MCing, DJing, B‑Boying, Graffiti Art, and Knowledge—the collective develops programs, initiatives, and artistic works that use the culture as a framework for emotional and psychological wellness. Since its formation, the group has called itself \"the Expendables of Hip‑Hop\", representing artists who faced adversity in the music industry and emerged empowered, inspiring others to do the same.
The upcoming vinyl pressing and new single underscore GRYSKLL’s commitment to expanding its physical catalog and reinforcing its identity as a community‑focused collective. Fans can expect the vinyl to be available soon through the collective’s official channels, with the new single already in circulation on streaming platforms.
The vinyl bundle also comes with two limited‑edition t‑shirts: the \"Beauty\" Collectible Tee and the \"GRYSKLL Bitch\" Tee. Each shirt is bundled with a pre‑order of the vinyl, giving fans a physical collectible that ties the music to the collective’s visual identity.
Five of GRYSKLL’s six founding members appear across the two EPs, joined by Qthulu, who joined the crew during its second recruitment wave. Production on \"A Tension Deficit\" comes from Dragon’s Pitchfork, Qthulu, and Zo the Instrument Being, while vocals feature deMond dUshawn, Zo the Instrument Being, Qthulu, and Yani (known as \"The Ghost of GRYSKLL\"). DJ T‑Bear 183 contributes a guest verse on the track \"Bleeding Out\". The EP’s release follows deMond dUshawn’s recent rotation on SiriusXM, where his single \"D.R.E.A.M.\" featuring The Black Mavericks is in regular play.
\"A Tension Deficit was a declaration. It’s dedicated to every artist who felt overlooked, burned out, or alienated from the culture that helped raise so many. This anniversary is evidence that we’re doing the right thing in continuing to build for the culture and sanity’s sake,\" the collective said in a statement.
\"The Interlude\" features 1.to.Dial of The Black Mavericks as the sole vocalist, alongside Aïda. Beats are produced by Dragon’s Pitchfork, with Qthulu insisting on mixing the project and co‑producing it with Dragon’s Pitchfork and 1.to.Dial. All three served as executive producers on the EP, while Dragon’s Pitchfork and Qthulu handled executive production duties on \"A Tension Deficit\". Qthulu’s role in mixing, mastering, and co‑production has reshaped GRYSKLL’s sound; for the vinyl, he remastered the double EP in full and had verses from two songs re‑recorded, resulting in a version that is essentially a different album in several respects. Qthulu opened a new studio space in May, which contributed to the project’s revamped vibe.
Dragon’s Pitchfork, the collective’s co‑founder, has produced beats for all of \"The Interlude\" and most of \"A Tension Deficit\". He is also a founding member of the Wu‑Tang Killa Bee collective Tha Beggas (also known as The Beggaz or The Beggarz). GRYSKLL and Tha Beggas formalized their collaboration through the \"GRYSKLL Meets Tha Beggas\" series, positioning the collective as a second‑generation extension of the Wu‑Tang lineage.
The vinyl pressing marks GRYSKLL’s second physical release, following the cassette‑only mixtape \"WGRY\", which was distributed as part of the crew’s prototype CSTL Capsules in the summer. The collective has been building a physical catalog this year, with the first intentional collection drop, \"Summer Soulstice\", and a fall collection currently in development.
In addition to the vinyl, GRYSKLL is celebrating its anniversary with the release of \"The Beauty\", a single that serves as an ode to the crew. The track was conceptualized and initiated by Tobias Black, the collective’s sixth co‑founder and 1.to.Dial’s rhyme partner in The Black Mavericks. The original hook was generated by AI, but the crew replaced it with three singers and an engineer, creating a human‑led version of the song. \"The Beauty\" will be released on GRYSKLL.com, Bandcamp, and Patreon, with the original AI demo available exclusively on Patreon.
GRYSKLL describes itself as a Hip‑Hop & Creative Wellness collective rooted in the belief that self‑mastery is accessible through creative practice. Grounded in the five elements of hip‑hop—MCing, DJing, B‑Boying, Graffiti Art, and Knowledge—the collective develops programs, initiatives, and artistic works that use the culture as a framework for emotional and psychological wellness. Since its formation, the group has called itself \"the Expendables of Hip‑Hop\", representing artists who faced adversity in the music industry and emerged empowered, inspiring others to do the same.
The upcoming vinyl pressing and new single underscore GRYSKLL’s commitment to expanding its physical catalog and reinforcing its identity as a community‑focused collective. Fans can expect the vinyl to be available soon through the collective’s official channels, with the new single already in circulation on streaming platforms.