Atlanta-bred emcee Rittz, who released his new album Top of the Line today, is the latest star of Between the Lines. The album is led by the new singles "The Formula," featuring his Strange Music labelmates, as well as the smooth-coasting "Inside of the Groove," featuring E-40 and Mike Posner. When Rittz recently stopped by the HNHH office, we delved into Top of the Line and had Rittz rap an especially personal verse off the new track "Diamonds & Gold" on the back staircase. Afterwards, he came back into the studio to explain the inspiration behind the true-to-life verse (verse #2) and unpack some of its choice lyrics.
"You gotta watch out how you show off your diamonds and gold," said Rittz of the meaning behind the song's title. He's seen his peers end up in jail for flaunting their money too readily. The "Diamonds & Gold" verse in question paints a detailed portrait of the Eagle Point neighborhood in the Northside of Atlanta in which Rittz grew up. It's a relatively unassuming middle class area, and hence, it's a place that often catches outsiders off guard.
People think they can bring their street dealings into the suburbs, though as Rittz tells it, "Everybody ends up getting caught up." He goes on to talk of his regrets about dropping out of school after the 9th grade and how many of his friends never "made it into the millenium." He ends the segment by explaining his shout-out to the Nawfside with which he ends the record, saying that it's inspired by a 2Pac line on "To Live and Die in L.A."
Stream Rittz' Top of the Line here.