Some begin with a specific path in mind, which changes over time; others don’t have a clue. For UNC graduate Kyree Tittle, his journey at UNC led him to his true passion: hip-hop.
Even as a kid, Tittle, also known by his stage name, Topiq, was always into music. He took an interest in poetry and played the violin until the age of 10, when hip-hop and songwriting gained his attention. But it wasn’t until his sophomore year at UNC when he began taking these passions seriously.
In 2011, Tittle and fellow UNC hip-hop artists founded the Chapel Hill hip-hop collective known as No9to5 in a booth in Ram’s Head Dining Hall. From there, the various acts began opening for well-known artists like Asher Roth, WATSKY and the Latin Grammy Award-winning ChocquibTown.
Working with No9to5 has led to big things for Tittle, including a move to Los Angeles after graduation, having his work featured on PBS and National Public Radio, opening for shows in New York City and now, the release of his brand new E.P., “Code Switch.”
For his most recent project, Tittle was lucky enough to work with a cartoonist who has worked on “The Simpsons.” This resulted in the cartoon rendering of Topiq himself, which serves as the album cover.
Tittle said the name “Code Switch” comes from the idea that people operate differently depending on their surroundings, such as the way they speak or the positions they take on an issue.
“‘Code Switch’ is a switch from my previous projects — from what you hear on the radio and from the genre I’m associated with,” he said. “The album as a whole will touch a different group of fans, whereas (the title track) ‘Code Switch’ could stretch across countries given the chance.”
UNC senior Hannah Olaniyan said she enjoys hip-hop and rap for that very reason.
