Born in Chicago, IL, Rita J. credits her father’s massive collection of soul, pop, rock, r&b, disco and hip-hop records for instilling her with a love of hip-hop. While living in Chicago after college, she connected with the underground icons DJ Tone B. Nimble and MC capital D of the group All Natural. In 2002, she joined the collective officially. Rita J. was featured on numerous compilations and was part of the collective Family Tree for a few years honing her skills, studying and gearing up for her debut solo album, Artist Workshop, coming out on the Chicago-based independent label All Natural.
Organic and soulful, Artist Workshop features Steph Staa, Cap D., Guilty Simpson, Yaw, Ka-Di, Adad, Mr. Greenweedz, Rashid Hadee, and Dylan Jones. Sonically, Rita’s new album Artist Workshop ranges from the up-tempo to the soul-infused to the mellow. On “Outlasted” both Guilty Simpson and Rita J. exchange rhymes about doing what it takes to make it as an indie emcee in spite of the obstacles.
