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Local Music Mondays is a weekly segment produced by WUKY's DeBraun Thomas. Check here for archived episodes, extended interviews, and extras.

Local Music Monday: Hip-Hop Artist Sheisty Khrist, AKA Hendrick Floyd

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Every Monday WUKY shines the spotlight on the local music scene.  This week DeBraun Thomas sits down with local hip-hop artist Hendrick Floyd.

Since the 1990’s the music scene in Lexington has been filled with my great musicians. That being said, it hasn’t always been so diverse. 

Local hip-hop artist Hendrick Floyd was one of the archetypes of the hip-hop movement in Lexington.  Floyd who performs under the stage name Sheisty Khrist was part of a collaboration of hip hop artists called Mad Malitia in the early 90s.

While the music scene was thriving, it proved to be difficult to get a start as a hip-hop group. Floyd says it was a combination of hard work and acceptance into the music community that broke barriers.

“I actually remember specifically us playing the Wrocklage and getting on stage and guys looked at us like ‘what are these guys doin’ but by the end of the show they were bangin and jumpin around and they were like ‘ok these guys kinda earned their stripes’ and I think from little bitty moments like that the word sort of got out that we were legitimate hip-hop artists.”

Floyd has been legitimized not just as a hip-hop artist, but as a poet as well. Floyd’s stage name Sheisty Khrist was given accolades by the current Poet Laureate of the state of Kentucky Frank X Walker. While his music has traveled far, Floyd says that for him it is not about money, it is about art. His advice for up and coming acts, if you want to make it big this might not be the best place, but if you want to get better, Lexington is the right place.

“ If that’s your desire, then you gotta leave. If you want to make great music which is something people in this town do and do well, then connect with the right people. There are those of us who are always looking to work you know with new artists and create something new”

Hendrick Floyd is currently performing with the group A Tribe Called Lex that will be performing  on New Year’s Eve at Al’s Bar.

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