The musical entrées that Ritchcraft marinates are absolutely scrumtrulescent. So great in fact that any other word employed to describe them would be woefully insufficient, and would serve only to limit the sheer magnitude of the greatness intended as a descriptor. Oh… you didn’t know?

James “Ritchcraft” Ritchie began making beats at 16 with just a PC and FL studio. For the next 8 years he progressed into a multi-faceted producer with a style that’s polished and constantly adapted to keep heads nodding. His studio/bedroom is based out of Halifax, Canada. Halifax has long been known for its Canadian hip-hop roots bringing an underground feel. Living in a small city with roots like this provided a setting that was littered with influence. Add the professional knowledge that comes with a Music Degree and you’ve got a rare combo.

He started gaining notoriety when he began to remix hip-hop classics and posting them online. He splashed onto the blog scene when he remixed a classic Jay-Z album. Putting a brass spin on it, the “Big Band Blueprint” was born. It became such a hit that his rendition of “Song Cry” hit the top 10 on Hype Machine charts. It wasn’t long before opportunities began to arise.

Intalek, a young and talented emcee from Virginia Beach was drawn to Ritchcraft’s sound and the two began mixing it up. In just 2 short months, “Lives and Vibes” was complete and it garnered a ton of attention from fans. This quickly trickled down to the blogs, and was received well. So well that it was given the #3 award for Top 10 Free LP’s of 2010 from kevinnottingham.com. His collabs don’t end there. Local talents were already well aware of his production skills. Emcee’s Kayo and Quake continue to bless Ritchcraft tracks on the regular.

His individual skills however, never go unnoticed. Ritchcraft was selected to compete in the Battle of the Beatmakers: Canada’s Official Producer Competition in August of 2010. 32 of Canada’s finest were selected to spin their best tracks in Toronto, Canada. Ritchcraft held down the East-Coast as he was the only participant from Atlantic Canada.

With this wealth of experience it’s hard to not expect something great every time he steps foot into the studio. Ritchcraft is now hitting his full stride beat after beat, and it couldn’t come at a better time before his trip down to SXSW 2011. Be sure to check out his 30 in 30 project for a full month of neck-breaking beats!