Edinburgh hip-hop artist CTRL releases track about his father’s early death

Solo artist Chris Thomas, known as CTRL, has released a new song about losing his father to a stroke when he was 19.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

The single, called ‘R.S’, is inspired by text messages he received from his father, offering his son advice in the month before he died. Mr Thomas said that ‘R.S. is about facing up to the worst moments in my life, processing it all, and channelling that energy into shaping my future. (My father’s) words of wisdom still guide me today – and it’s what I wish I had the chance to say to him’.

His father Richard, who was the chairman of Boxing Scotland, passed away 5 years ago at the age of 45 when Chris, now 23, was just 19.

READ MORE: Scottish band, who cooked for Lewis Capaldi, host pizza night in Edinburgh

Discussing the choice to release the track in the lead up to Father’s Day and his experience of grief, he said: “I’m more happy that I even got a chance to meet my dad. I had a really good dad, who was a good person, and he was an impactful person and he changed a lot of people’s lives, that’s what I think about.”

He explained his family has always been a source of strength and inspiration for him, adding: “My granddad came from Sierra Leone to Scotland with part of his leg burned off. I’m white but my grandad’s black, and I’ve got a slave owner’s name as my surname, which is crazy. It’s important to remember where you come from.”

READ MORE: Rising Leith hip-hop star chosen by drinks brand as part of Christmas lockdown gig line-up

CTRL's new track reveals torment over his dad's passing (pic: McCosh Communications)

Chris has also started his own record label for Scottish rappers, Habibi Records, with two collaborators, Paddy Do Rego and Mezzo.

R.S. was written and performed by CTRL, produced by Paddy Do Rego, and mixed and mastered by Leftmind. It was recorded in Edinburgh, and the accompanying video was also shot in the city. Watch the full video at https://youtu.be/zjSK-SqI44s or download the track at ditto.fm/rs-ctrl.

To find out more, follow @ctrl_musicofficial on Instagram, @habibirecords_ on Instagram, and Habibi Records on YouTube.

A message from the Editor:

CTRL's new track is available for download

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.