Riding high off her most recent single “Loving U long time” (Mariah Carey featuring TI), Cri$tyle has quickly become one of the go-to songwriters of 2008. The year has proven to be a life-altering one for the twenty-four year old songwriter who co-wrote Mariah Carey’s #1 hit “Touch My Body” along with singles for Natasha Bedingfield, (ANGEL), Tiffany Evans (I’m Grown feat. Bow Wow), Teyanna Taylor (Google Me), and most recently So So Def newcomer Dondria (Can’t Stop). After signing with Jermaine Dupri barely a year ago, the songwriter’s career skyrocketed, placing her in the studio with megastars like Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Brandy and Jennifer Lopez. “It’s been a blessing. It’s almost overwhelming at times,” admits Cri$tyle when asked about working with some of her childhood musical influences, “I still feel like that young girl from Decatur that just loved music.”
Cri$tyle hopes that by sharing her unique story she will empower other young people to continue pursuing their dreams regardless of their current situation. “I am really excited to be visiting DC and the Kellie Williams Program for summer youth employment. Hopefully the songwriting clinic will be fun for the students and just maybe some of them will want to pursue songwriting,”
The Kellie Williams Program for summer youth employment is the brainchild of actress Kellie S. Williams, a Washington, DC, native who won over the hearts of thousands as the sensible, smart and sassy Laura Winslow on the highly successful ABC television network series Family Matters. In its third conceptual year, The Kellie Williams Program for Summer Youth Employment (KWP) offers Washington, DC-area youth the opportunity to plan and produce broadcast-quality media, including the in-studio talk show entitled Teen Time and at least two public service announcements. The curriculum focuses on project-based learning and creative cognitive learning, proficiency in media arts, civic engagement and leadership development.
“To bring a guest in like Cri$tyle is a real treat for our students, it allows them to see a behind-the-scenes entertainment success story that they can reach out and touch and the reality is, she is not much older than many of our students,” says Karla Ballard, Strategic Partnerships.
Cri$tyle will host a mini-songwriter’
