Born Christopher Elias Hicks, Chris Capture got his start in a high school rap collective in late 2010s North Carolina. Now he is steadily building a name for himself behind soulful beats, skillful rhymes, and pointed messages.
Take, for example, the track “Praise Plutus (97 Chambers).” In a three-minute master class on lyricism and rap hooks, Capture sets his sights on a clear target: “these rat race Olympics.” Invoking the Greek god of wealth, Plutus, Capture asks, in a society where “God has been abolished,” what does it mean to worship materialism?
It’s all about the money,
Greed is God.
Who you praying to?...
The proof is in your pockets.
God has been abolished.
Just hope you know the difference
When you praying to the profits.
Fans of MF DOOM, 90s boom-bap, and early Kendrick Lamar will appreciate the soulful and scratchy drum-and-bass beat of “Praise Plutus.” Capture’s wordplay also garners attention, for instance in the double meaning of “praying to the profits” (or prophets). His lines abound with internal rhymes, too, such as “quill/spill” when he raps, “There’s a reason I grip the quill / And spill from my conscious hand.”
Capture additionally uses his voice to good effect. A natural baritone, he occasionally slides up into high pitched squeaks to emphasize certain words, reminiscent of Eminem. His pace is also varied, moving from moderate and on the beat to rapid-fire syncopations. As he says in a later verse, “I rhyme with the frantic rhythm.”
“Praise Plutus” is the fifth of twelve tracks on Chris Capture’s second full-length album, Watch God’s Hand (2025). Featuring beats from a range of artists including Silhouette and RZA, the album explores a wide range of abstract and conscious themes, from God to pop culture, with a definite Southern point of view (see the track “Greensboro Goliath”).
An overarching idea is individuality. In the track, “A Bryan Charnley Painting (RZA in 1994),” Capture alludes to the tension between freedom and being an individual while working within a genre:
Ironic: hip hop saved me but yet it limits my options,
So for this time being I place my faith in the space of rhyme.
As someone paving his own unorthodox way in the music world, he wants listeners to be inspired to do similarly. He says, “Do what you want to do. Take your own path and keep going.”
Capture’s visuals tie in seamlessly with his artistic vision. The cover art to Watch God’s Hand features a surrealist painting of Jesus Christ with a pizza on his forehead and a mixed up face including three eyes. The pizza motif is Capture’s personal logo, featured on his social media sites and his debut album, The PIZZAS! (2021). Much like his lyrics, Capture’s imagery sticks with you, challenging your perspectives on faith, commercialism, and the meaning of life.
Fans should expect more recordings in 2025, including a new mixtape by the end of the year. With a steadily growing catalog since 2019, Capture's upcoming releases will be eagerly awaited by fans old and new. Songs like “Praise Plutus” make it clear: Chris Capture is not only an artist who makes you think; he makes you want to listen.
Stream “Praise Plutus” now, and follow Chris Capture at the links below:
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