Crystal Williams

THE MAD BLOGGER aka SUPERWOMAN.

CRYSTAL “CRYS BREEZY” WILLIAMS has been interested in becoming a journalist since she first joined the staff of her high-school newspaper at age 15. It was there she discovered her love for people and writing, believing that “everyone has a compelling story to tell, and they’re just looking for someone that cares about their point of view. I want to help them voice themselves.”
While pursuing her journalism degree at CUNY City College, she has had the opportunity to study under some of New York’s prominent journalists, including NY1's John Schiumo, Curtis Simmons (her mentor), and Newsday editor Eli Reyes. Crystal was also a former student of WHCR 90.3 FM General Manager Angela Harden, who encouraged her to explore a career in radio. She joined WHCR’s Equilibrium Radio crew as an on-air personality after interning with the show in September 2007, an experience that doubled twice in its value by not only teaching her the ropes of producing a radio show, but exposing her to the underground/independent Hip-Hop scene. Crystal was also known by her incendiary alter-ego SOHH Breezy of leading Hip-Hop news website SOHH.com’s Talkin’ Videos blog, where she spent a year “hating” on the latest Hip-Hop videos and reality shows. Her blossoming career has allowed her to interview intriguing people representing all walks of life, from artists such as
Kween Ka$h, College Hill’s Tationna Bosier, Homeboy Sandman, Hired Gun, Donny Goines, John O., Affion Crockett, Famouz, Danity Kane, Day26, Donnie J. Klang, and Skillz, to various NYC Firemen and Sanitation Workers who tattooed their bodies in memoriam to friends they lost during the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Crystal has also published articles, reviews and blog posts in Black Beat and Right On! Magazines, as well as The Unionist, CCNY’s The Campus, Rap Fanatic, (of course), the Equilibrium Radio Blog (http://eqradio.blogspot.com).

So, Breezy, tell the people why you started The Breezy Effect:

“I started it because I wanted to do my own thing and I wanted to have a place to big up DOPE emcees who aren't necessarily corporately funded right now,” says site owner and editor-in-chief Crys Breezy. “The idea behind it is similiar to the butterfly effect– hence the butterflies in the logo. When we hear GOOD music, we write about it. When we hear horrible, yet still industry co-signed music, boy do we go off!”

“I just wanted to voice my opinions, give fresh writers with talent a place for them to grow and talk about REAL HIP-HOP, and what's going on in OUR culture. In short, I want to help keep the spirit of hip-hop as a culture and an art form alive. ON TOP OF WHICH, let the world know that I'm not just some 80's baby who listened to “Ready To Die” or “Illmatic” and automatically think I know hip-hop. I'm a student and a lover of this culture, which is more than your mainstream hip-hop blogger/writer can say for themselves.”

What’s imperative to know about The Breezy Effect is that WE SUPPORT UNDERGROUND AND INDEPENDENT HIP-HOP ARTISTS, and will do anything in our power to showcase good emcees. This is the reason behind the “Rockin’ In Da Park” series, whereas we film interviews with random emcees in one of New York City’s parks, shedding light on their backgrounds (NOT TO MENTION ALLOWING THEM TO BLESS US WITH A DOPE FREESTYLE!). Says Breezy, “no CREDENTIALED hip-hop website is doing this right now, so I figured I'd be a leader and 1) create another way for up-and-comings to get out there and 2) BE ME in my element. It's also my way of making my own lil' mark in hip-hop... and paying homage to the true golden era of this genre."