In “Murder to Excellence: Life & Hip Hop in Chicago” documentary, Chicago female artist Katie Got Bandz describes how her upbringing reflects her musical style.

“My music relates to my personality and stuff that I been through,” she said. “It’s different for a female.”

Katie, a product of the Ida B. Wells housing project in South Side Chicago, said she grew up in a single parent household under her mother.

“My father is incarcerated for a murder,” she said. “I have two brothers, a big brother and a little brother.

Katie had a life altering experience after going to jail for gun possession.

“I caught a gun case last year for being at the wrong place at the wrong time; a week before I was supposed to went away to school,” she said.

The case, she said, changed her life.

“If I wouldn’t have experienced sitting in the country for 32 days, I’d probably be dead or in jail right now,” she said.

The music stuff, she said, changed her whole life around.

Katie doesn’t appreciate the criticism the younger generation is receiving for the music they produce.

“I’d say to the older artists that’s criticizing the music, they older anyway, we make music mostly for our age group. And they can’t judge us cuz don’t nobody judge their music,” she said. “My responsibility is for me to tell the truth and be real in my music. I think I should be real and tell the truth in my music because real music is what catches people’s attention. It aint gonna matter if you ain’t been through it, so what’s the point of you talking about it.”

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