Troy, North Carolina · Est. 1994
The music was real. The struggle was real. Now Khato and Giz bring the untold story of FTB Records to life.
01 / THE ORIGIN
In 1994, Khato came home from North Carolina Central University for a weekend visit. During a session at Crazy A Studios, a young Brooklyn transplant named Giz walked in, heard the beat and started rhyming. The connection was immediate.
They built a name battling artists, performing live on radio and moving through clubs and shows across Charlotte, Montgomery County and North Carolina. When their music became involved with a soundtrack connected to a major filmmaker without a proper agreement, they hired an attorney—and learned that talent without protection was not enough.
“The artists needed ownership, contracts and somebody protecting the business.”
02 / FIRST RELEASE
ORIGINALLY RELEASED 1999
Booda Angels · Khato & Giz
The first song in the FTB Records AI story—restored from the surviving recording and returned as the FTB Legacy Edition.
03 / BOODA ANGELS
The vision.
Calm under pressure. Creative, laid-back and strategic. Khato leads the label with a deep voice, a stern tone and one goal: build FTB into a world-renowned record company without leaving anyone behind.
The force.
Born in Brooklyn and adopted into the Kelly family. Giz is loyal, witty and unpredictable—not aggressive by nature, but capable of wild reactions that can put him in difficult situations.
04 / THE MOVEMENT
Founders, artists, promoters, supporters and affiliates shaped the movement—each becoming part of the story still being told.
05 / WORLD PREMIERE
Official teaser now playing
FTB RECORDS AI · EPISODE 01
The story begins
One surviving recording opens the door to 1994—the day Khato walked into Crazy A Studios and met Giz.
Crazy A Studios wasn’t a polished commercial facility. It was a small brick house at the end of a tree-lined dead-end street, with a Honda Accord parked outside. Inside, the recording room was built from turntables, speakers and microphones. That simple room became the birthplace of the Booda Angels—and the beginning of FTB Records.
06 / FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS
Explore practical education, editorial opportunities and selective music licensing consideration through FTB Records AI.
Explore artist programsJOIN THE MOVEMENT
New episodes, restored music and stories from the real FTB Records legacy.