Life lessons

When Chris "Rizzen" Kelly worked at Don Ho's Island Grill back in 1999, the restaurant's namesake stopped by relatively often.

Rizzen CD Release Party with special guests Red Degree, Lubei and Soul Pacific » Place: Don Ho's Island Grill » Time: 9:30 p.m. Friday » Cover: $10 » Call: 528-0807

"Yeah, (Don) would come in all the time," he said earlier this week while reminiscing over a cheeseburger. "He'd kick back and talk story with us all day."

Kelly hopes Ho will pay another visit this weekend, when he hosts the official CD release party for his solo debut, "4 Life." Three years in the making, the album is both a representation of Kelly's musical artistry and a well-planned example of how to take a calculated risk.

BORN in Hawaii, Kelly moved to Northern California with his parents and three younger sisters when he was 10. As expected, the change was a shock to the young beach bum.

"It was freezing up there," he recalls. "And wearing shoes was a big thing. I would always have to take off my shoes in class."

He credits the band Sublime as the catalyst for his own music career.

"I didn't really start getting into music until I bought their self-titled album at the beginning of senior year," he said. "I started singing the songs, and I noticed it came naturally."

After high school graduation, he took classes at a local community college before deciding to move back to Oahu in 1999. Working as a server at Don Ho's, he got a chance both to party like a rockstar and see what it took to perform with a band in front of a live audience. He also learned to play guitar.

UNFORTUNATELY, Kelly only lasted seven months before returning to California. "I didn't realize that you need responsibility in life. As a 19-year-old kid who worked in a club in downtown Honolulu, that was pretty much the last thing on my mind. At that time, the sun and fun wasn't really right for me to make a life for myself."

The experience did convince him to start playing in a band, although infighting made him quit after a few years. When he met his fiance, Isabel, Kelly decided to focus on writing and producing his own full-length album.

"So I kind of stepped out of the nightlife (scene) for a little bit and just concentrated on recording," he explained. "But we were busy just working and trying to support our family."

Isabel had three children from a previous marriage, so the two held down full-time jobs while Kelly would spend a day a week in the recording studio. He maintained that schedule for three years, finally finishing the album in January 2005.

From there, he pressed a few thousand promotional copies and returned to Hawaii to gauge the interest of local industry execs. Kelly soon realized his plan of being a mainland-based artist wasn't going to work out. "It was just too hectic and crazy, so we decided the best thing was to get our finances together and move down here to give it a go."

"4 LIFE" is comprised of 11 original tracks, and while there are religious undertones, Kelly insists he's not using his style of reggae to preach. "The record is about my dedication to music. I'm a spiritual person, not a religious person."

Rather than choose any one religion, Kelly relies on his own interpretation of the Hebrew version of the Old Testament and the Greek New Testament. He uses "Jehovah" in reference to God, but is quick to point out the similarity to the word "Jah," used by other reggae bands.

"I kind of wanted his real name to be heard a little bit," he said. "I just have certain beliefs. I'm not in any position to teach ... I just say what's on my mind."

Politics is another subject Kelly isn't afraid to touch. His song "Terrorist" focuses directly on the situation in the Middle East and those disenchanted by the efforts of President Bush.

"You know, I should have thought about that a little bit more," he laughed. "If you want to keep friends, don't talk about religion or politics!"