Jonathan Matthew McCollum, known as Rittz, was born on August 16, 1980 in
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. After moving to Gwinnett County, Georgia at age eight,
he grew up surrounded by music due to his parents' interest in rock and roll. In
2003, Rittz's musical career stalled after numerous setbacks. However, he gained
traction when rapper Yelawolf featured him on "Box Chevy" from the 2010 EP
Radioactive. This collaboration led to a series of mixtapes, including White
Jesus (2011). Rittz signed with Tech N9ne's Strange Music in 2012 and released
his debut album The Life and Times of ...