For Colorado-born rapper Renzo, his motivation for doing music isn’t about putting his city on
the map, but about representing true lyricism and rich storytelling in Hip-Hop today.
Early influences from R&B and lyrical rappers like Tupac, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Scarface
and Nas provided the soundtrack for a life that, prior to music, was on a trajectory to success in
athletics: “My life was basketball and track. I never wanted to do music...It was when I got to
college.”
However, it would be in college and through a friend on his track team that Renzo began writing
and rapping as an exercise in venting on past struggles in life, family, and relationships. The
ingenuity of his rapping skills and stage presence began to take off in the battle rapping scene
of San Antonio, Texas, where he quickly earned a reputation and bookings for being a lyrical
rapper with a completely original sound and powerful performance style that commanded the
stage.
On his latest studio album, Ascension, Renzo’s command over verse and the art of storytelling
is only further enhanced by a new weapon in his artillery - confidence. Bolstering a relatability
and realness of such influencers like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, Renzo looks to transcend the
trendy, superficiality of the current culture. He knows his sound. He knows breadth. It’s his time.