Rojas By Way of Rochester
New York gave birth to hip hop culture and many of its most iconic figures. From Kurtis Blow, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane to Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas and Talib Kweli, New York has given hip hop more stars than the Yankees have World Series trophies.
Travel about 335 miles northwest of NYC—home to almost all of the state’s most legendary rappers—and there lies Rochester, stomping grounds to the young Emilio Rojas. The Venezuelan-American MC grew up just miles from Canadian border, closer to Niagara Falls than any of the five boroughs.
Rochester’s reputation for producing lime light-lavishing stars may be pretty lackluster, in fact, Rojas relocated to Brooklyn a few years ago, hoping for a larger audience for his music. But he refuses to leave behind his connection to his home, telling HipHopDX, “Right now, I live in Brooklyn, but Rochester will always be home,” when they added him to their list of MCs to watch in late 2008, “DX Next” they call it.
Back then, he had already collaborated with many notable artists including Skyzoo and Torae and rapped over beats from the likes of Illmind and Khrysis. Since being dubbed “next”, the MC who named Pharoahe Monch as his all-time favorite lyricist has pushed forward and expanded both his portfolio and his reach.
The Natural
In June of 2009, with the economy hitting a low point and national unemployment rate creeping toward double digits, Rojas was invited onto Tony Touch’s radio show for an interview and freestyle. The modest media appearance set him up to do something he proclaimed back in 2007—become Recession Proof.
DJ Green Lantern, another Roc City native, caught wind of the MC, hearing his freestyle and seeing instant talent. The legendary DJ and producer has worked with artists such as Ludacris, Nas, Eminem and many, many others; Rojas saw this as an incredible opportunity for him to work with the mixtape legend saying, “as far as I’m concerned, he revolutionized the mixtape game, plus we’re from same city, it’s an honor to work with him.”
I want people to listen to this and walk away thinking “This dude is fuckin’ nice!”
Rojas’ stock soared—the collaboration with a major mixtape DJ of legendary status landed him on blogger’s most-anticipated lists across the web. The opportunity was a test for Rojas, with so much riding on this unique experience, delivering a top-notch mixtape was crucial for the duo.
“I want people to listen to this and walk away thinking ‘This dude is fuckin’ nice!’” DJ Green Lantern told Rojas before handing over two beats for use on their mixtape, The Natural, a fitting name for a tape that showcases Rojas’ effortless flow.
On November 18, Rojas and Green Lantern delivered the product of five months of their collaboration. With the lead single, “Bold & Arrogant”, boasting hypnotic boom-bap stylings from producer M-Phazes, one of Rojas’ most frequent beatsmiths, and Rojas coming with his typical spit-game, the buzz was incredible. Receiving both critical acclaim and hundreds of pleased downloader comments, the consensus seemed overwhelmingly positive.
It’s safe to say Emilio Rojas’ latest release met the mark set by Green Lantern.
Moving Forward
Rojas has a sound reminiscent of a vintage Kweli: a coarse, conversational flow delivered without hesitation. He characterizes himself as simply, “a lyricist, like Jay-Z and Nas, but more syllables and more flowing,” finding pride in his ability to deliver hearty, complex verses with a rhythmic persuasion.
On “Piano Bounce”, the second track of The Natural, you get an insight into who Emilio Rojas really is, as the Green Lantern-produced track delivers the fragile confidence of a man having dealt with childhood in a broken home and with no connection to his heritage. Like his permanent connection to Rochester, he draws on his history to tell his story rather than leaving it in his past:
I lost my heritage the day I saw my parents split…no speaking Spanish anymore because it’s embarrassing to carry the tradition of a man who wouldn’t carry his.
Too often artists who spill all of the struggles from their upbringing early stumble later, lacking the ability to move forward and follow up with something fresh. But, The Natural is Rojas’ sophomore project following Recession Proof and he’s already back to work on something new.
“I’m at a point in my life where I want to tell my story, now it’s off my chest I can move forward,” says Rojas, having avoided the sophomore slump handily.
Rojas plans to follow up The Natural with a full length album and there is currently serious label interest, but due to confidentiality he was unable to mention names at the time of the interview with aboveGround. Rojas did mention some specific projects to look for, there are some exciting collaborations coming in the near future, beginning with a remix of “Bold and Arrogant”.
I’m gunna be talking about what I’m experiencing, because if I’m not, what am I?
According to Rojas, the next album will continue to feature much of the honesty that allowed listeners to connect so easily with The Natural, “I’m gunna be talking about what I’m experiencing, because if I’m not, what am I?”
You can download both Recession Proof and The Natural from the sidebar at the top of the page.
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