Rio

Not very often is there an artist that defines a class, a race of people, a movement, or a state of mind. Born in East Oakland, California, Mario Holten, better known as Rio has the ability to express the many facets of his city while not over glamorizing the negative aspects of life in his neighborhood as many of his counterparts do. With his unique ability to provide descriptive narratives of his life, while intertwining witty punch lines and metaphors Rio has grabbed the attention of many of Hip Hop's hardest critics, the consumer. With 150,000 "hits" on his MySpace music page, Rio has proven himself to be one of the staples in the local hip hop diet. Raised primarily by his mother because of his father's drug use, Rio learned at an early age how life could take unforeseen twists and turns. Primarily a middle class family, Rio and his mother found themselves struggling as his father began to throw away money to satisfy his drug habit. Lack of money and a fear of being evicted from his residence forced Rio to familiarize himself with the streets of Oakland. Often rapping to pass the time, Rio never thought of rap as anything besides a hobby until he was asked to perform on a high school compilation, which included artists from the various local high schools. From the high school compilation came many more experiences which allowed Rio to see that he may have a future as an entertainer. Choosing to continue his education as opposed to trading in his books for the fast money that drugs can bring, Rio was given a chance to see how the more privileged children lived. Going to a private high school in which his mother, and various other family members contributed to his tuition, Rio was given the opportunity to see a more positive aspect of life. In a life where Rio's best friend was gunned down in front of his grandmotherʼs house, his father was addicted to drugs, his cousin was the victim of a double homicide and his mother often cried herself to sleep, Rio was able to see a side of life where old money pampered children the same age as himself. It was during this time that Rio decided he needed to immerse himself with positive events and escape his current surroundings. In songs like "Shine," Rio's social commentary can be heard in his lyrics. One such example is where Rio says, "Father figures don't bother with us nigg*s/ so we palming revolvers and drinking malt liquor/ here we pinky swear and cross our hearts for nigg*s/ but some get scared and double cross their nigg*s/ we not afraid of your glock or your gauge/ the D.A. on 3 way trying to have us locked in a cage/ all this for some change I made the other day/ I could make no change couldn't see no other way/ all I wanted to change was the way a nigg*a ate...." These are the lyrics that have afforded Rio the opportunity to connect with people in the same social-economic situation, as well as garner the respect of those who have never entered a habitat such as East Oakland. These are the aspects of Rio which have enabled him the privilege of working with some of Hip Hops elite artists and producers. With the right people behind him Rio hopes to become a household name and prove that he is one of Hip Hops elite as well