Rocky Rivera
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Rocky Rivera

Los Angeles, California, United States | INDIE

Los Angeles, California, United States | INDIE
Band Hip Hop R&B

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Rocky Rivera – “Trick Habit” Video"

Much to the chagrin of cheating Alpha males across the globe, Rocky Rivera and her pack of maneaters have a license to ill over unstable relationships. Still pumping life into her eponymous debut album, the video for “Trick Habit” stands as masterpiece theater in present-day Hip-Hop’s hallowed video standards. Directed by Patricio Ginelsa, the freakishly enthralling clip combines enough science fiction and dark humor to make Rod Sterling and Ray Bradbury beam with pride.


Link: http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2010/09/rocky-rivera-trick-habit-video - The Smoking Section


"“Complex” – Review Of Rocky Rivera’s Rocky Rivera"

Despite the Internet taking down the archetypal levies that kept aspiring rappers from getting heard, females haven’t gained much traction. On top of that, the few females who do break through fill the same sexpot roles vacated by their predecessors. Meanwhile, their male counterparts have been afforded the luxury to branch out (if they have the cojones) stylistically. Unfazed by these seemingly rigid guidelines, Bay Area femcee Rocky Rivera aims to succeed on her own terms. On her eponymous debut, Ms. Rivera makes a great first impression and proves she’s more than able to hang with the fellas.
Probably not since Lauryn Hill or Eve in her early stages, has the female perspective been presented as anything other than catering to a man’s desires or being the baddest chick. Presenting herself as a revolutionary with round the way girl sensibilities, Rivera has created a lane where she isn’t obligated to stay in one box. One moment she’s flexing her mic control muscles and ready to take on all challengers (“MRSHMLO” & “Complex”), then the next, she’s chastising men for foolishly passing her over on the climactic “I Am Gone.” All the while she’s exhibiting a cool confidence that lets the listener know she’s portraying nothing more than herself. But what puts Rocky a cut above the fray is her revolutionary/grass roots based ideals which are littered throughout the album.
This especially hits home on the lyrically dense “Heart.” Over a simple guitar loop & organ infused backdrop provided by 6Fingers, Rivera highlights a few branches on her revolutionary family tree. Steady in pace and simple in her wording, she lets the power of the protagonists’ stories carry the song. But don’t think all her time is dedicated to the cause, because Rocky isn’t above hitting the dance floor–on her own terms. On a “Girl Like Me,” the Dancehall/Auto-Tune infused tune, she creates a nice track to keep the party going. The same can’t be said for “Trick Habit,” a ‘50s inspired cautionary tale for bed hopping fellows. While not completely deplorable, the concept fares better in theory as it doesn’t really fit in sonically with the rest of the album.
Speed bumps like this are few and far between, only momentarily disrupting the flow of the album. With the content going back and forth in terms of subject matter, it’s the production which gives the album its center. Consisting of dusty Soul loops and/or minimalistic synth & bass combos, the talents of 6Fingers, CZA, Keelay & Zaire and Fat Gums provide Rocky with an array of beats that carry as much heat as the words she spits. Aside from a few tweaks sequence wise or dropping a track here or there, Rocky delivers all one can ask for on a debut album. She lets the listeners know who she is, proves she deserves to be around and warrants the demand for a follow up.

Link: http://smokingsection.uproxx.com/TSS/2010/04/review-of-rocky-riveras-rocky-rivera - The Smoking Section


"Flow like a butterfly, Sting like a queen-B"

Quick! Pop-culture pop-quiz: what comes to mind when you hear the words “female emcee”? If ethnic studies, journalism, political consciousness, motherhood and cultural awareness don’t immediately come to mind, you haven’t heard enough of Philippines-born/San Francisco-raised/LA–based writer and rapper Rocky Rivera (the artist formerly known as EyeASage and currently known in the publishing world as Ms. Krish).

Confused yet? Good. Rivera’s unfixed personae, like her lyrics, are anything but kids’ play. If you’ve yet to be schooled, get ready to bust out your [wiki.com]–and for some, [urbandictionary.com]–to decipher her rhymes, which scroll by like WiFi. Include in your search terms: Filipina revolutionary Gabriella Silang, the history of Filipino grape pickers in Stockton, Calif., “Un pueblo unido!”, Mindanao freedom fighters, how to make crack cocaine, how to stack cheddar, Jessica Hagedorn’s The Gangster of Love–you know, the usual rap game stuff. You should also know that Rivera (née Krishtine de Leon) was one of six young journalists to be featured in the 2007 MTV reality-show, I’m from Rolling Stone, in which she won a spot as a contributing editor at the famed music magazine. She’s penned articles for XXL, The Source, Vapors, and of course, Rolling Stone.

“But can you bump her sound in the car?” you ask. Hell yes. “Can I reapply my lip-gloss to it?” Oho, manang. Faster than a rolling “R,” stronger than silent “G,” able to leap capital “F” in a single bound, it’s a femcee, it’s a super-Pinay, it’s: Rocky Rivera! - Honolulu Weekly


Discography

Married to the Hustle - mixtape
Rocky Rivera - LP premiere
Radio single - MRSHMLO

Photos

Bio

Rocky Rivera is a Hip-Hop journalist by day, MC by night, who found international acclaim by winning a Contributing Editor position on MTV's docu-series "I'm From Rolling Stone" in 2007. After lacking inspiration in the literary world, she decided to finally pursue Hip-Hop as a participant, not only as an observer, and began to fill the void with thought-provoking music that you can dance to. (Think Lauryn Hill meets Public Enemy with West Coast beats) Her moniker and album theme is derived from a book entitled "The Gangster of Love" by Jessica Hagedorn, as Rocky examines love, war, and a young woman's journey along the way.