Ro Knew (Hip Hop & Dubstep)

Ro Knew has been writing, producing, and performing music since the late 1990s. Growing up in Des Plaines, IL (just outside Chicago), he was inspired by a variety of musical influences. Mid-90s boom-bap and gangsta rap played a huge part in Ro's musical development, but so did the jazz and classical music that he learned on piano, saxophone, and drums.

As a hip-hop artist, Ro has collaborated with the likes of Psalm One (Rhymesayers) and Qwazaar (Typical Cats), and shared stages with legends such as Devin the Dude, Raekwon, and Brother Ali. In his early recordings, his songs were more punchline-oriented, but Ro has grown into a versatile songwriter with the ability to make listeners laugh, cry, and most importantly, relate to his story. Ro combines the confidence of Jay-Z, the honesty and vulnerability of Slug, and flexes an assortment of styles inspired greatly by many of the Chicago greats whose music he grew up studying.

Upon moving to Oakland, CA in 2008, Ro Knew discovered dubstep music, which moved him in a way that he hadn't felt since first hearing hip-hop. In 2010, Ro Knew co-founded Ritual Dubstep with the Irie Cartel crew, and it has since grown into the biggest dubstep weekly in San Francisco. He has also put out several acclaimed DJ mixes and can now be seen throwing down heavy dubstep sets at various nightclubs across the West Coast.

Ro plans to release his next hip-hop album, "Fool's Wisdom" in Fall 2011, which will include guest appearances by Mic Logik, Tai the 13th, and Elliott Peck, as well as production from Johnny5, King Kuru (of Helicopter Showdown) and Felonious Crunk, amongst others.

Whether on the mic or behind the decks, Ro is able to move crowds by focusing on one simple rule: "Make the people feel somethin'!"