Career
Before establishing himself as a musician, Rosario spent time studying the art and science of graffiti. Often the outcast among the local crews in the Twin Cities, he was forced to go out on his own and learn the ropes from the ground up. It was around this time that his love for hip-hop music led to Rosario starting to write rap songs with friends and on his own. Scraping up any sort of equipment he could, he had a makeshift recording setup that was responsible for 2 full-length releases (Under the name of Orikal), Unquestionable (2003) and Visions of Elevation (2004). These records were primarily produced by a producer he met on a Sage Francis internet forum by the name of Hiphopapotamus.
Due to differences between the two, Hiphopapotamus and Orikal parted ways. Being left without beats, Orikal taught himself how to make instrumentals, starting out on Fruityloops and eventually landing on his current go-to program, Reason. He would go on to produce two more full-length albums: The Harsh Reality (2006) and Now What?! (2007) under the name "Orikal"
Orikal founded Graff Roots Media in 2006 as a platform to release his own music and art. This has operated as his label and is still actively going today. The goal of the organization is to be able to do everything music, art and marketing related in-house.
In 2008, Orikal decided to add "Uno" to his professional name. Partly as homage to his roots in graffiti, partly to reflect his Puerto Rican heritage, and partly to solidify a brand of his own without confusion. It was also this year that he was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes and has been insulin-dependent ever since. At the end of the year, he traveled out to Los Angeles where he worked for Ron Sobel at North Star Media.
It was around this time that Orikal started working with notable musician Maria Isa. They recorded various music, and digitally released a compilation of unheard music "Then and Now" in 2011. [10]
In 2011, Orikal successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign with a target of $1500 to release his first official album as Orikal Uno, simply titled "Uno" and produced by long-time friend and frequent collaborator Anonimust. Backers were rewarded with an autographed copy of the album as well as personalized stickers painted by Orikal. [11]
In 2012, Sab the Artist and Abstract Rude released The Awful Truth via Rhymesayers Entertainment in which Orikal Uno produced the title song. [12]
Orikal also released his full-length album "It Is What It Is" which was produced by frequent collaborator Chris Goodwin. This record also featured appearances by DisputeOne and Ganzobean [13]
Chris Goodwin and Orikal would then go on to release "Whatever Happens, Happens" in 2013. A darker album in comparison to "It Is What It Is," this album featured notable appearances by Twin Cities emcees Kristoff Krane and Freez (of Minneapolis rap group Illuminous 3) [14]
In 2014, DisputeOne introduced Orikal to producer Serebe, who is most notably the producer behind Eyedea's song Perfect Medicine [15] - The duo linked up and released the full-length album "Sleepwalker", which features appearances by Glo Pesci, DisputeOne, Michelle Kearney, NL Emnt and DJ Elsewhere [16]
In 2015, Anonimust and Orikal teamed up once again to release the full-length album "Chasing Paradise", which would go on to score Orikal his first publishing deal. [17]
2015 would see Orikal and DisputeOne get together to create their first full-length album and 12" vinyl record titled "OnePlusOne" [18] - The duo first started working with each other in late 2011, going on to release the mixtape "Homework Volume 1" and delivering notable performances throughout the Twin Cities for the next year, including a sold-out show at the Fineline Music Cafe in which notable rapper Mac Lethal ordered the entire crowd pizza.
As OnePlusOne, they had a busy 2016 with the release of their debut record "1+1". This release is Orikal Uno's first appearance on 12" vinyl, which was self-released through his label Graff Roots Media. [19]
2016 also saw the debut of Orikal Uno and DJ Greenery as spellbound - a project which sees DJ Greenery on production and Orikal Uno on vocals and song arrangement.
2017 saw Orikal Uno release his upcoming self-produced LP "Tone Rosario" [20] - Also notable is that he performed with DJ Greenery as spellbound at a sold out show held at legendary venue First Avenue's 7th St. Entry opening for hip-hop heavyweights Blackalicious in October 2017. [21] [22]
In 2017, Minneapolis—St. Paul arts publication City Pages named Orikal Uno's self-produced single "Knockin" as the lead video of the Top 5 music videos of Minnesota. 2017 also saw the OnePlusOne song "Pelican" produced by Orikal Uno gain radio play on KZGO (GO 95.3 FM).
In January 2018, Orikal Uno released Come Back, the third collaborative effort with DJ Dixon DeVille (f/k/a Jayechs, Anonimust) on production. [23]
On December 7, 2020, legendary emcee, rapper and actor Ice-T retweeted the Muja Messiah song "Covid" produced by Orikal Uno to his 1.9 million followers on Twitter [24]
On April 24, 2023, "The Check In w/ Orikal Uno" radio show debuted on 98.9 FM KRSM Radio in Minneapolis, Minnesota [25] [26] - Orikal does a weekly recorded mix and blend of "nothing but the best in Twin Cities Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B and Soul music" including other music from rising independent and mainstream artists across the globe.
The Pharcyde is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani, Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Fatlip. DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift. The group is perhaps best known for the hit singles "Drop", "Passin' Me By" and "Runnin'", as well as their first album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992). The group continues to tour and record, both collaboratively and in solo projects—the most recent being Hardson's collaborative EP with DJ Nu-Mark released in 2014 on Delicious Vinyl.
Ian Matthias Bavitz, better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it went on hiatus in 2010. In a 2010 retrospective, betterPropaganda ranked him at number 19 at the Top 100 Artists of the Decade.
Micheal David Larsen, better known by his stage name Eyedea, was an American musician, rapper, and poet. He was a freestyle battle champion and songwriter from Saint Paul, Minnesota.
James Victor Heinz, known professionally as J57, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive, and music video director that infuses hip hop with indie rock, pop, folk & Americana music. He is a member of the Brown Bag AllStars, a group of emcees he helped create while working at Fat Beats in 2004, and Jamo Gang, a hip-hop group along with Ras Kass and El Gant. J57 cites DJ Eclipse and his mentor DJ Premier, as his musical influences. He owns a record label called FiveSe7en Collective which is the home of a lot of new, promising talent in different genres of music. J57 was co-host of Shade45 / SiriusXM’s show “Rap Is Outta Control” with DJ Eclipse for 5 years.
Anthony Davis, better known by his stage name Ant, is an American hip hop producer. He is best known as being one half of the hip hop group Atmosphere, but has worked with many other artists and projects, mostly with Rhymesayers Entertainment, such as Brother Ali, I Self Devine, Felt and The Dynospectrum. He has also released two solo albums, Melodies and Memories, and Melodies and Memories 85–89.
Twin Cities hip hop, also referred to as Minneapolis hip hop, is sub-genre of rap music that originates from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota.
Alternative Records is an independent record label based in Eugene, Oregon. The label started in 1989.
Jacob Brian Dutton, known professionally as Jake One, is an American record producer and songwriter.
Sha Stimuli is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York City. He is known for his mixtape releases, beginning with Let Me Show You the Way in 2002, which earned him a spot in Source Magazine's "Unsigned Hype" section. Sha Stimuli is the cousin of Dre Knight and is the younger brother of producer and rapper Lord Digga, through whom he was introduced to Brooklyn rappers such as Notorious B.I.G. and Masta Ace.
Matt Cutler, better known as Lone, is a British electronic musician from Nottingham, England.
Angel Del Villar II, better known by his stage name Homeboy Sandman, is an American rapper from Elmhurst, Queens, New York, United States.
Cats & Dogs is the second solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Evidence. It was released on September 27, 2011 through Rhymesayers Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at ALC Laboratories in Santa Monica, Soundproof West in Venice, The Drug Lab and Soundproof East in Los Angeles, Infamous Studios in Queens, Stophouse Studios in Minneapolis and All This Could Be Yours in San Francisco. Production was handled by the Alchemist, Sid Roams, DJ Premier, Rahki, Charli Brown, Twiz the Beat Pro, and Evidence himself. It features guest appearances from Aesop Rock, Aloe Blacc, Catero, Krondon, Lil' Fame, Prodigy, Raekwon, Rakaa Iriscience, Ras Kass, Roc Marciano, Slug, Step Brothers and Termanology, with cameos from Amber Strother, Danny Keyz, Noelle Scaggs and Wendy Guerra.
Musab Saad, better known by his stage name Sab the Artist, Musab, or Beyond, is an American recording artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, and music executive from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is currently based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Are You Gonna Eat That? is the debut full-length album by the American hip hop group Hail Mary Mallon, consisting of rapper/producers Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic, and disc jockey DJ Big Wiz.
Micranots is an American hip hop duo, consisting of I Self Devine and DJ Kool Akiem from Atlanta, Georgia, but currently reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2013, the group was described by City Pages as "the pioneering rap group that left an immense footprint on the local hip-hop scene".
Dmity Kutsenko, known by his stage name Your Old Droog, is a Ukrainian-born American rapper and producer from Brooklyn, New York. He first gained public attention in June 2014 when online rumors were circulated that his self-published debut EP was actually recorded by veteran New York rapper Nas under an alter ego, before revealing himself in August of that year as a 25-year-old Ukrainian American. His self-titled debut album was released digitally on November 25, 2014. The name "Droog" comes from the Ukrainian word 'друг' meaning "friend".
Joseph Murphy, professionally known as Celestaphone, is an American musician and record producer.
Soundset Music Festival was a hip-hop music festival held yearly in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area over Memorial Day weekend. Since Soundset began in the Metrodome parking lot in 2008, attendance has grown from 12,000 to over 30,000 consistently since 2014. Over 280,000 fans have traveled from fifty U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand to experience Soundset in Minnesota.
The Anti-Album is the only studio album by American hip hop duo Semi.Official, consisting of rapper I Self Devine, a member of Micranots, and DJ Abilities, a member of Eyedea & Abilities. It was released September 16, 2003 on Rhymesayers Entertainment.
The discography of American rapper Mac Lethal consists of 5 studio albums, 12 mixtapes, 6 extended plays, and 27 singles.
