Roger Gengo

Last updated
Roger Gengo
Born1992 (age 30–31)
Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Education State University of New York at Purchase (attended)
Occupation Entrepreneur
Years active2009–present

Roger Gengo (born 1992) is an American music entrepreneur. He is the founder of the multimedia blog, The Masked Gorilla, [1] UNMASKED, a concert series, and MASKED Records, a joint venture with Warner Records. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life and education

Gengo was born and raised in Long Beach, New York, where he grew up surfing and skateboarding. A devout rap and punk fan, in high school he scoured the internet for new music and attended backyard shows and all ages gigs at New York clubs. In 2007, he shot a live video of The Cool Kids at SOB's and posted the video to YouTube, creating a new account under the username DopeVideo88. [4]

Career

The Masked Gorilla, SoundCloud Rap

Gengo's Cool Kids video generated significant YouTube views and gained the attention of the band, who sent him new music to post. Subsequently, Gengo started to post music by emerging artists, mostly videos already on YouTube, and DopeVideo88 became a full-fledged channel. As a small community developed, Gengo launched a Blogspot blog devoted to underground hip hop and rap, Dopevideo88. Covering the artists he was passionate about, such as Wiz Khalifa, Currensy, and Casey Veggies, Gengo renamed the blog Masked Gorilla in 2009. Its distribution widened as word spread, and as the creator of Masked Gorilla, Gengo became the youngest person signed to Complex Networks. The resulting traffic generated increased ad revenue, and Gengo, then a freshman at State University of New York at Purchase. hired a small staff. Shortly thereafter, he dropped out of school to work on Masked Gorilla full-time. [4]

The Masked Gorilla profile grew as Gengo became known for "calling out the biggest hip hop stars before anyone else knows who they are." [5] He did the first video interview with Mac Miller, who was then in high school, and featured Kendrick Lamar in 2011, prior to the release of his first studio album, Section.80 . He posted the then-independent A$AP Rocky's "Purple Swag", the song that led to A$AP's label deal and mainstream success, and championed the "new wave of genre-defining rappers" such as Lil Peep, Lil Yachty, Pouya, Bones, and Ghostemane. [4]

Gengo was immersed in SoundCloud rap as the "vital and disruptive new movement in hip-hop" genre coalesced in the early-2010s. With Masked Gorilla, he "catalogued the scene from its infancy"; [6] serving as both a curator and an advocate, he became a prominent voice in the SoundCloud rap community. [7] [8]

The Unmasked Concert Series, MASKED Records

In 2014, Gengo launched the Unmasked Concert Series. In a 2018 interview he said: "If I started Masked Gorilla as a site to talk about artists that I cared about, that I knew kids cared about but other media publications didn't care about, then I wanted to start the UNMASKED concert series to showcase artists that I knew there was interest in, but couldn't get shows." [1]

Gengo originally planned to stage the concert series in New York, but relocated to Los Angeles to take advantage of the youth culture that notably thrived in the Fairfax District. Reflecting the DIY ethos of the punk shows Gengo attended in high school, Gengo booked the performers, found the venues, secured the permits, rented equipment, managed ticket sales and promotion, and provided the catering. [9] The first concert in the series, which took place at a warehouse in Los Angeles, featured Odd Future and Seshollowaterboyz. Although it was advertised only through Masked Gorilla and flyers distributed by Gengo's friends, it sold out, drawing an audience of more than 800 people. Vince Staples headlined the second Unmasked concert, which also took place in a warehouse, and also sold out. [1]

In 2016, in partial response to the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, Gengo decided to move the concerts to more conventional venues. The next series of concerts were held at the Roxy, an established club on the Sunset Strip. Replicating the success of the warehouse shows, Robb Bank$ and Chris Travis, Fredo Santana x Maxo Kream, and $uicideboy$ were sell-outs; subsequent shows at The Troubador and the Echoplex with Yung Lean, Tyler, the Creator, Playboi Carti, Denzel Curry, Ghostemane and Lil Peep also sold out. [4] [3]

In September 2019, Warner Records announced the creation of Masked Records, a joint venture with Gengo. [10] His first signing was 2KBaby. Gengo flew to meet him in Atlanta and in one night listened to more than 25 tracks. The following morning, he flew 2KBaby to Los Angeles, where he signed with Masked. [11] His single "Old Streets" was Masked Records' first release. It was certified gold in October 2020. [12]

In February 2022, Gengo announced a partnership [13] between Live Nation and Masked Gorilla for the inaugural Lookout music festival. The Los Angeles festival combined live performances from hip hop artists and hardcore rock bands such as Ski Mask The Slumped God, $not, Trash Talk, Jesus Piece and more.

In July 2022, Masked Records surpassed 1 billion streams [14] across the label's catalog. The label quickly expanded, adding 17 year old singer Kanii who's single "I Know" was certified gold in September 2023. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Wayne</span> American rapper and singer (born 1982)

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wayne's career began in 1995, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. From then on, he was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records before ending his association with the imprint in June 2018.

Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memphis, and Miami—five cities which constitute the "Southern Network" in rap music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Game (rapper)</span> American rapper (born 1979)

Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper JT the Bigga Figga. After releasing his debut independent album Untold Story in 2004, he was eventually discovered by record producer Dr. Dre and signed to his Aftermath Records label imprint. The Game rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his major-label debut album The Documentary and found continued success with the 2006 follow-up Doctor's Advocate. The Recording Industry Association of America certified The Documentary double platinum in March 2005.

James L. Smith is an American music executive, promoter and manager. He is the CEO and co-founder of the Houston based record label Rap-A-Lot. Smith and his son Jas are known for introducing Canadian rapper Drake to Lil Wayne and helping Drake sign to Young Money Entertainment in 2009. He has also managed prolific boxers such as Andre Ward, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Shakur Stevenson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Matter What They Say</span> 2000 single by Lil Kim

"No Matter What They Say" is a song by Lil' Kim from her second album The Notorious K.I.M. (2000). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 30, 2000 by Atlantic Records and Queen Bee Entertainment.

The I Am Music Tour, was a concert tour headlined by American rapper Lil Wayne. The tour was following his Grammy Award-winning album Tha Carter III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All My Life (In the Ghetto)</span> 2008 single by Jay Rock featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am

"All My Life (In the Ghetto)" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Jay Rock, released October 16, 2008, as his commercial debut single and the lead single from his debut studio album, Follow Me Home (2011). The song, which was released under Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Warner Bros. Records, was produced by American production team Cool & Dre and features vocals from fellow American rappers, Lil Wayne and will.i.am.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OVO Sound</span> Canadian record label

OVO Sound is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. Between 2012 and 2022, it operated as a subsidiary of Warner Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">300 Entertainment</span> American record label

Theory Entertainment LLC, doing business as 300 Entertainment, is an American record label founded by Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Todd Moscowitz, and Roger Gold. The label's roster includes acts across multiple genres such as hip hop, rock, pop, electronic, alternative, and country. Current artists include Young Thug, Fetty Wap, YNW Melly, Megan Thee Stallion, No Savage, Rejjie Snow, Cheat Codes, Highly Suspect, Tee Grizzley, Famous Dex, Shy Glizzy, Cobi, Meg Mac, Dae Dae, The Hunna, Maggie Lindemann, Bailey Bryan, OMB Peezy, Ice Prince, $not, Des Rocs, Savage Gasp, TLE Cinco, and Mary J Blige. It is based in New York City. The label also acts as distributor for Young Thug's record label YSL Records, whose roster includes rappers Gunna and the late Lil Keed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich the Kid</span> American rapper (born 1992)

Dimitri Leslie Roger, professionally known as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper. He released his debut studio album, The World Is Yours, on March 30, 2018, supported by his hit singles "New Freezer" and "Plug Walk". His second studio album, The World Is Yours 2, was released on March 22, 2019, and his third studio album, Boss Man, on March 13, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illionaire Records</span>

Illionaire Records was an independent South Korean record label formed in January 2011 by rappers The Quiett and Dok2. The label also represents rapper Beenzino. Despite its small size, Illionaire Records was considered one of the most influential hip hop record labels in South Korea due to the popularity of its artists. As of 6 July 2020, Illionaire Records announced via their official social media accounts that they are now defunct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bones (rapper)</span> American rapper from Michigan

Elmo Kennedy O'Connor, known professionally as Bones, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Howell, Michigan. He is also the founder of the music collective TeamSESH.

1017 Global Music, LLC, also known as The New 1017 Records and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So Icey. The label's most successful artists include Gucci Mane, Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, Pooh Shiesty, OJ da Juiceman, and the late Big Scarr.

Curtis Stewart, better known by his stage name Kidd Kidd, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of the first members of Lil Wayne's label imprint, Young Money Entertainment, as a part of Southern hip hop group Sqad Up. In 2011, Kidd Kidd signed a record deal with 50 Cent's label imprint G-Unit Records and subsequently in 2014, he joined the newly reformed East Coast hip hop group, G-Unit. In 2015, he was chosen as part of XXL Magazine's annual Freshman Class.

<i>ColleGrove</i> Album by 2 Chainz

ColleGrove is the third studio album by American hip hop recording artist 2 Chainz. It was released on March 4, 2016, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was originally a collaborative effort between him and fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, but due to his record label issues, only 2 Chainz was credited as the primary artist.

Memphis rap, also known as Memphis hip hop, or Memphis horrorcore, is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-late 1980s.

Emo rap is a fusion genre of hip hop and emo music. Originating in the SoundCloud rap scene in the mid-2010s, the genre fuses characteristics of hip hop music, such as beats and rapping, with the lyrical themes, instrumentals, and vocals commonly found in emo music. Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, and Juice Wrld are some of the most notable musicians in the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Gravy</span> American rapper from Minnesota (born 1996)

Matthew Raymond Hauri, known professionally as Yung Gravy, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. Since 2016, Hauri has completed ten international tours, earned three RIAA-certified-Platinum record and five RIAA-certified-Gold records. His discography includes one mixtape, four albums, and seven EPs. Yung Gravy is often associated with the SoundCloud rapper era and with fellow hip-hop artist bbno$, with whom he has released several collaborative singles and mixtapes. He has collaborated with artists including Lil Baby, Juicy J, T-Pain and Lil Wayne, as well as TV-personality Martha Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghostemane</span> American artist

Eric Whitney, known professionally as Ghostemane or Eric Ghoste, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and musician. He has released eight solo albums and three collaborative albums under his Ghostemane moniker, primarily merging elements of heavy metal, hip hop and industrial music. Whitney has also released music with a number of additional solo projects, pursuing styles including black metal as Baader-Meinhof, noise music as GASM, and electronic music as Swearr. He began his career in local hardcore punk and doom metal bands around Florida. In 2015, he moved to Los Angeles, California, starting a career as a rapper, under the moniker Ill Bizz. Around this same time, he was a member of the hip hop collective Schemaposse.

Travis Doyle, commonly known as Gorilla Nems or simply Nems, is an American rapper, content creator, entrepreneur and web series' host, from Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Known for his appearance on MTV2's Fight Klub, catchphrase "Bing Bong", and "Don’t Ever Disrespect Me" series, he is also founder and owner of the Brooklyn-based brand, Fuck Your Lyfe (FYL).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Weiss, Passion of the. "How To Succeed At Independent Show Promotion: A Conversation With The Masked Gorilla". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  2. ↑ Variety Staff (2019-09-12). "Warner Records Partners With Roger Gengo's Masked Records". Variety. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  3. 1 2 "Masked Gorilla: How Warner Helped It Go From Blog to Label". Billboard. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Unmasking The Gorilla: Inside Roger Gengo's Journey From Underground Blogger to Hip-Hop Entrepreneur". Genius. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  5. ↑ "DC AND THE MASKED GORILLA LAUNCH UNMASKED CONCERT SERIES". The Berrics. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  6. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (2017-06-22). "The Rowdy World of Rap's New Underground". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-07-21.
  7. ↑ The New York Times, Staff (2017-06-23). "Hip-Hop's Punk Moment Has Arrived". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  8. ↑ "SoundCloud to launch originally produced live programming on Twitch". Music Business Worldwide. 2020-05-04. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  9. ↑ Garner, Scott (2016-10-13). "Neighborhood Spotlight: Fairfax is bumper-to-bumper with L.A. culture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  10. ↑ "Warner Records launches hip-hop label JV with Masked Gorilla founder". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  11. ↑ "2KBABY Needs to Be Heard". Complex. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  12. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  13. ↑ "https://www.brooklynvegan.com/lookout-fest-2022-lineup-ski-mask-the-slump-god-nLookout%20Fest%202022%20lineup%20(Ski%20Mask%20the%20Slump%20God,%20$NOT,%20City%20Morgue,%20Trash%20Talk,%20more)". www.brooklynvegan.com.com.{{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  14. ↑ "WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?". www.hitsdailydouble.com.
  15. ↑ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.