By Cedrick Alcala
There’s an emerging hip-hop scene in Reno, Nev. that consists of many young artists. Whether it be the aggressive and lyrical flows of Icy Dave or the experimental sounds of Josh Alexander, there’s certainly an artist putting on for “The Biggest Little City in the World”. Below are some of the talented rappers that you can find performing at your local music venues. These hardworking artists strive to share their music to Reno and eventually the rest of the world.
Josh Alexander
Age: 21
Born: Reno
Inspirations: Michael Jackson, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, 2Pac
Current favorite artists: 24hrs, NOVA, xxxtentacion
Hobbies: Art direction, coffee, comics, avid film watcher
First live performance: The Holland Project (2015)
Favorite live performances: Stolen Vehicle (2017), A Lil Traffic Christmas (2016)
Born and raised in Reno, Josh Alexander has been making music for 7 years. The versatility in his music is inspired by late icons such as Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix. You can appreciate his 90’s-esque inspired lyricism as well as his soothing vocals in the song “Wild Fire”.
Listen to Wild Fire here.
Josh Alexander, Stolen Vehicle, Holland Project (2017) Photo by Cedrick Alcala
Josh Alexander, Act a Fool, Holland Project (2017) Photos by Cedrick Alcala
Icy Dave
Age: 22
Born: Reno
Inspirations: Elton John, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath, A$AP Ferg, Yves Saint Laurent
Current favorite artists: Famous Dex, Peewee Longway, ThouxanbandFauni, Playboi Carti
Hobbies: Skating, collecting rare designer clothes, rolling the perfect wood, searching for the perfect chicken and waffles
First live performance: UNR Dilla Day (2015)
Favorite live performances: Reed College Music Festival (2017)
Reno native Icy Dave has been involved with music for about 8 years. He’s made the transition from jazz to classical to hardcore progressive metal and now hip-hop. This diverse background in music is evident in his flow and energy. Hear it for yourself on the track “Tiffany”.
Listen to Tiffany here.
Icy Dave, Renn Fayre (2017), Photo by Cedrick Alcala
Icy Dave, Bad Apple Vintage (2017), Photos by Cedrick Alcala
Daniel Cruz
Age: 20
Born: Reno
Inspirations: Washed Out, Kanye West, Travis Scott
Current favorite artists: Pollari, Warhol.ss, UnoTheActivist
Hobbies: Thrifting, basketball
First live performance: Ruben’s Cantina (2014)
Favorite live performances: Holland Ten Years (2017)
Daniel Cruz has had an ear for music production for about 4 years now. Aside from being a clever lyricist, you can also appreciate his talent as a self-taught audio engineer. Listen to his aggressive fast paced bars on the track “Throw a fit”.
Listen to Throw a fit here.
Daniel Cruz, Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor (2017), Photo by Cedrick Alcala
Daniel Cruz, Act a Fool, Holland Project (2017), Photos by Cedrick Alcala
Lil Traffic
Age: 19
Born: Truckee, raised in Reno
Inspirations: Childish Gambino, A Tribe Called Quest, Andre 3000, Juicy J, The Rolling Stones
Current favorite artists: Warhol.ss, GoldLink
Hobbies: Writing/making music, working on clothing
First live performance: The Holland Project (2015)
Favorite live performances: May 6th show at the Holland Project (2017)
Although Lil Traffic has only been making music for about a year and a half, there’s no denying how far he’s progressed and how much he’s accomplished in the short amount of time. Whether it be his appearances on notable music blogs such as Elevator, or his feature with popular artist Graves, you can expect a lot of great things from this versatile artist. Listen to Lil Traffic’s latest track “Hit the gas!”.
Listen to Hit the gas! here.
Lil Traffic, Bad Apple Vintage (2017), Photo by Cedrick Alcala
Lil Traffic, Renn Fayre (2017), Photo by Cedrick Alcala
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