No newcomer in the industry, Lu Roc came into the game surrounded by Chicago talent in the urban music scene since the year 96. Back then, Lu Roc learned the ropes from Chicago music house talents Pamp and Bear Who?-- both whom are acclaimed artists in their own right. This experience laid the foundation for Lu Roc’s music, exposing him to the under-workings of the music industry. Lu Roc is now an upcoming prodigy who will pave his own path and journey for us to remember!
Lu Roc released his single titled “Syllables” and it begins with a melodic introduction, later playing as the hook for the single before Lu Roc begins to lyrically spit a flow highly individually catered to his own style. “Syllables” was a hit nonetheless. A noticeable moment in “Syllables” would be around 1:54 where Lu begins to truly showcases how his singing voice can carry a tune in a different register, including them high notes we love to hear! Lu Roc is an all around versatile artist. I can see him delivering us a vibe RnB hit record or even projecting them hard-hitting lyrics in an aggressive rap banger! I listened a little bit to his other releases including “Nobody” and showed his potential to execute a pop melody as well. Lu Roc is undeniably an artist we need to be on the lookout for!
Listen to “Syllables” here and get to know Lu Roc in our interview below!
How did you come up with the name “Lu Roc” ? is your birth name included into this unique stage name?
Lu Roc is a moniker given to me by an older B-Boy friend from the Bronx, NY during a visit a few years back. He knows I like music, and love to dance and rap or "rock out" as he calls it - so he called me "Lu Roc." It has stuck ever since. By the way, my first real name is "Lu" for short.
How impacting was it for you to grow up surrounded by the Chicago music scene?
RESPONSE: It was extremely impactful. I don't want to under-emphasize the massive amount of artistic talent all over the city of Chicago. Watching some of my mentors do their thing as it relates to DJ'ing, music production, dancing, rapping, performing, etc. - it all left its mark on me. I firmly believe a person is product of their surroundings, and I am Exhibit A.
Have you ever considered collaborating with the artists whom you’ve stated played an important role in encouraging you to pursue music?
I absolutely have considered collaborating with those artists, and I plan on it. My goal this time around was to release my first two albums on my own because I believe in learning things the hard way; that is, by doing things myself, making mistakes, and learning from them. I wrote, performed, produced and mixed these albums entirely on my own and have learned so much in the process. For my next project, I want to not only ask those people to work with me, I want to show them what I have done as a result of their inspiration. It's all about progression, hard work and "doing" - and I want to motivate them to want to work with me just as much as they have motivated me to get to where I am.
How would you categorize yourself and your music style?
That's a loaded question, but I would categorize myself as fluid. I love to rap and make music, but I also love to sing. I love complex and meaningful lyrics, but I also love simple catchy verses and hooks. I like to rap about love and emotions, but I also like to drop lyrics about partying, failure, successes and inspirational things. I like to rap in English, but I also like to rap in Spanish. As you can hear in Genesis, and also in my EDM album "Dos", its hard for me to stay pigeon-holed in a specific genre or sub-genre of music. The idea of "Genesis" was to showcase that I don't limit myself to one style of Rap/urban music. If it sounds good to me, I will put it out. And because "Genesis" is my first project, I assure you that as much as I love it and I know many others do and will - it is definitely not my best product. The best is yet to come and I'm sure my work will evolve in the process.
Out of all your releases, which is your favorite and why?
My favorite is Colossal Goals. It expresses my reality. I've been blessed to accomplish lots of wonderful things in my life, despite some significant adversities and coming from extremely humble beginnings (I'm first generation born in the states from Puerto Rican migrant farmer families). I was raised to set the bar high and keep working at whatever my objective is, no matter what. I have failed so many times, but have kept going nonetheless. Worth ethic, patience and drive - no matter the circumstances - have been my recipe for success. I live by setting goals to a colossal level and incessantly hacking at them. That's what that song means to me, and I wanted to share it with the world. I think it conveys that sentiment lucidly.
Connect with Lu Roc on social media:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lurocmelodic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lurocmelodicmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lurocmelodic