Humans of Reno: Hip Hop Artists in the Biggest Little City

There’s an emerging hip-hop scene in Reno that consists of many young artists and styles from the aggressive and lyrical flows of Icy Dave to the experimental sounds of Josh Alexander.

Josh Alexander performs at the Holland Project in 2017. Photo by Cedrick Alcala.

As Cedrick Alcala reports, these hardworking artists strive to share their music with local hip hop fans and eventually across the world.

Josh Alexander

Born and raised in Reno, Josh Alexander has been making music for seven 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” here and below.

Name: 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)

Icy Dave

Reno native Icy Dave has been involved with music for about eight 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” here and below.

Name: 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)

Listen to Tiffany by Icy Dave above.

Icy Dave performs at Renn Fayre in 2o17. Photo by Cedrick Alcala

Daniel Cruz

Daniel Cruz has had an ear for music production for about four 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” here and below.

Name: 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)

Lil Traffic

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!”here and below.

Name: 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)

Lil Traffic at Bad Apple Vintage in 2017. Photo by Cedrick Alcala

Photos and Reporting by Cedrick Alcala shared with Reynolds Sandbox.

Original full story published here.