Nero

Raynel Vega, better known as "NERO" amongst his fans, was born on November 27th, 1982 in Miami, FL. He spent most of his childhood in the Hialeah area of Miami where he was raised in a typical Cuban household. His family eventually moved south to Homestead. In 2000, his family made the journey west to the other coast of FL and has since resided in Naples. NERO was introduced to the art of poetry at a very young age by his mother who allowed him to gain an appreciation for it early on in his life. He grew up listening to 2 Live Crew, NAS, Tupac, and many other influential artists, but wasn't until around the eighth grade that he began to try writing his own lyrics. It was also around this time that he was taught the significance of rap bars and being on point. He would eventually meet up in Goulds Park in Miami to battle other kids in the neighborhood for money. Initially, his parents were against the whole rap thing until people would approach them and say, "You, your kid is something special. Let him do his thing. Don't hold him back." Eventually, they allowed him to pursue his passion for music. During his years in high school he focused more on his lyrics and writing than free styling, graffiti, and break dancing. His love for writing developed into an obsession and would get in trouble for writing lyrics instead of working in class. But that didn't stop him. He later would enter any local talent shows to compete against other local artists. At one point he was known as the "Homestead Thoroughbred" around town. This lead to his first appearance behind a mic in an actual studio. It was in Naples, though, where he realized his potential to make a name for himself. No one had a buzz going in town, and with his newfound motivation, NERO knew that he could capitalize on that. He started to rap in school cypher sessions and never withdrew from any one-on-one competition. As time went on, he was asked to join a group in hopes of better opportunities, but only having developed lyrical skills, NERO lacked knowledge in the music industry. One day at a recording session with the group, Frontline, at Hula Records, Patricia Amandis, the owner, approached the young Cuban rapper with an offer he couldn't refuse. The deal was free studio time and a chance to work with her producer. In return, NERO would have to commit to her label as her main artist. A few months later, NERO contacted Pat-Pat (Patricia) and told her he was ready for a change. In November 2002, he signed with Tightwurk Records, an independent hip-hop label founded by Pat-Pat and based out of Southwest Florida. Over the years Nero has recorded over a hundred tracks. He has also had the opportunity to open for many major acts such as: Lil Wayne, T.I., Pitbull, Youngbloodz, Ivy Queen, Uncle Luke, DJ Laz, Don Dinero, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, as well as, other local artists. Among several promotional tactics, NERO was offered to develop radio drops for the afternoon mix shows on WBTT-FM 105.5 THE BEAT. This lead to an offer by the radio station for a position to work as a disc jockey. NERO is currently working as a graphic designer and as a jock at WBTT-FM 105.5 THE BEAT on weekend nights. In 2004, Tightwurk Records and HPS Entertainment released his first mix-tape, South State of Mind, Volume 1. This mix-tape consists of collaborations with several artists including Piccalo, Kalidaskope, Steven Hall, Titanic, as well as, production work by the Diaz Brothers, Big Reek, and Audio Composers League. in 2008 /NEW MUSIC ...NEW CD ...NEW NERO NERO brings the southern hip-hop flavor with a Latin twist. He now has the fundamental understanding of the recording industry and the hunger and desire to reach the top. He is on the verge of exploding into this scene, making a huge impact in the hip-hop community, and is a force to be reckoned with.For booking info call: 239-465-8644Article By: Javier Muguerza