From the rocky sidewalks of the Dominican Republic to the crooked streets of Dirty Jerz, an undescribable jewel made his uninvited entrance through JFK’s Airport arriving gates. Rik (D.O.T.) Montero of Dominican descent migrated to the United States in 1989. At only the age of 6 it was determined in this young man’s mind that failure was not an option. With the disadvantage of only being able to speak a foreign language Rik’s ability to communicate was limited, but that was no threat. In 1991 he discovered what was written to be his mission in life; described in six simple letters “HIP-HOPâ€. His passion for this music was not only to be a loyal listener but to create his own definition of a genre that would soon take over the world. Influenced by it’s cultural demeanors and forms of expression, his devotion for this passion became as solid as a stone.
Without the resources of a recording studio, Rik made it his business to find a formula that would help him deliver his talent to the unheard. His most valuable assets; one mic, a blank tape, and his karaoke machine. With these three tools Rik was able to sharpen his craft of rhyming by recording himself beat boxing, then laying vocals over his orally made instrumentals. After creating over 100 (60 minute) tapes it was time for an upgrade.
In 1993 Rik was discovered by a team of producers that believed in his potential. Not long after he recorded his first professional demo, he began to see his dedication pay off. His unique style of rhyming and energetic approach lead him to his first live performance in front of thousands of Patersonians. Winning first place and opening up for big name artist’s such as, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Slick Rick and MC Lyte.
Rik’s name enormously started buzzing throughout the streets of New Jersey. After numerous rhyming battles and undefeated scores it was clearly defined that a Hip-Hop heavyweight was on the rise. In 1996, Rik landed his first major mix tape debut alongside his former rap group “Infinit Julesâ€. Bronx’s own D.J. “DooWoop†was one of the first to witness a star in the making. It was then that Rik, whose stage name at the time was ‘’Lyrik Assassin’’ began his countless night club performances.“C.I.N.Productions’’ which is one of the leading promotion companies in the East Coast, gave Rik the opportunity to showcase his talent and share the same stage with artist’s such as Mase, The Lox, DMX, M.O.P, Big Pun, and the list goes .. breaking ties with his rap group Infinit Jules, it was time for reinvention “Rik Dinero’’ was then born., In 1998 Rik hooked up with whom at the time was his rival MC, which who was also creating a major buzz around town “L.E.G.A’’. A former member of “CNB’’ (Children of a NU-breed) formed the dynamic rap duo “YoungN’Restless.’’ It didn’t take much time before the streets anticipated what was soon to be the rap tsunami. Y.N.R. went on to release their first independent album titled, “Strong Armin†which sold over 10,000 copies out of the trunk. This attracted the attention of the entire music industry, Hot 97’s own D.J. Enuff was one of the many who supported the Y.N.R. movement.
From the source magazine’s “Unsigned Hype’’ column, to the Drama King’s D.J. Kay Slay “Drama Hour†radio show, Rik’s determination to stamp his name in this game was one that could not be stopped by the forces of nature. After landing a smash record on the DMX & Jet Li’s “Cradle to the Grave†soundtrack featuring the platinum artist Fat Joe, it is to be said that a golden seat has been reserved. Now known as “D.O.T’’ (Definition of Truth), Rik is prepared to expose his long awaited solo arrival, equipped with the most profound Hip Hop experience you’ve ever encountered. The wait is finally over!!.... Welcome to Hip Hop’s unread chapter “The Definition Of Truthâ€!!