Published: Tuesday - June 12, 2007
Words by Rohan Ram
Ringo (Photo: Ab Solaj)
Growing up in Duncanville, Texas -- hardly an epicentre of hip-hop culture -- hotshot Johnny Ringo has risen to stardom with a unique blend of Dirty South tradition and clear, lucid rhyming. Raised on the regional classics of UGK, as well as more mainstream stars such as Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG, Ringo made it his mission to return hip-hop to the golden era of art and performance, eschewing the materialism and warfare prevalent in modern rap, or, as Ringo says, "[The age] when an MC was judged by the content of his material and ability to move the crowd."
He attributes much of this to his early years and his widespread interests in music. "I'm influenced by pretty much everything I see," he explains. With his rhymes and message harkening back to a more meaningful and less materialistic era, Ringo's retro approach focuses on the glory of the old school.
He may not come from the 'hood in the classical sense, but Ringo has suffered his fair share of hardship, chief among which was the death of one of his closest friends in a car crash. That tragedy led him to re-evaluate his own life and look to music in memory of the deceased. From the sports he played as a teenager came a strong sense of perseverance and a gruelling work ethic, while his musical tastes as a youngster led to his current love affair with hip-hop. Ringo was initially interested in rock music and even performed shows as the screaming vocalist of nu-metal outfit, Wilt. Though he opened up for rock acts like Machinehead and the Dillinger Escape Plan, it didn't work out. That was ok though. As he says, "I've been doing hip-hop since way before I was doing metal."
Ringo returned to his roots. The staples he grew up with soon eclipsed his rock side, and the Texan now proudly declares, "I've come a long way in hip-hop. It's the most important part of my life now."
Initially performing in the Dallas troika of Flytrap alongside NIC and LoDeezy, Ringo's beginning in the game took the form of a rapid ascent, as he skyrocketed to rap infamy in just ten months. Conquering much of the South, the nascent "White Boy" made connections with many of the region's biggest stars. Since then, he's worked with Nas and Notorious BIG alum Carlos "6 July" Broady, Ice-T, Mike Jones and Paul Wall. The MC's meteoric rise came from, in his words, an insatiable desire to "slay every track that lay in (his) path."
Flytrap eventually disbanded on amiable terms, but Ringo kept his focus and relocated west to California, seeking an ever-brighter future. Since then, the MC has worked with many talented artists and musicians, one of his favourite's being gold-selling producer Aqua, who's worked with rap luminaries such as Jay-Z and Tony Yayo.
As a rapper, Ringo's mission is simple; but it extends far beyond the man himself. "I want to remake hip-hop," he states. Ringo's relaxed but lyrical approach is his trademark, and something he hopes will make him successful in the future. An artist in the real sense of the word, he marks a return to hip-hop as an art form in an effort to buck the trend of poor-quality, commercial music that is proliferating throughout the South. Meanwhile, Ringo's also out to carve an identity for his city apart from Houston and elevate Dallas' rap presence.
Scouting Report
Johnny Ringo is something of a maverick in hip-hop, as you'd expect a metal-loving Caucasian rapper from Texas to be, and his novel outlook manifests itself noticeably in his music. Simultaneously brash and reflective, Ringo's raps are infused with a distinct Southern accent and his fluid, easy flow synthesizes with the numerous topics he chooses to discuss with surprising results. Ringo's relatively unpolished, and still requires time to grow and mature, and to fully master and live a style he's sometimes slightly uncomfortable with. However, Ringo does come across as significantly better than 99% of the blasé, materialistic rap that forms the general Southern trend. It's in bucking the endless, mind-numbing waves of intellectually defunct crunk, snap and hyphy, that Ringo will carve a small, but noticeable niche for himself.
Ringo is, however, not a lyricist in the traditional sense. While he may be able to flow at about ten times the speed of the average Southern MC at will, his rhymes are rather "simplistic," to quote the rapper, and advanced techniques such as assonance and alliteration are conspicuously absent. Otherwise, his subject matter can be complex and his words are more interesting than the usual, generic choices.
Unfortunately, with his disregard for bling and materialism in general, and the initial braggadocio of some of his music, Ringo's sales may find themselves suffering, but not for lack of talent. While he's hardly the next Big Pun or Eminem, and not a great white hope, Ringo has at least a modicum of skill. His unusual background, alternative influences, and milky flesh may catapult him to fame, or consign him to obscurity.
Contact
Management: Matt Matern - 310-435-0890 Email: johnnyringotx@yahoo.com MySpace: Myspace.com/johnnyringotx
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