Modern music involves numerous genres and styles, but some categories and genres receive popularity and recognition globally, enabling artists to make a mark on audiences. Music evolved significantly throughout the ages from classical, baroque, and jazz to disco, rock, pop, metal, and rap genres in modern times. Rapping is among the most recognizable music genres globally that attract millions of listeners due to its unique style involving rhythmic beats, vocals, and breaks. Rapping is a prominent music element of the hip-hop culture that developed during the 1970s due to the cultural interaction among several communities in the Bronx in New York. The increasing popularity of counterculture gave rise to numerous cultural phenomena, including Hip-hop. Music is one of hip-hop culture’s primary characteristics and figurative elements. No other genre represents hip-hop more than rapping. Rapping involves several elements that separate it from various music genres and categories, mainly because of the vocals, beat, and breaks.
Rap is one of the most popular categories of the music business among musicians, owing to the various options it provides for displaying and emphasizing abilities and talents. Rapping comprises singing rhyming lyrics in a chant or rhythmic form utilizing street jargon or terminology derived from hip-hop culture. Hip-hop, often known as rap music, is a relatively new genre with a rhythmic and chanting vocal style and distinctive lyrics accompanied by pulsating drum rhythms and breaks. Rap also comprises numerous subgenres stemming from the distinct singing and musical components incorporated by regional artists. For example, Chicano rap is a subgenre involving music styles of the Chicano culture, typically performed by Mexican-American or Chicano rappers. Hundreds of singers tried singing in Chicano rap to achieve popularity and fame. However, only a handful created a name for themselves, including Kid Frost, Mr. Shadow, Lil Rob, Mr. Criminal, and Serio.
Jonathan Pérez, commonly known as Serio, is a Chicano rap artist from Los Angeles, CA, with several successful albums. Serio means serious in Spanish, and Pérez’s grandmother called him Serio because he always seemed serious and gloomy due to several traumatic events in his childhood. He adapted the nickname professionally and made it a part of his rapping personality and brand. Serio wrote the lyrics for all songs on the first album and some future singles while serving time for alleged involvement in an armed robbery and possession of stolen firearms. Serio started his rapping career in 2005 by releasing his first single, “They Call Me Serio,” while performing at private events and parties. Serio launched his debut album, “Nightmares Turned Into Reality,” in 2006. One of the songs from the album, “I Got To Have You,” gained significant traction on numerous radio stations across the United States, catapulting Serio to popularity.
Serio also developed his namesake independent label Serio Controla Records, in 2006 to release his albums and rap songs. Nightmares Turned Into Reality is Serio’s most popular and best-selling album to date, with sales of over 150,000 copies. Serio continued playing at several prominent events and concerts and released another single, “Serio Controla,” in 2008. The single received instant recognition, and the Chicano rapper featured it on his second album, “Nightmares Turned Into Reality (N.T.I.R) Pt. 2: The Revenge of Serio,” in 2009. The second album featured the most popular Chicano rap artist, Frost, on one of the songs. Serio completed his first international tour in 2010 while performing at concerts in numerous locations, including France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Mexico, Japan, and Australia.
The rapper released his third album Gansterism Part 3, in 2011 with several hit singles, including Baby I Love You, I’ll Never Forget, and Chicano Rap. Serio released his fourth album, Soy Chicano Rap, in 2013, comprising several popular songs, including Don’t Hate me Because I’m Mexican, Chicano Rap, Sexy Ladies, and Serio World Order. Serio’s rapping and music also have a message for the masses revolving around racism and biases against racial minorities. Serio’s single from the fourth album, Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Mexican, released in 2012, reflected Serio’s activism and efforts to highlight racism in society. Listeners and critics regard the song as a response to several oppressive and racist policies and actions of prominent politicians and government officials. Serio’s song carries the message for racial minorities to stand up and raise their voices for social equality. The Chicano rapper entertains people through his fascinating songs and unique lyrics and raises his voice against racism and other social issues.
