Latin's Urban Revolution

ABUSIVO

"Music is the soundtrack to life," says Abusivo. This fast-spitting wordsmith, born Victor Perez, hailing out of Los Angeles, California, is among the new breed of Latino emcees that can compete with the best in the genre. Growing up in Lincoln Heights, Abusivo embraced hip-hop at the age of six via his cousin Tiv. Purchasing his first cassette tape at eight old - NWA's Straight Outta Compton - and listening to everything from classic hip-hop artists such as Kool G Rap, The Notorious B.I.G. and Big Daddy Kane to Latin emcees like El Pecador and Mellow Man Ace, Abusivo began to sharpen his skill on the microphone by taking it to the streets, schoolyards and backyard parties to battle. That is where he received his wellearned title. He was known to be abusive with his words – telling the truth about any opponent that he encountered and abusing all competition, so the name Abusivo was born. While interning for David Salas in return for studio time, Abusivo translated Vic Demone's "A Soldier's Story," leading him to write more themes for his album. In 2005, Abusivo made it to Machete Music, home to some of the biggest reggaetón and hip-hop acts. With the release of his first single, "Cuidala," from the album De Hotel A Hotel in 2006, Abusivo has set himself apart from many other artists by just being honest in every way possible, both musically and lyrically.