Aurora, Colorado-based Rapper, Singer, Producer, and Engineer. Riaga has a hard-hitting style that attacks fast-paced beats and compacts unique lyricism into each bar. His rapping is often compared to some of the greatest East Coast rappers, his singing is typically in the style of R&B and Reggaetón and his beat production is upbeat with Latin or hyphy influences.
Being mixed Peruvian (Peru; Second Generation) and African-American, he takes pride in acknowledging both races through both his artist name, Riaga (Short for his mother’s maiden name, Saldarriaga), and his image. Riaga specializes in Recording, Mixing & Mastering alongside Voiceover work and Sound Design for Film. Riaga is truly a man of many talents and pushes the envelope in creativity every time down with each project he releases. He writes, produces, and engineers all of his records, alongside Co-Directs & Writes the script for all of his Visuals.
His biggest influences in Hip-Hop growing up were Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay Z, Eminem, Joe Budden, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Ludacris, Outkast, E-40, and many more. In R&B/Soul, Latin music, and Pop, his influence ranges variously from Boyz II Men & Backstreet Boys to Enrique Iglesias & Romeo Santos. The diversity in his upbringing has made him versatile amongst the rest of the culture by having the ability to produce and execute in more than one genre. His outreach touches more than one demographic, therefore generating numerous audiences at shows and bringing everyone together collectively via Social Media.
In 2018 he coined the phrase “Oh Look! It’s The Gang!” which was immediately picked up by local DJs and fellow artists as a viral tag. He managed to grow the tag into a clothing line and a business of its own. In 2020 he released the socially aware track and video, “I am an Introvert” which brought attention to police brutality in his neighborhood and, while controversial, received high praise on social media. This release coincided with his album “This is Important” which addresses many political and cultural hot topics. Merchandise for “This is Important” sold out almost
immediately.
In the summer of 2022, Riaga opened for Tech N9ne at the Five Rocks Amphitheater in Nebraska performing in front of a sold-out crowd of over 3,500 people. Further solidifying his position as a lyricist and entertainer. For as long as Riaga has the creative freedom to do what he wants, he will be unstoppable in breaking the mold and setting new standards on how music is cultivated for years to come.
https://www.instagram.com/elreyriaga/
https://www.facebook.com/ElReyRiaga
https://twitter.com/ElReyRiaga
https://www.tiktok.com/@elreyriaga
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pVAhZYW4pa49HiOA7HnA2
https://www.youtube.com/c/ElReyRiaga
https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-is-important/1537889863
