When it comes to the dialogue of cities that influenced rap, one can’t forget to mention St.Louis’s impact on the industry. With Nelly putting the town on the map in the early 2000s and Smino reemerging it as a hotspot for rap artists, Lou Vellvito is seeking to join in on the current conversation. As a rapper, he’s drawn major inspiration from his hometown and is looking totake his talents past The Gateway Arch.
Vellvito, who was born Marvell Rice in Northern St. Louis, has always been surrounded by music with his father being a part of a singing group when he was growing up. This led to the young rapper being in rooms with some heavy hitters before even picking up the mic himself. In the 10 years in doing music, he’s had his videos premiered on 106 & Park (“Do Ya Own”), performed at Nelly’s 10 Year Country Grammar Anniversary in St. Louis, toured across the country, and opened up for Plies before selling out and headlining his own show.
Lou defines his genre as “Pain Killer Music” due to its healing qualities that stem from the artist’s diverse musical background that allows him to portray many sounds and styles. He can go from R&B to a dance track in minutes all while sticking true to his authenticity with his versatility. His goal as an artist is to make the listener forget their pain and engulf themselves in his music.