David Rolas

• Genre: Latin Rap/Hip-Hop
• Hometown: Los Angeles

About

David Rolas got his start in rap music as a teenager in Los Angeles' underground rap scene, inspired by artists like Mellow Man Ace, Kid Frost and Proper Dos. But Rolas' musical talents had shown up early: according to legend, he learned to play piano early in life and supposedly declared that he wanted to be a deejay when he was just three years old. Stories aside, there was no doubt that the young Rolas had skills: going by the name of "David Jams," he was invited to freestyle regularly on a local hip-hop radio show. Before long he was recording demos with members of Delinquent Habits and taking part in diverse underground groups including Brotherhood. But it wasn't until he hooked back up with friend Byron Brizuela that Rolas' fortunes began to pick up. The d! uo recorded Rolas' first solo album, 2003's Nuestra Vida, which saw him rapping in Spanish (or Spanglish) and incorporating elements of the regional Mexican music his mother and father (who hail from Durango and Jalisco, Mexico, respectively) loved. He followed up with Tatuajes in 2004.

- Sarah Bardeen