70 - Lucas Rodriguez

 

70 Lucas Rodriguez

Provoke The Truth mixes two styles to make his own

Robert DuguayCorrespondent

 Lucas Rodriguez, who performs as Provoke the Truth.

There’s always something intriguing when an artist is forging their own path. They refuse to be trapped in a box and they couldn’t care less about the current trends and norms. It’s the ultimate antithesis to artistic classification and making the listener asking themselves about what they’re hearing is done on purpose. Under the name Provoke The Truth, Lucas Rodriguez is bringing a jolt of originality with both hip-hop and instrumental guitar-driven rock. His style isn’t like the rap rock that was around during the late '90s, think of it as if your favorite six-string virtuoso also released recordings where they spat lyrics over cool beats.

 When it comes to what came first for him in his musical journey, it was the electric guitar. It wasn’t until his teens when a couple of legendary rappers influenced him to start writing poetry and eventually start making his own kind of hip-hop.

 “I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old, so that’s definitely been my primary outlet,” Rodriguez says of his first love. “Once I got into high school I started listening to a lot of hip-hop and I was into real lyricism, artists like Nas and Eminem played a big part in that. Then I started writing my own poetry and I ended up making my own beats and that’s how I started rapping. I also have so many inspirations from so many different guitarists but my Top 3 is definitely Carlos Santana, Angus Young from AC/DC and Randy Rhodes, who was part of Ozzy Osbourne's band during the ‘80s.”

 Last year alone, Rodriguez put out five albums, four singles and an EP. He also recently released his sixth album, "Lyrical Preacher," on Jan. 17. This prolific output is incredible and he routinely shifts himself between the kinds of music that he exhibits to keep himself from being burnt out.

 “I like going back and forth in between hip-hop and rock while trying to dive into different styles of guitar,” He describes how he gets out of a creative rut. “When I get tired of that particular sound, I’ll listen to hip-hop beats and I’ll get a new perspective when it comes to creating new music. That’s really how I keep myself rejuvenated.”

 the year is still young, but Rodriguez wants to take 2021 to focus on his art and continue his creative voyage. He cherishes his artistic freedom and he wants to keep on making new music that’s a reflection of him without serving the status quo.

 “To be honest, my goals are similar to what they’ve always been,” he says about what he wants to accomplish in 2021. “I just want to make music because I love it regardless if anyone else digs it or not. I’m making my own music to my own tastes while writing, producing and recording everything on my own. I’m making my own sounds in my own original way while having my own process and that’s what I prefer to do. As far as accomplishments go, I want to keep on putting out more albums and more singles.”

 This isn’t a phase for me, this is who I am and this is what I do,” Rodriguez adds. “I make music, I make music every day and I want to share it with the world.”

 To check out Rodriguez’s discography, visit Provoke The Truth’s Bandcamp page at provokethetruth.bandcamp.com or follow his projects at Facebook.com/ProvoketheTruth.