Icons In the City: Nome

July 6, 2012 | By: Melanie Gapany | No Comments

Icons In the City: Nome

Being from Miami is no joke. The competition down here is as intense as it can be, whether in music, sports or the arts. But that’s what happens when so many of the greatest artists that we have end up leaving the cit: the jobs leave with them. The few that remain end up neck and neck with each other in an attempt to secure the few opportunities that exist.

Fortunately, some of those artists leave but don’t go far. For Leins Rios, who is more affectionately known as ‘Nome’, the decision to leave Miami was based on one thing really: Love. His love of music led him to pursue a life making it, but his love of a woman moved him a little north. That’s why, when opening his own recording studio with Partners Leonardo Dos Remedios and Andres Arango, the decision to situate Trifekta Studios in the heart of downtown Hollywood was an easy one.

While Hollywood falls outside of Miami’s City limits, it embodies a lot of Miami-esque ideals. It is still a beach, after all, and the open air strip of shops that flank the main downtown section is reminiscent to Lincoln Road Mall. Except, there is one major difference: there are no chains of clothing stores here, no conglomerate electronic retailers, no mass produced butt lifting jeans sold at $10 dollar everything stores on this street. Downtown Hollywood is known for harboring independent businesses, and therefore fosters creativity.

While it is in this hub of creative ingenuity that we most often find The Nome sharpening his skills, it’s in Miami that you will most consistently find him performing. A resident at Shake’s monthly Get Low @ The Vagabond and at Noxius Clothing’s‘s monthly United D&B @ Eve, Nome can be spotted rockin’ the mic at almost every drum and bass and dubstep party in the 305.

Rios grew up in Miami, and his love of hip hop led him on his own path of discovery: both of self and of music. He has grown from an MC to a recording artist, to a producer and he hasn’t stopped. In fact, not mere weeks after the release of Nome’s music video for “Magic Man”, a black and white homage to silent films in which he acted, rhymed and rescued a damsel in distress, he is already looking forward to directing the next one himself. The video, directed by Mario Moreno is the first official Nome video to hit the airwaves and is the first single off his upcoming album, “The Simplicity Of Being Complex”, which is expected to drop sometime before the end of the year.

This is all in addition to the work he is doing with the studio, which has recently seen him as the producer of the score for Roar of the Bewildered Herd, a film by Vincent Anton Obriskie which features big names such as political writer Noam Chomski and US representative Ed Markey, a project he is also the music supervisor for.

His most recent film work with Trifekta also includes ADR Sessions (Voice Dubbing) for Carlos Fernando Londono’s independent film “All Wars End” and music for a fun little game show called “Run from Po-Po”.

It seems that life doesn’t stop for Leins, who is also recently engaged, and it seems his fast track has him constantly looking forward. So join us as we sit with Leins to discuss life, love and the history behind his music.