ROC SOL
Roc Sol is an independent hip hop artist, muralist, mixed media abstract artist based in Miami, FL. He is also known for the events he has hosted for the community, more notably his event called “Rocfest”. Growing up learning about the elements of hip hop culture, he used his influence and background in graffiti, bboying and emceeing as his inspiration for his art and music. In 2013, he released his debut mixtape, "Tracksides: Volume 1". The project was mixed by DJ Frogie and featured various local artists, DJ’s, and producers.
The following years he mastered his abstract art style, finding influence by artists such as Basquiat, Damien Hirst, and Kandinsky while still using elements of graffiti to define his technique. He developed his stained-glass graffiti patterns, creating a signature look for his art pieces.
In September 2017, he hosted his first solo art exhibition titled “Feel Free” at Mindwarehouse, an event space in Downtown Miami, with artwork curated by Winsome Bolt. He dedicated 4 months to his art in order to create over 100 pieces of artwork despite having a full-time job. His art style is filled with colorful patterns and characters on different mixed media mediums such as digital art designs, murals, canvas artwork, and painted snapbacks.
As he developed his art, he continued to write songs and released his next project "The Wake Up EP" in 2018. The project was recorded, mixed and mastered by local producer Librah Mind and it featured multiple producers and collaborations.
In 2019, he had to opportunity to open for acts such as KRS-ONE and Westside Gunn while during their Miami tour dates.
Notable owners of Roc Sol art include Atmosphere, Dem Atlas, Cool from Cool and Dre, Jon Bellion, Logic, Dizzy Wright, Westside Gunn, Wrekonize, Bernz, Nonms, ¡Mayday!, Brother Ali, Daymond John, and Miami Beat Wave.
In 2019, he was inspired to begin creating a album he wanted to release as a coloring book. He wanted to create a fusion with his art and music. His music is heavily influenced by boom bap and lyricism but it is also a soulful rebellion, using his words to paint the images of motivation in your mind. He often talks about creating will-power out of pure joy while taking losses and failures as life lessons to grow from. His artwork also reflects these themes through his patterns and characters. His latest album “SOLART”, released on February 26, 2021, is his most creative and artistic album yet. In collaboration with 3x billboard award winning producer and sound engineer Miami Beat Wave, he was able to create an album defining his musical style and artistry through the creative concept of his album “Solart . He designed a coloring book to pair with the album by creating custom illustrations that highlight the inspiration and themes behind his songs, combining both his art and music for this project.
The coloring book bundle includes stickers he personally designed and fine tip markers so you can color in the pages as you listen to the album. To purchase a coloring book, click HERE.
“As I was working on my new album, I was inspired to create something different where I can combine both my art and music into one project. I began illustrating some ideas I pictured as I was listening to the music and started designing a coloring book to bring my songs to life through art. I named the album “SOLART” because I wanted to create a world where you can immerse yourself in the art and music as it takes you through my personal life experiences. I designed a coloring page for each song so you can enter into my world of ideas and inspire you along the way as you flip through the pages, listen to the music, read the lyrics and find the colors to paint as you feel.”
He hosted a private album release listening session event on the day his album was released at the Roots Miami Kava Bar. He created a art gallery experience by displaying his art throughout the venue and painted live as the album played. He also had a book signing for those who purchased his album.
While he was getting ready to launch his album, he was still consistently painting murals and participating in local events selling his artwork.
In November of 2021, Roc Sol began learning about NFT’s and all the different communities within the digital space. During Art Basel 2021, he was invited to a private Bored Ape Yacht Club event called BAYC BASEL where he was able to paint 15 Bored Ape canvases live for members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
After Art Basel 2021, Roc Sol decided to form a mural company called “Project Roadmap” to create large scale NFT murals for various NFT communities. Project Roadmap is an artist agency and event production company where he curates an art team with various artists to paint large scale murals and hosts an experience to celebrate their murals.
The first NFT mural Roc Sol painted was the “Ape Wall of Fame” mural located in Miami, FL. It features both Bored Apes and Mutant Apes on the wall consisting of 16 bored ape members including Happy Dad, Collie Buddz, Post Verrone, JustMaiko, and more. This mural was a community funded collaboration for BAYC / MAYC members who wanted to support local artists in the community. Each square is 8 feet wide and 10 feet high and It features Roc Sol’s patterned backgrounds behind the apes as a tribute to how he got started building relationships with bored ape members.
To celebrate the mural, Roc Sol hosted an event for the community to create an amazing IRL experience for them featuring breakdancing, an art gallery experience, and food trucks.
The next mural created by Roc Sol and his team Project Roadmap was the Degen Toonz mural. It is a large scale NFT mural that features 4 Degen Toonz characters on the wall with red Roc Sol patterns. The characters featured were lucky winners chosen by the founders of the project though a twitter post filled with over 1,000 submissions for their Degen Toonz NFT to be on the wall. This mural is located in Midtown Miami and it has been a great addition to the community. The mural also features a QR code that directs those who scan it to a link of their project.
Roc Sol is also currently working full-time as an artist. He is actively working on his art and has upcoming events he will be hosting to celebrate art, music and culture.
