“Fear finally consumed me as a young man. I didn’t understand the world and why it rejected me. I learned the power of hatred. First I hated myself. Then I hated my mother. I cursed and I spit. I spit venom. I hated my school and my peers. I hated their opportunities and families. I hated society. My anger was fed by the flames of the past. I remember being poor and how it felt to be laughed at. When I was 16, I stole my first gun. No one was laughing at me anymore. I smoked weed. I drank 40 ounce bottles and flipped off the police. I stole from my neighbors and gave to the poor. I felt my family and friends were the poor. I thought I was righteous. I was beaten by those just like me. I shot at and beat others who were like me. I was beating myself. I learned the passion and the power of hatred.” LOC-O was shot pointblank in the chest with a 9MM pistol off of Main Street in Roswell NM. He was shot along with three other young men in a street fight that quickly escalated into gun play. Ruven was flown by helicopter to a Hospital in Lubbock, TX where he nearly died. His lung collapsed and he was released a week later, only to return a week later after re-collapsing his lung while smoking with his friends. LOC-O's father was never around. His mother did the best she could but the hustle and gangster rhymes of rappers like 2 Pac, Ice Cube, and Cypress Hill became the soundtrack of his life. He was living la vida loca. His wild ways and bravado earned him a new name: LOCO which he then modified to LOC-O (Loc’d Ortiz). It was then he met Juan Carlos Martinez (Cooley Man ). The two became inseparable. Cooley was an established emcee in the local market. He was also a hustler. Cooley shared a similar background as LOC-O and already owned his own house, car, and studio at 16. LOC-O hit the block with Cooley setting up shows and hustling. The two began to promote Double Down Ent. from the already established 2 Down Crew. Along with M.C. Phirst the two hustlers sparked magic on the streets of C-Town. The story of LOC-O’s life did not however get any easier. His two best friends since childhood were murdered on the streets. A similar fate seemed to await LOC-O. One day while locked dup in the Roswell County Jail, LOC-O fell to his knees asked the creator Lord God to help him change his life. In return LOC-O promised to do his best to change and pursue his dreams to the fullest. LOC-O’s promise was easier said than done. He had to work harder and smarter than he ever had before. The new path he chose was not an easy one. He started to see things more clearly. He chose to vindicate the death of his friends by obtaining a college degree and pursue a career in music. LOC-O now possesses a degree in communications and his first official release Americano is scheduled to drop in 2006. LOC-O’s unique style incorporates the Latin elements of Reggaeton with the style and attitude of American Hip Hop. LOC-O uses both English and Spanish lyrics. With a mixture incredible determination fed by the flames of his past and natural talent, LOC-O is poised to set his mark on the future of Latin Hip Hop. “The bullets and blood only added fuel to my ambitions...”_ LOC-O