Two years since his first studio session, Dorchester bred Rozario TM1 is making a splash in the Boston music scene since the release of his hot single “ Spark Up” which released earlier in June. The Lawrence born rapper branded himself as “Rozario TM1” after his late grandmother Rosario. One of his greatest goals as an artists is to keep her message alive through his artistry, while remaining strong- spirited in the face of adversity.
Boston Culture: Where did you grow up? What was that like?
Rozario TM1: I grew up in Dorchester but born in Lawrence, MA. Dorchester is like most other inner city neighborhoods, the good and the bad, you just got to build your circle and connections to get the stamp and finesse a way for the next gen.
Boston Culture: How did you get your name?
Rozario TM1: My stage name represents my grandmother’s last name (Rosario) and wanting to keep her message and lessons alive through my art. The TM1 sponsor came from networking and investing in ourselves and embodying a productive lifestyle mixed into the streets and the internet.
Boston Culture: Talk to us about your relationship with your #TouchMoney1st team. How have they helped you challenge yourself?
Rozario TM1: We always try to ‘keep the main thing the main thing’ so to me, TM1 keeps me locked in even during times of doubt. As an artist, we all have our ups and downs. The way you handle the adversity speaks volumes and having the right circle can alleviate any situation emotionally or mentally feel me.
Boston Culture: What was the best advice you got early in your career?
Rozario TM1: “Go harder, pray longer and move smarter”. Every time.
Boston Culture: Walk us through the first time you ever made a song. What inspired you, what did you make it on, etc. What goes on through your mind when writing music?
Rozario TM1: The 1st ever song I completed was ’93 South’ out now on Sound Cloud. My big homie brought me to a studio for the 1st time 2 years ago and I had the chance to record professionally and get a taste of the recording process. It came so natural, I started crafting which kept the grind consistent session after session. My inspiration was being a voice for those who didn’t have the courage to be a voice for Dorchester. I create based off sounds which stems from freestyles and listening to solely beats/ instrumentals.
Boston Culture: Top 3 favorite producers/rappers?
Rozario TM1: (INDUSTRY BASED)
Top 3 Producers:
1. Sizzle 808 Mafia
2. Bandplay
3. Metro Boomin’
Top 3 Rappers
1. EST Gee
2. Big 30
3. A Boogie
Boston Culture : Walk us through your creative process in the studio. Do you like to listen to the beats first and then write? Or are you more of a freestyle to try and get a nice flow?
Rozario TM1: To be real, I’m a smoker so I usually get the vibe going by rolling 1 up either at home over a beat or in the studio. I mix it up so some of my work is created off top in the studio and other work is created on the go. Swiss army knife type of deal.
Boston Culture: What do you dislike about the art world/music industry?
Rozario TM1: I’d say not being able to tell who is genuinely supporting you and who is supporting you based off the sole purpose of others supporting you. Around the way we call it “fake love”.
Boston Culture: Who or what are some of your biggest influences? Talk to us about your roots.
Rozario TM1: The biggest influences for me were Camron, Fabolous, 50 Cent from a musical standpoint. Being a man of your word, taking risks, and staying uncomfortable through the growth process were lessons I learned early following these guys. Outside of music, my biggest influence is knowing that through this music vehicle, I can change my family’s generation for decades to come I‘ve just got to reverse engineer the master plan.
Boston Culture: Talks to us about your younger mentality and what allowed you to stay focused on your goals.
Rozario TM1: Growing up with my Grandmother, I wrote my thoughts and immature lines in a yellow notepad privately. From a young age, I had a creative mind but was also a great athlete so rap and basketball entered my journey early on. Playing basketball throughout my childhood taught me life lessons that eventually crossed over into real life and the music industry.
Boston Culture : What do you think of the music scene in the State? Are there any other Boston producers or artists you'd potentially like to collab with in the future?
Rozario TM1: Boston is next up I really believe that. The music scene in MA is dope there’s tons of talent out here. As a city we’re probably short of outlets but collectively as artists we can make up that loss. More artist features and brand collabs can defn’ take MA to the next level.
As of right now, I can’t think of any producers I’d want to collab with since my guy @iamjthedj takes good care of me and my network. Shout my guy out 1 time!
For MA artists, a collab with Millyz, Jusama, or Bia would be dope for a fact. I’m ready nbs.
Boston Culture : Tell us about your goals for 2021. Where will you be by the end of the year. Let's start manifesting that now.
Rozario TM1: I’ll have a 2nd EP out titled ‘Free Agency’. Performing and showcasing in venues across the state, collaborating with known artists and building my business knowledge to take care of me and TM1 moving forward.
Boston Culture: Did the pandemic affect any of your plans? What do you miss the most about live performances?
Rozario TM1: I was not performing prior to the pandemic. My 1st live show actually last week at Karma Lounge via the ‘Star Search’ with Pvnch, Vyper, Poppa Don, JtheDJ, Dj Edubble and more. I had a hell of a time and am down to do it all over.
Boston Culture : What brands should sponsor you?
Rozario TM1: TouchMoney1st is the label brand. For partnerships I may need to get on a call and see what’s out there for brands based out of MA.
Boston Culture : Anything else we missed you want to tell your fans?
Rozario TM1: For all content related to @RozarioTM1 and @TouchMoney1st affiliates, please visit https://linktr.ee/RozarioTM1
Stay Connected!
Instagram - @rozariotm1
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TouchMoney1st/
Snap - NoHandOuts_E
Apple Music - Rozario TM1
Spotify - Rozario TM1
Tidal - Rozario TM1
SoundCloud - Rozario TouchMoney1st
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