Life & Work with Luis “One Lou” Rivera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis “One Lou” Rivera.

Hi Luis, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As for my music, I’ve always been around it being that I grew up in church. My father was in charge of sound production, my mother was on the worship team and I occasionally participated in productions such as sound, choir, playing the drums, and videography.

I was always involved on the “back end” of things like promoting artists, producing, and little bit of mixing and mastering music for others. It wasn’t until one of my cousins suggested I’d hop on one of his tracks that I really ever considered the pursuit of music as an artist. Up until recently, I’d say the past 2-3 years is when I’ve actually started to take things seriously vs my music and artistry just being a hobby.

As for the business I own and operate, I came to Colorado to pursue a different business venture but that fell through. I made the conscious decision to take everything that I learned both good and bad from that experience and start my own business my way/on my own terms. I started my business with $35 and going on 6 years later business is thriving. I have the freedom to make my own schedule, be active and available in my children’s lives and provide for them all at the same time.

I want people to be inspired by my story and to pursue ANYTHING they wish. You don’t need a ton of money to go after a goal or dream, you just have to start, stay focused, and be consistent. There’s a quote that I like by Thomas A. Knight “If you try, you might fail, But if you don’t try, you’ll never succeed.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not, I’ve encountered many obstacles along my journey. Obstacles from, having to sell my car just to make ends meet, living out of hotels to sleeping in my car. Other obstacles would be not finding inspiration or motivation to put out new music.

Not having the right equipment and tools to record my music the way I wanted. Having the right team or people around me. Not a lot of people truly know what it really takes to be an independent artist and small business owner. It takes a lot of time and money to get things going.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
MUSIC: I am a hip-hop artist who wishes to spread a different message than the one that’s currently trending. I want to not only share my story/message but encourage others that redemption is possible. That you can use your trials and tribulations as teaching tools to mold you into the person you wish to be.

I specialize in storytelling and imagery through my music. If you really listen to the words in my music you can learn a lot about me, my upbringing, my trials, and my overall mentality. I’d say that I’m known for my honesty and loyalty.

I am most proud of how far I’ve come and for not giving up even when things got hard or discouraging.

What sets me apart is I use my life and real-life experiences to be the focus and foundation of my music. I take pride in staying in my own lane/staying true to myself. I don’t feel I need to create a fictional character to create good music.

BUSINESS: I am a small business that specializes in home repairs and landscaping. I’m very versatile in the services that I offer. I.e., landscaping, exterior and interior painting, flooring, drywall installation/repairs, fencing installation/repairs, tree trimming/take down, appliance repair/installation. If there’s something that I’m asked to do and I’m not familiar with I have no problem taking the time to learn how to do it.

As with my music, I am most proud of sticking with it even when money wasn’t coming in at the beginning or in slow months. Also, for being a student and not afraid to learn new things and/or adjust when necessary.

I think what sets me apart is my being a black man running a successful business as well as my professionalism.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
At one point in life, there were 14 people living in a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom, single-story home. The garage was converted into a bedroom to allow more space. We all had to learn to navigate and co-exist. Overall it toughs me how important family is and how to stick together.

Personality-wise, I’m a very high-energy person. I also feed off of others’ energy so if something doesn’t feel right, I’m not messing with it.

My interests are music and old-school cars – I currently own 2 old-school vehicles (a 1979 C-10 & a 1977 Pontiac Bonneville).

Who is One Lou?

Luis ‘One Lou’ Rivera Jr. was born in Rochester, New York on June 29th, 1988. When asked about how he got his start in music he said, “It started long before me! My mother had her own dance crew during the Queen Latifa, Salt N Pepa (group) era of music. She would travel and do shows.” His mom’s dance group was called “Drop Zone” and she was known as “Baby Bowleggs.”

When his family relocated to Kissimmee, Florida in 1995, that’s when his exposure to music shifted to the church. His mom was a choir leader, had a Christian dance team, sang on the praise and worship team, and did solo acts (still does to this day) for the church. As for his dad, he ran the church sound system and boards. Then it became One Lou’s turn at the age of 8, as he started to learn to play the bongos, learned to set up the church sound system, and eventually became in charge of it. He would then go on to start singing in the choir (he even had his own lead song).

He also credits his dad for keeping him interested in pursuing music throughout the years. His dad attended and graduated from Full Sail University — one of the best music schools in the world. Then came One Lou’s high school years (ages 16+), where he would begin to travel to music studios and backup rap for his rapper friends. “People would tell me my energy was better than the actual rapper himself” One Lou remembers. Even with that praise, he still didn’t think of becoming a solo artist until later.

Fast-forward to 2013, One Lou would move across the country to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He would then go on to create E.G.O. (Energy Given Off) Feeders LLC in 2016 and finally decided to become a solo artist in 2017. Since then, One Lou has performed at several venues and events in New York and Colorado. His passion for music is what motivates him and people are starting to take notice. Continuing to work on and evolve his craft is what fuels him (and that won’t stop). Music has been around him since birth…One Lou is music.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.egofeeders.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onelouofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneLouOfficial
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneLouOfficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRiQkQv30cGDRyCaSD4iJA
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/onelouofficial
• Other: www.egoacademyapparel.com 

Image Credits
JAngel Visuals, Vicuals, and Shot by Jalane