Antonio L. Rosario AKA Orikal was born on July 27th 1989 and grew up with his struggling single mother on the West Side of St. Paul Minnesota. Orikal, unlike other kids his age, had to endure and overcome many obsticles that most kids his age wouldn't need to.

To escape from these circumstances he had to face he would write poetry to get away from it all. At 8 years old Orikal started to write poetry. As he was growing up he started to listen to many mainstream hip-hop artists. As his music collection grew so did his interest in the hip-hop culture as a whole.

At the age 14 he became real serious into the hip-hop scence recording his first 14 track album using his computers microphone which he entitled "Unquestionable". Although his first ever album didn't do so well as he would have liked it was a still the greatest accomplishment for himself and others close to him.

Orikal continued his passion for hip-hop onto the internet where he started networking with other producers and emcees from all around the Twin Cities area. He finally found what he needed and developed a small group he named "The Playground Crew." The meaning of this name was brought with the idea of the crew to just have fun. The crew's mission is to continue moving forward no matter what obsticles they may have to face it won't never slow them down or stop them.

Being with the Playground Crew has tought Orikal the business aspects of Hip Hop.

Ang: What made you decide to get into the hip-hop scene?

Orikal: Well, when I was young, i'd always sing along to songs on the radio. I did it so much that I nailed the rhyme patterns and everything. Alot of people said I was good, so I started writing my own type of rhymes. I was maybe 8 or 9 at the time. When I was about 12, someone burned me a mix with people such as Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Eyedea, etc. I liked it, alot, and it was dope to hear that these people were from here. That encouraged me more to start recording and really get into the scene and attend shows and such.

Ang: How many Cd's have you dropped and what is your next project you are workin on and when will it be out?
Orikal: My most recent project just dropped, entitled Visions of Elevation has just dropped. It's my 2nd solo LP, and it has guest appearances by LewsTherin and N-L-Emnt. Also production by Hiphopapotamus, Jayechs, TecSuo23 and Doctor Delusion. It's available at the Electric Fetus right now, and i'm waiting for word from other stores.

A personal look at Orikal:

--By Ang