My mother was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, and my father was a military child whose family hailed from Nashville, Tennessee and was stationed in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was born there.
My mother studied and eventually taught modern dance at The University of Utah. She instilled morals and the fear of God in me.
My father was a construction worker/hustler/entrepreneur/finesser in Salt Lake City which I observed.
I was raised in an all black church, Calvary Baptist. I sang in the Youth Choir, often leading songs.
My parents hosted a lot of house parties during my early childhood with my father acting as the DJ; New Edition, Bell Biv DeVoe, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation, Bobby Brown, think "House Party" vibes, very New Jack Swing. My mother would teach me dance moves and have me "show out" during these parties. This is where my love for music and performance began.
I went to year round school up until the 5th grade. During spring, winter, and summer breaks I would be sent to stay with my grandparents in Jackson, Mississippi. I got in trouble a lot at school and was eventually taken out by my mother and homeschooled from 5th to 7th grade, which allowed me to be in Jackson ("Back Home" as my family called it), even more. All of my cousins, aunts, and uncles lived in Mississippi. I would cry every time I had to leave.
Mississippi is where I began to discover rap music. My older cousins religiously played the Hot Boys, Big Tymers, Lil Boosie, and Ludacris, then make me recite some of the rhymes to see if I could, and I did.
Back in Salt Lake I had friends from church who were beginning to become musicians. We formed a group and started making songs together. I wrote my first verse at 10 years old by memory never writing it down, and recorded my first song on a friends laptop at age 13. My first rap album I bought was Ludacris "Word of Mouf" where I learned how to put together punch-lines, switch up my rhyme patterns, and delivery. I learned a lot from that album, as far rap goes. My mother was highly upset when she found the album in my room.
In 8th grade my family moved to Denver, Colorado where I enrolled back into school and graduated high school. By this time I'm 13 and a full fledged rapper, everybody in Denver that knows me, knows me as that.
I skipped class often, constantly in the hallways starting cyphers, writing rhymes, selling CD's and mackin'. I felt I was destined for greatness and focused my energy into it. It's a miracle I did graduate.
Currently living in Los Angeles, I've grown and developed as an artist, I consider myself an artist, thus the name -Vinci- Lewis. All of those experiences and different backgrounds played a major role in my musical style and content. I draw heavily from my southern roots which is naturally mixed with my western living and experiences. I've had to learn to adapt to new things my whole life while still remaining and keeping my own identity, and that shows through my music. My upbringing and spiritual walk is intertwined with my real life experiences which reflects in my music. My life and who I am is laced in my music with a spirited, bouncy, rhythmic, articulate, and melodic flow and style.
My Top 6 rappers all-time:
Nas, Andre 3000, Curren$y, Biggie, Ghostface Killah, Kanye (first 3 albums)