Neutro Shorty

Though he debuted as a boom-bap purist, Venezuelan MC Neutro Shorty soon found global success under the trap zeitgeist of the late 2010s, securing tens of millions of streams apiece with anthems like “The World Is Mine,” “Lastima,” “Soy Yo,” and “Bad Boy.”
Born Liomar Ricardo Acosta Orta, Neutro Shorty emerged as a gifted storyteller in early 2012 with the release of 5 Historias: The Mixtape. In just five tracks, his concise first project delivered pain-touched narratives over soulful, boom-bap production. He quickly delivered his debut album, 19 Puntos (2013), which continued to demonstrate his rapid flow and strong lyricism, as well as widening his subject matter with hedonistic pursuits and romantic conflict. In 2014, the rapper announced he was being managed by producer Dr Martínez, and the two collaborated with Treizy for a brasher, street-ready joint album, Buena Mierda. After a brief dive into poppier hedonism for Deseos: The Mixtape, Neutro Shorty founded his own label, Los Vatos Inc, releasing second and third studio albums El Negocio Sucio and El Rey de Los Pobres in 2015.
Though Acosta Orta’s lyrical content had taken lighter directions throughout the mid-2010s, the second half of the decade became the grounds for an artistic reinvention. 2017′s Calígulas was the first step on this path; previewed by a performance of “El Reloj” at the fifth incarnation of Venezuela’s Pepsi Music Awards, the rapper’s fourth studio album embraced brag-heavy lyricism and a faster-paced trap sound. Collaborations with artists like Micro TDH, Jon Z, and Juhn soon solidified this new direction, with joint mixtape Apokalypsis (2019) allowing for cocky back-to-backs alongside fellow Venezuelan trapper Big Soto. With tracks like “Bad Boy,” “Camino Solo,” and “The World Is Mine” soon in excess of 20 million streams apiece, he continued his trap dominance with projects like 2020 mixtape Hay Vida en Venus and subsequent albums Humble Boyz (2020) and The World Is Mine (2021). ~ David Crone