DJ Rated R (real name Ron Florente)[1] is a Sacramento turntablist, DJ and hip-hop producer who came up through Sac State's student station KSSU and became a fixture of the local hip-hop scene as the DJ for the crew Live Manikins, a member of the production crew The Sleeprockers, and the touring partner of rapper Random Abiladeze.[2][3][4]
At a glance
- Local to the Greater Sacramento scene; named among "should-know names in the local spinning scene" who came up through Sac State's KSSU.[2]
- DJ for the Sacramento hip-hop crew Live Manikins, scratching on their 2011 album Full Canvas.[3]
- Founding member of the DJ/production crew The Sleeprockers, who produced and "sleeprocked" Hieroglyphics' 2013 album The Kitchen.[4]
- Started a DJ night called Joints and Jams at Capitol Garage and won DJ contests.[3]
- Toured the West Coast (and the Philippines) with rapper Random Abiladeze.[3]
- Won the Outstanding DJ/Turntablist award (Critics' Choice) at the 2008 Sacramento Area Music Awards (Sammies).[5]
Role in the scene
DJ Rated R works as a turntablist, DJ and producer across several overlapping Sacramento hip-hop projects. Submerge described the Random Abiladeze and DJ Rated R pairing as "intelligent hip-hop rich with satire and dry wit meets real turntablism."[6]
He is one of several DJs Submerge identified as alumni of Sacramento State's student-run station KSSU who went on to become known names in the local spinning scene, alongside DJ Rob Fatal, DJ Mike Colossal, Elliot Estes and DJ 671.[2]
According to the Sacramento News & Review, Rated R is "a well-rounded deejay who battles and produces records for local emcees."[1] That profile also documented his wider Sammies recognition: he was nominated for Outstanding Turntablist at the 2009 Sammies,[7] won the Critics' Choice Outstanding DJ/Turntablist award at the 2008 Sammies,[5] and received dual nominations in both the Deejay and Turntablist categories at the 2012 Sammies — both listings linked to thelivemanikins.com.[8]
The Live Manikins blog captured his live reputation at the time of the 2009 Sammies nomination, noting: "Like a skilled guitar soloist, oftentimes emcees will step off the mic and let Rated R do his thing as the crowd goes nuts."[7]
Local status
Rated R is treated as a local Sacramento-scene figure. Submerge lists him among KSSU-trained "should-know names in the local spinning scene."[2] His core projects — Live Manikins and The Sleeprockers — are Sacramento crews, and the Random Abiladeze/DJ Rated R act is listed with a "Home Base: Sacramento, Calif."[3][6][4] The corpus contains no indication he is from outside the region.
Live Manikins
Rated R is the DJ for Live Manikins, a Sacramento hip-hop crew whose members include Self, J-RockIT, Runt Rock and (as an auxiliary member) Mr. Lingo / Linguistics.[3] He put the scratching on the intro to the group's 2011 sophomore album Full Canvas, the follow-up to their debut Still Life.[3]
During the roughly three-year gap between the two albums, while the other Manikins pursued solo projects, Rated R won DJ contests, toured the West Coast with Random Abiladeze, formed the DJ crew The Sleeprockers and started the Joints and Jams DJ night at Capitol Garage.[3] He was among the group members (with J-RockIT and Runt Rock) who toured the Philippines in 2009; on that trip a car accident — the vehicle's brakes failed — threw Rated R, seated in the back, through a window. He sustained major head and spinal injuries, a broken collarbone and clavicle, fully recovered, and still bears a forehead scar from the crash.[3] The Full Canvas release party was held at Harlow's on Nov. 17, 2011.[3]
The Sleeprockers and Hieroglyphics' The Kitchen
Rated R is a member of The Sleeprockers, a five-man Sacramento DJ/production crew established in 2010.[1] The founding members and their real names are: Christopher Jaime (DJ Nocturnal), Ron Florente (DJ Rated R), Raphael Hubilla (DJ Mr. Vibe), Jesse Alfaro (Kwes the Bess), and Shinya Fukuta (DJ Wanted).[1] The Sacramento News & Review reported that Rated R and Nocturnal were the first to pair up and came up with the Sleeprockers name.[1] The crew is known for collaborative live beat production using an MPC, banks of turntables, pedals and loopers; their name derives from the practice of setting up their gear in the kitchen.[4]
Their work drew the attention of the Oakland-based hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. After Hiero put out a call for DJs in 2010, DJ Nocturnal connected the crew; in 2011 Hieroglyphics asked them to collaborate on a new group album.[4] That album, The Kitchen — Hieroglyphics' first group album since Full Circle a decade earlier — was released July 16, 2013, with The Sleeprockers producing tracks and handling intros, interludes, mixes and scratching.[4] Rated R and Mr. Vibe brought "the patented sleeprock flavor" to the Opio-produced track "Highway 5."[4] The crew's work on The Kitchen also led Hieroglyphics member Tajai to enlist them for his solo album Machine Language (released January 2012).[4]
DJ sets and nights
Beyond his group work, Rated R has been booked for DJ sets around Sacramento. For New Year's Eve 2011, he was billed to spin at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento's new L on 12 Nightclub alongside the cover band Cheeseballs.[9] He founded the Joints and Jams DJ night at Capitol Garage.[3]
Rated R also appeared as a featured performer at rapper Random Abiladeze's Skill Before Swagger release party on June 4, 2010 at Blue Lamp in Sacramento. That show was captured on the live album …Lives!, released April 21, 2012 on Bandcamp.[10]