Gonzalo Espinoza was born in Los Angeles, California in 1978. His parents, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, encouraged a young Gonzalo to master the art of communication in both English and Spanish, thus giving him the ability to compose original poetry, in both languages fluently, by the early age of twelve. He grew up in the streets of Los Angeles, with an admiration for sports, which evidently spawned the nickname “Sporty”. As he grew older, his appreciation for music deepened, but also his interest in drugs. This eventually led him on a path to imprisonment both physically and mentally. This was the beginning of a period when he was constantly in and out of jail and a vicious circle that needed to be broken.  An internal force made him do something different with his life, a drastic change without having to go back to jail and return to a life of deceit.

Sporty then turned to the one thing he believed would save his life: his lyrics. In order to stay away from the streets and its temptations, Sporty started recording music inspired from those very same things that had influenced his life. Eventually, mixtapes were distributed among his friends and acquaintances with impressive feedback. In time, he met Young Luck, who after listening to his music decided to work with him and invited Sporty to record in his studio.

In 2003, after having over 30 songs worked on the underground circuit, Sporty recorded his first full album titled “Profanity”, under their own independent label, Malitia Muzik.  The demos were distributed and placed on the web, capturing the eye of the major record labels. As a result he was invited to record with Jolanda Perez the song “Juran, Juran” released mid 2004. One thing came after another. The video of “Juran, Juran” brought him even more exposure and soon, Sporty Loco joined Warner Music Latina.

His album debut is titled “Rey de Reyes” (King of Kings) written entirely by Sporty and produced by his friend Young Luck and a variety of unknown, but talented group of producers. The first single is a new mix of famous Mexican band Mana’s mega hit “Vivir Sin Aire” (1992). Sporty listened to the original song and based on the phrase “how much I would like to live without air…” he got inspired and turned the lyrics around, using a metaphor in rap, without altering the original chorus, interpreted by Daisy Villa. The end result is a very particular version hip hop style which will give a lot to talk about.

The rest of the album contains 10 powerful songs. Among them “Cuando Guitarras Cantan” (When guitars sing), is an eclectic song with a smooth blend of guitar strumming and percussion reminiscent of Carlos Santana’s earlier work. “Grito de Guerra” (War Cry) depicts an obvious defiance and disgust with the state of his environment and the continuous plundering of the human spirit. “En Tu Mente” (On your mind), an R&B influenced hit, speaks on the often trivial process of maintaining a relationship with your significant other.

Sporty Loco’s music is a vivid description of who he is, the reality of his environment and a testament to the progression of the Latino Hip-Hop Genre.