Who knew South Shore was a bastion of contemporary, creative hip-hop?
Take, for example, Noah Roberts, who stylizes his name Noah Rxberts. The South Lake Tahoe native releases his newest LP, “Level Up,” on Nov. 11. Always on the move, he’s put out six albums and 28 singles of distinctive rap music since 2018, many of them self-produced in his home studio, which he calls The Kitchen.
Rxberts grew up in the Tahoe Valley neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe near the Y. His musical world opened when he met Dakota Bergtram and Bernardo Ayon at a party for the South Lake Tahoe High School football team. Known artistically as Kota Dota and Bernie Sems, they formed a musical posse with Rxberts and Cole Williams, aka PLVST, nicknamed Sewer Crew” and began writing rhymes and doing graffiti art. The godfather of South Lake hip-hop, Dreda Dre, took them under his wing and they befriended the Goony Tunes squad including Chaz Ross and TBTRPPN. These rappers often gather at local venues such as Whiskey Dick’s to spit bars and trade verses.
“The lyricism in Lake Tahoe is heady. People don’t really want to be ‘mountain rappers.’ Rap is urban, if you will, but we have our own style.” –Noah Rxberts
“The lyricism in Lake Tahoe is heady,” says Rxberts. “People don’t really want to be ‘mountain rappers.’ Rap is urban, if you will, but we have our own style.”
The “Rx” in his stage name does have a double meaning and he’s open about his struggles with drug addiction on tracks such as, “Trippy Colors” and “Swervin’ in my Subaru.” One night, he got sucker punched at a bar and his jaw was broken. After seeing a doctor, he became addicted to Percocet. When he ran out, he went to the street. What he scored was pressed fentanyl.
“I got into it really hard,” he says.
Five months ago, Rxberts became father to his son, Khailo Montelle Roberts. “Level Up” is all about moving onto the next stage of life.
“It’s about motivation and staying true to yourself,” he says. “I think people need to stay away from being humble. They need to let their sparks fly. I’m raising the bar for myself and giving people something I can be proud of.”
The album features 20 new songs, a censored version “for the kiddies” and a deluxe edition with 40 tracks. Rxberts’ lyrics are intricately rhymed free association that take the form of stream-of-consciousness confessional. His influences include high-speed flow master Tech N9ne, self-made star Russ, Chicago duo The Palmer Squares, openly-addicted trendsetter Sam Lachow and bizarre phenom Eazy Mac. What these rappers have in common is complex lyricism, unrestrained honesty and a dark sense of humor.
“We can get through any problem as long as we are honest and loyal to each other,” says Rxberts. “I’ve been lied to a lot and it doesn’t feel good. I do think I’m a little bit more sensitive and emotional than most rappers.”
On “Level Up,” Rxberts’ deepest darkest thoughts are on display, as well as dead straight observations of the people around him.
“I’m gonna let the truth be told and let everybody hear my real feelings,” he says. “I’m poking and prodding, showing things for what they really are. This is my art. Then I put it out to the world and it becomes your art. It’s a release. A complete and utter release.”
When he’s not writing and recording music, Rxberts cleans vacation rentals with his mother, biding his time until the day he can realize his true ambitions.
“My ultimate goal is to be able to pay my rent with music,” he says. “I want to be able to do music every day. Dream-wise, I want stardom. I want to sell out Madison Square Garden. I want a billion streams on Spotify and 25 Grammys. I want to travel. I’m pushing it as hard as I can.” | tapd.co/noahrxberts
