Nino Bless

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Nino Bless (Hector Jesus Alvarez) found himself interested in music because of his family's involvement in the salsa scene as studio and live performers. Bless learned to play the piano, but was bit harder by the hip-hop bug as he came into his teenage years. He thought the best way to get into the rap industry was through marketing and promotions and so he founded the marketing company Milestone Media. Responsible for promoting both mainstream and underground rap artists, such as Chamillionaire and Immortal Technique, the Puerto Rican MC gradually moved in the direction of ghostwriting, and then, finally, penning witty rhymes for himself. With the encouragement of one of his promotion clients, Kool G Rap, Bless embarked on his solo career in the late 2000s and almost immediately made noise within the New York scene with the heavy-hitting, street bangers "4 in the Clip" and "3rd Degree"; the former sported guest spots from Joell Ortiz, Styles P, and Kool G Rap, while the latter featured Saigon, Scram Jones (who also produced it), and Crooked I. The anticipation for his first mixtape, 'Untold Scriptures' (2008), virtually reached the heights of a major-label debut, though his buzz was mainly contained in New York at the time. Amidst this steady work with a steady income, it was the legendary Kool G Rap that encouraged the longtime “rapper on the side” to go full throttle with his passion. In the several years since, Nino Bless has done just that. Whether rapping, blogging, or compiling acclaimed mixtapes, the MC “blessed” by G Rap says he refuses to let his godfather down.