‘Royelt & Vent are putting CT on the MAP

Leroy Collier and Ventine Richardson Jr. (widely known as ‘Royelt & Vent) are two artists that are making the music industry take Connecticut seriously. ‘Royelt founded the collective C.N.C.T in 2018 and expanded with artists: Vent, KIKO860 & $wami the Prophet. We came across their single “Amazing Things” on the Hip-Hop 2022 playlist, which is one of the biggest organic playlists Spotify offers for rappers. When we heard it – we knew we had to do a feature.

C.N.C.T is capturing a sonic that’s both timeless and fresh. It has elements of Rap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and R&B rolled into something special – and it’s so different from what every other artist is doing. If we had to make a comparison, we would say it’s something as unique as what Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak did with Silk Sonic. But what makes C.N.C.T even more special than Silk, is the authentic rap vibes that are tastefully woven into the album. We get some dope Jay Z, J. Cole, Nas and Tyler, the Creator vibes from these fire records.

What we respect about C.N.C.T is how they’ve stayed true to their roots. Not only does their name represent their hometown and state, but their album was recorded in Small City Studios based out of West Hartford Connecticut. The group is comprised of solely Connecticut artists – yet somehow still feels like it has sounds and influencers from both coasts and the rest of the world.

We asked Vent about what creates that spark for him to create music, and he said, “For me it’s the ultimate form of expression. I’ve always been geared towards lyrics, and the art of rapping. Using my own style of vocabulary to express anything I want, on top of people relating to it – it‘s just a blessing…it’s freeing.”

When we asked ‘Royelt to give one tip to artists on the rise, he said, “Never be afraid to experiment and push boundaries. Always stay true to yourself and to the craft.” That’s exactly what these two are doing, experimenting, pushing boundaries but still staying true to themselves creating a sound that’s both brand-new and yet still authentic to who they are.

These artists are clearly highly motivated and staying very busy with their creativity. ‘Royelt is currently finishing up the sequel to his debut project “Authentic” with “Authentic II.”I He’s also working on a seperate collaboration project with Vent as well. Aside from the collaboration project with ‘Royelt, Vent is working on his debut project AND an EP with fellow C.N.C.T member, KIKO. Where do these two get the time to stay so productive? We don’t know, but all we care about is that they keep making that heat.