Overcoming a childhood of family addiction, incarceration, and homelessness, Rico 2 Smoove jumped in the rap game after completing a 5-year sentence in the California Youth Authority. Known for blending street raps with knowledge and empowerment, Rico taps into his mixed Black and Mexican heritage to reach a diverse audience. Growing up in West Sacramento, he fell into gang life early but has shifted his focus towards his music career and fatherhood. Rico is heavily influenced by Bay Area and NorCal rap, while starting to tap into new genres as he continues to pursue his career.--For promo opportunities on the podcast, e-mail info@historyofthebay.com--History of the Bay Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZUM4rCv6xfNbvB4r8TVWU?si=9218659b5f4b43aaOnline Store: https://dregsone.myshopify.com Follow Dregs One:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UNuCcJlRb8ImMc5haZHXF?si=poJT0BYUS-qCfpEzAX7mlAInstagram: https://instagram.com/dregs_oneTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@dregs_oneTwitter: https://twitter.com/dregs_oneFacebook: https://facebook.com/dregsone41500:00 Intro02:22 Black & Brown15:38 Self-educating 26:55 West Sacramento32:29 Growing up in the system 41:49 School to prison pipeline50:58 Beating the odds59:00 Militant Mindset1:05:56 Recording in Hawaii 1:18:18 The youth, fatherhood