Rapper Ozols releases Latvian rap album on vinyl, plans arena show in Riga

Latvian rapper Ozols, real name Ģirts Rozentāls, has released his album Cieņa un mīlestība (Respect and Love) on vinyl. The record is described as the first full-length rap album in the Latvian language and was previously available on CD and cassette. His biggest concert of the year, with the same title, is set for 5 December at Xiaomi Arena. According to him, the show will include everything from nu-metal to strings.

A mural based on the album cover was recently unveiled on a building wall in Pārdaugava, a district of Riga. Ozols also handles the affairs of his own clothing brand, Hood, and its nearby shop, which sells T-shirts featuring Žoržs Siksna and Lauris Reiniks, as well as merchandise for the cult film Tumšzilais evaņģēlijs. One of this year's standout collaborations was with the football club RFS: during a home game in Riga, the team wore shirts designed by the brand. Rozentāls sees this as a way to strengthen a local street-fashion story.

Conversation on music and social media

In an interview held on a Saturday morning, Ozols looked back at the Latvian music scene of the early 2000s, mentioning the band Fuse, the Radio SWH programme Priekšnams, his rock remix of the song "O.Z.O.L.S." and other groups of the time. He also spoke about his love for the band Beastie Boys and the hip-hop label Def Jam, whose formula of combining rock and rap brought the genre wide recognition.

Ozols said he took up guitar again during the Covid-19 pandemic. This week his acoustic concert recording, made at Audilla studio on Ģertrūdes Street, came out; he performs there as a trio with Kaspars Vizulis and Rūdolfs Daņiļevičs.

He was also critical of social media: in his view Facebook has lost its relevance, and the only audience that interests him is on Instagram. Ozols believes the division of people that emerged in the era of vaccination certificates still affects relationships, and says it led to the breakup of his band Tehnikums.