That Mexican OT is the fiery alias of 23-year-old rapper Virgil René Gazca. His early years were tumultuous; he lost his mother when he was eight, and his father was incarcerated around the same time. Gazca lived with his maternal grandmother until sixth grade when his dad was released and relocated the family to Austin. It wasn’t long before his dad chose to leave the family behind, so Gazca’s “strict and wonderful” stepmother stepped in and raised him. Gazca started rapping at the age of four, although he began seriously honing his craft under the eye of his Uncle Ramón, who introduced the musically voracious child to his crew, Kick Doe Click. Gazca dedicated his first song to his late mother, and by age 10 he’d taken on the moniker of V-Man and laid down bars on a Kick Doe Click record—a time he revisited on his 2022 single of the same name. His early style was defined by a burning love of Slim Shady-era Eminem and East Coast hip-hop luminaries like The Notorious B.I.G., which along with his Southern upbringing resulted in a unique approach to rap.
