Biography
Lápiz Conciente, known by the English rendering “Conscious Pen,” stands as a Dominican rapper who anoints himself “El Papa del Rap Dominicano,” a title translated as “the pop of Dominican rap.”
Born Avelino Junior Figueroa Rodriguez in 1983 inside Santo Domingo’s Los Mina district, the artist showed an early pull toward music yet found hip-hop sidelined across the Dominican Republic, forcing him to cultivate the style through clandestine channels that included homemade clips of rap battles against rivals.
At age fourteen he turned music into a full-time pursuit, first aligning with the urban merengue outfits Los Warriors and El Proyecto before striking out independently; his stint in the latter introduced him to the Charles Family hip-hop circle—rappers JO-A, Enigma, and 3ni-Blaze—who embraced him as a protégé and collaborator, placing him on the widely circulated tracks “Calle Es Calle” and “La Guayaba y La Redada.”
Personal and professional friction with JO-A prompted Conciente to exit the Charles Family and align instead with Toxic Crow, contributing verses that helped shape the 2006 full-length Sin Rivales and the chart-reaching single “Capea el Dough,” which also featured 3ni-Blaze; further disagreements over artistic direction led him to depart once more and launch a solo chapter marked by the public feud documented in the video “La Llamada,” to which both JO-A and Toxic Crow issued responses, fueling the competitive spirit that split Dominican hip-hop listeners into partisan camps.
In 2008 Conciente secured a radio platform alongside fellow rapper Melymel titled “Jam,” then inked a deal with New Sound Records that yielded his self-titled debut EP the following year and the album Rafaga del Plomo.
Collaborations in 2010 with reggaeton star Don Omar surfaced on the television special and album Don Omar Presents: Meet the Orphans, issued via Orphanto Music Group and embraced across Caribbean markets; shortly afterward the rapper terminated his existing contract to establish an independent imprint through which he could issue his own material alongside projects by fellow artists he championed.
By 2012 Conciente and Toxic Crow had mended relations, jointly reissuing Sin Rivales as a gesture of solidarity within Dominican hip-hop; operating solo, he unveiled the advance single “Mi Amor,” followed later that year by Lapiz Mundial and, in January 2013, by El Army, whose lead track “Amor por Accidente” featuring Metrolo climbed digital charts while its clip surpassed four million views on YouTube, prompting two La Historia compilations in April to satisfy ongoing demand.
January 2014 brought his fifth album Letras, succeeded by Nueva Era (El Army) and Romantico; his eighth project, 2016’s Latidos, showcased appearances from Vico C, J Alvarez, Natti Natasha, and Belinda and reached number seven on the Billboard Latin chart.
Born Avelino Junior Figueroa Rodriguez in 1983 inside Santo Domingo’s Los Mina district, the artist showed an early pull toward music yet found hip-hop sidelined across the Dominican Republic, forcing him to cultivate the style through clandestine channels that included homemade clips of rap battles against rivals.
At age fourteen he turned music into a full-time pursuit, first aligning with the urban merengue outfits Los Warriors and El Proyecto before striking out independently; his stint in the latter introduced him to the Charles Family hip-hop circle—rappers JO-A, Enigma, and 3ni-Blaze—who embraced him as a protégé and collaborator, placing him on the widely circulated tracks “Calle Es Calle” and “La Guayaba y La Redada.”
Personal and professional friction with JO-A prompted Conciente to exit the Charles Family and align instead with Toxic Crow, contributing verses that helped shape the 2006 full-length Sin Rivales and the chart-reaching single “Capea el Dough,” which also featured 3ni-Blaze; further disagreements over artistic direction led him to depart once more and launch a solo chapter marked by the public feud documented in the video “La Llamada,” to which both JO-A and Toxic Crow issued responses, fueling the competitive spirit that split Dominican hip-hop listeners into partisan camps.
In 2008 Conciente secured a radio platform alongside fellow rapper Melymel titled “Jam,” then inked a deal with New Sound Records that yielded his self-titled debut EP the following year and the album Rafaga del Plomo.
Collaborations in 2010 with reggaeton star Don Omar surfaced on the television special and album Don Omar Presents: Meet the Orphans, issued via Orphanto Music Group and embraced across Caribbean markets; shortly afterward the rapper terminated his existing contract to establish an independent imprint through which he could issue his own material alongside projects by fellow artists he championed.
By 2012 Conciente and Toxic Crow had mended relations, jointly reissuing Sin Rivales as a gesture of solidarity within Dominican hip-hop; operating solo, he unveiled the advance single “Mi Amor,” followed later that year by Lapiz Mundial and, in January 2013, by El Army, whose lead track “Amor por Accidente” featuring Metrolo climbed digital charts while its clip surpassed four million views on YouTube, prompting two La Historia compilations in April to satisfy ongoing demand.
January 2014 brought his fifth album Letras, succeeded by Nueva Era (El Army) and Romantico; his eighth project, 2016’s Latidos, showcased appearances from Vico C, J Alvarez, Natti Natasha, and Belinda and reached number seven on the Billboard Latin chart.
Albums
Singles
