MUSIC
C
eno, born Maurice Larry in North Lawndale, has been a Chicago music legend since 2013. By then, he was one of the originators of a whole new Chicago music genre: bop music. Alongside Lil Trav (Delon Sneed) in the group Sicko Mobb, Ceno helped forge a new sound that combined fast, almost footwork-like tempos, high-pitched synthesizers, and endlessly replayable melodies to create some of the best party music ever invented. But Ceno doesn’t want to talk about any of that. He only wants to look to the future, and justifiably so. Ceno is still making great rap music, such as the recent singles “Trench Babies” and “From the Raq,” which reflect on struggling through poverty and violence while growing up in Chicago, with lines like “coming out that jungle, all my n****s had to hustle / remember days I couldn’t sleep, my stomach royal rumble” and “I’m tryna make it so lil sis don’t grow up in these streets / its like you can’t get on Facebook without no Rest In Peace.” Ceno’s also got plans to release multiple tapes this summer. He agreed to a conversation with the Weekly to talk about the new music and his plans for 2022 and beyond. Would you rather talk a little bit about Sicko Mobb or would you rather talk about the new stuff that you’ve been doing and what you’ve got for this year? I’d really rather talk about the new stuff cause the Sicko Mobb stuff…that shit like ten years ago so I ain’t really trying to dwell on the past. I got a lot of new music and shit finna drop though.
Ceno Still Bringing People Together, Solo
That’s fair. Two of my favorite [newer] songs…are “Goin Insane” and then “Trench Babies.” Good lookin bro. That’s what’s up.
The former Sicko Mobb member and Chicago rapper on his new solo music and collaborating with others.
BY BOBBY VANECKO
18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
¬ JUNE 30, 2022
COURTESY OF RICK DAWG
I’ve seen the couple videos you’ve released in the past couple of months [for songs like From the Raq, In My Bag, and Know Dat]. Those have been great. So are you planning a new tape or anything for this year? What are your plans for this year?
