Courtesy

HE IS: Gabe Locc

THE SOUND: Locc shuns the beat-heavy club vibe in favor of a socially conscious hip-hop sound.

THE WEB: myspace.com/gabelocc

ALBUMS: Main Issue (2005); Thru My Eyes (available on Tuesday, Dec. 18)

THE BACKGROUND: The 28-year-old Locc, born in New Orleans and raised in San Antonio, got serious about rap in 1997 after pairing his poetic rhymes with a beat. He cites Slick Rick and 2Pac as two of the artists who helped inspire him to get into the rap game.

PAYING THE BILLS: Locc sells industrial equipment to large companies, a job he doesn't typically mind ..... except for the morning after a show. “It's not really tough to balance” work and music, he said, “only on the days after a show when I have to wake up.”

HIS WORDS: “I don't really do the dance type of music that people do nowadays,” Locc said. “I guess I'd describe myself as reality rap. I'm more concerned with day-to-day struggles and what people go through than trying to make you dance and get the club crunk. I know a lot of people go to the club, and there's a certain type of music for that environment ..... But I'm more serious toward life than me thinking of it as a party.”

WHERE TO SEE HIM: Locc performs at Sneakers, 11431 Perrin Beitel, every Tuesday night.

THE 210 TAKE: In today's mainstream rap industry, driven by formulaic singles and numerous odes to “shawty,” the party-heavy vibe is a popular one. Nevertheless, it's refreshing to see an artist in Locc who's using hip-hop to relay what he sees in everyday life.

CLINT HALE | 210SA