Now in its third year, The Medium and Springdale’s Creative Exchange Fund support local artists by providing financial support and a space to take creative risks. KUAF is partnering with The Medium to profile some of this year’s 37 multidisciplinary artists. We’ll hear about their art, their process, and what it means to be a creative in Northwest Arkansas.
Michael Del Rio is a rapper and hip-hop artist based in Springdale. He’s also a member of Lost Nopales Productions, an artist collective formally known as the Latinx Theater Project. Michael will be performing at the Medium on Wednesday night at 7p.m. under his stage name, Del. Originally from Ulvade, Texas, Michael moved to northwest Arkansas when he was two years old.
Michael Del Rio: We all moved down here my grandma, my grandpa, my uncle, my aunts, my cousin. We all came down here at this time it was kind of Arkansas was the place to go migrate to and get some work. And my grandpa was taking care of the whole family. We were all we were all in one house, like all freaking six and eight of us, all in one house and doing our own thing and then branched off to do other stuff.
Sophia Nourani: When did you first connect with with music?
Del Rio: Honestly, it started... As a younger kid, I did a talent show back in like elementary school, kindergarten, first grade, and I did like a little dance routine of like NSYNC, that old that old boy band.
Nourani: Yeah. Justin Timberlake. Yeah.
Del Rio: You know, so I did my thing. That was like my first, like, not necessarily singing so much, but I was performing, you know, I was doing like doing some stuff like that. It all started then. And then I just, you know, singing, singing, Michael Jackson or whatever, like in front of family.
Nourani: And well, I think kind of going off of that... When did you start to transition from other people's music covers and songs to your own specific sound. I like how you use wavy hip hop and rap. What is that?
Del Rio: So when when I say wavy... When I first started making music, I made my own studio at the house and I did it with a bunch of buddies that, you know, we kind of all were talking and I was like, man, let's, let's do this thing, man. It was an idea of just making like a brand or a label. It was like, it's a group of us, we started as a group called Zero Sense. And we all got together, we all pitched in, we all made this thing happen. I took the MacBook that I had for my parents over there. I had that, I was doing my music. It was all from the garage band. Got my mic interface. Whatever. I started decking out the room with lights, I just wanted a vibe in there so I can make that one. And when I started making music, it was it was all four-twenty friendly and stuff. So when I was like over here finding the vibe and stuff, it's like, man, it's like, it's not necessarily always just rap hard bars.
I can stay on this hook for a minute.
When I say wavy, it's taking me to a different world. Like I can see I'm over here. Like I'm hearing this, I'm hearing this track, I'm hearing this beat or whatever, and I'm hearing Mike singing this, like I'm in like in a car. It puts me in a different place or fades me out where I'm like, I'm in the studio, but I'm over here. I'm over here driving late night down Emma Street, you know, going to the liquor store to get a tall can real quick.
Nourani: Something else you mentioned you worked with what was previously the Latinx Theatre Project. Yes. Was it, Lost Nopales Productions? Y
Del Rio: Lost Nopales Productions. Yes. We finally rebranded. Man, I want to say, I think when we started talking about rebranding... It was like we were talking about rebranding for a minute.
Nourani: So you say we, you're part of that group. Can you just tell me how did you first get started with them?
Del Rio: So I got started with them by my homie Martin Garay, the homie Martin, we linked up with another friend that I met at a party. We got linked up. He made music, I made music. Hey, I have a studio. And at this time I want to meet everybody. Yo, like, come to the studio. You know, this is a spot where, you know, as much as, you know, not even talking bad about folks that have like studios and they pay money for it. Cool. I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I don't know what the heck I'm doing at all, but come in here and record because I want to make music. You want to make music, let's just do this thing.
And Martin at that time came with our homie El, shout out El, and we started making and when I met Martin, dude, this guy brought his backpack and we started working in the studio and we just we just clicked. It just was off the vibe off like that, you know? And then he started telling me about the Latinx Theatre Project that they were hosting auditions. He wanted me to come audition because I told him I wanted to be an actor too, as well. And then I auditioned. I've been a part of them for like about six, seven years around there now. I've just been that's my home. Those people that I work with, they're my family and I've grown with them, I've hurt with them. I've learned so much from them. And it's been an amazing journey as well.
Nourani: Yes, exactly. 100%. And I think that that kind of ties exactly into what The Medium is also doing. I think just Springdale, the community there and the ability to just help each other out and uplift each other, just fully shows through, through this project and through the work that you guys do. So this is going to be on Wednesday, August 12?
Del Rio: Wednesday, August 12 at 7p.m. We're doing a raffle for the for the show where my brother in law, Milton, he's a barber, donating a free haircut. We're doing a raffle, we're going to make a little gift basket, and friendly donations that they get into the raffle.
So everyone's there doing it. I have my sister in law, she's being a bartender there making drinks for people, and it's just everybody that's being a part of it is someone that I care about the most. And that they care about me and they want to be a part of it too, you know, and just as much as these fans are coming out and family is coming out to come watch the show, they are doing just as much as what these guys are doing to create the show.
Nourani: Is it a free... Anyone can come in?
Del Rio: Anyone can come in.
Nourani: Donations are accepted.
Del Rio: Donations are... just friendly donations. I wouldn't say recommended, but it would be appreciated. Definitely would love that. It's a free show. Bartending drinks are going to be provided, they're free. All love to the bartender too, you want to throw a little donations for the bartender for the love and the and the care over the drinks and stuff. There will be alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages too, as well. If you're not into that thing, you know, waters—
Nourani: Or under 21.
Del Rio: Under twenty one. I'll be looking, you know.
Nourani: So this is all ages. Anyone can come?
Del Rio: All ages. Anyone can come and catch a vibe. Everyone can come and catch a vibe, be a part of the wave. And just go and enjoy some music. Enjoy being around some people. Bring your friends. Bring your grandma. Bring your grandpa. Bring the dog. Well, I don't... Hold on. I don't want the Medium getting mad at me. I don't if you can bring your animals, but if it's a service dog, maybe. Pull up, pull up, pull up.
Nourani: Where can people find you and your music?
Del Rio: So right now I'm in actually changing the whole platform that I'm putting my music on now. It was on a SoundCloud account for all my original stuff when I was putting out. Now that we got Lost Nopales Productions, that's why I'm going to upload my music. It's going to be on there. We have on our Instagram account. You know, we have a Linktree where it takes us to our website, takes us to our performances, our SoundCloud. That's where we're gonna mainly dive my music into. There and SoundCloud and Spotify, hopefully.
That was rapper and hip-hop artist Michael Del Rio. The Creative Exchange series is produced by KUAF Public Radio in partnership with The Medium. Support for this project comes from the Tyson Family Foundation. The Medium and the Creative Exchange Fund are projects of the Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE).
For more on this project and the 2025-26 recipients, you can visit The Medium.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a rush deadline and edited for length and clarity. Please reach out to kuafinfo@uark.edu to report an issue. The audio version is the authoritative record of KUAF programming.
