Welcome to In Tha Ruff Records

"Where the Diamond Always Shines"

Artists Bio
Jonny Ortenzo was born in Shreveport, LA on October 5, 1985. Where he grew up the youngest of four children in the small town of Belcher, LA. J.O. was tuned into the art of music at a very young age. His mother knew this early on and knew that she had to cater to it. She remembers sitting him in the living room, while she cleaned the house and him singing along with her Al Green records while playing his imaginary piano on the coffee table. “It surprised her at the time, but I was just doing what kids do, and that was using my imagination” says J.O. J.O.’s mother thought otherwise, she knew he had a gift and would not let him waste that gift. Through the years he participated in chorus’ and piano classes, feeding his musical needs, yet he still craved more. By age eighteen he had become a musical scholar by thoroughly learning ten (10) instruments trumpet, tuba, trombone, french horn, baritone horn, snare drum, bass drum, bass clarinet, quintoms, and the piano. “Not to sound cocky or anything, but trumpet was getting easy, the satisfaction was learning the instruments, not mastering them; I just wanted to learn something else” J.O. says. Not only was the ability to play multiple instruments his satisfaction, his vocal talents also fit into his arsenal of talents. “He was never a shy performer; we all loved to see him perform in talent shows across the area so we could see his showmanship” Say’s a childhood friend. He always knew that you had to please the crowd to succeed and that is what set him apart from other performers. His show stopping energy and new age swagger was derived from movies he watched as a child. Such as: The Five Heartbeats, Purple Rain, and La Bamba. In the wake of a perilous time in his life, J.O. joined the United States Marine Corps and in February 2007 met up with the one who would give him the break he had been searching for. Producer and C.E.O. of In Tha Ruff Records: Kill-Joy. J.O. would not disappoint. He made his presence know on 2007’s The Block burner Mixtape Vol 1. He has since been focusing on the release of his next project with KJ entitled R&Beef and then on to his solo debut brilliantly titled “bipOlar” which perfectly captures the two sides of the one known as Jonny Ortenzo. The unique style and flashy wordplay mixed with his easy flowing vocals and rugged sound are sure to make for an aural treat. There is no doubt that under the mentorship of Kill-Joy this diamond is guaranteed to shine.