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FONTO is a sound engineer, recording artist and producer who was born in the Bronx, NY, of Cuban/American descent.  Since his early-teens, Fonto's been posting, performing and producing his gritty, underground influenced and sometimes lo-fi tracks for a growing fan base worldwide.  

Fonto has collected at least a million unique streams on songs ranging from his early collaborations with Diego Money (@1diegomoney) “Fuck up the Speakers,” to a song with K$upreme (@ksupremenas) “Bitch I Skate,” to a song with Candypaint (@candypaintoca) “Slide,” and a song which went viral with Warhol.ss (@warhol) “Felony.”

His most recent viral song, “Trust Nobody,” was a collaboration with Sofaygo (@Sofaygo), before he signed with Travis Scott.  This song alone surpassed 300,000 steams on major platforms in 2021-2022. 

FONTO explains, “Before Sofaygo signed and went on tour with Trippie Redd, I noticed him and felt we would be a good match, so I contacted him to collaborate and after working on a couple songs that were more in his niche and sound range. I ended up sending him a drill-influenced instrumental that challenged Sofaygo to step out of his usual comfort zone. Sofaygo himself said he really enjoyed performing on this particular instrumental produced by Yung Swisher and Luca Beats.”  

FONTO has spent most of 2022 and 2023 writing and producing a new collection of solo Alternative-ambient Trap songs with producers from around the country, released on major platforms in 2023.  He is also producing a companion series of music videos releasing soon on YouTube/ Instagram. One of these videos, previewed on Instagram & got 270K views in less than two weeks. 

FONTO’s style seamlessly blends his rap roots with the new sound he created based around singing and melody.  As FONTO describes it, “I’m fabricating a new sound for myself and my audience, by fusing different genres and creating songs in specific genres such as Punk Rock, Hyper-Pop, and Psychedelic Hip-Hop. I want to create a unique niche with my sound.”  

FONTO’s musical talent emerged when he was just 15, living in the Bronx, New York as he began producing, rapping and setting up collaborations with emerging rap artists around the city.  He had his first viral song at just 16 years old, featuring Warhol.ss: “Felony.” He studied musical theory and classical piano at New York’s La Guardia High School of Performing Arts, but found his passion for producing and began recording and mixing tracks with talented local musicians to develop the beats for his early album, “Fear and Love Will Illustrate Life’s Values.” 

The origin story of the name “FONTO” has its roots in the pride he feels about his Cuban heritage.  A FONTO is a large tobacco leaf used for rolling a blunt, but for FONTO, it’s a remembrance to the timeless tradition of growing the best tobacco and rolling the best cigars in the world from his beloved island, Cuba.  FONTO says, “Growing up, people never knew I spoke Spanish or came from a multicultural Cuban heritage.” 

FONTO is motivated to keep writing and producing music that speaks to the stresses and challenges faced by his generation.  He enjoys stretching musical genres and expressing the frustrations and joy of youth today. FONTO had a wide range of musical influences growing up, from time he spent living in Oakland, CA; Bronx, NY; New Orleans, LA; and Havana, Cuba. 

FONTO has his own label and publishing company, FONTO RECORDS, with two emerging artists under his current management.  He is developing products for his  merchandise and clothing brand, "Manifest Archives" upcoming in 2024.  Expect more musical creation to come and releases on major platforms in 2024.