Lyriq Luchiano

Local rap artist Lyriq Luchiano, a.k.a. Michael Thompson, really wants his home-town of Culpeper to know he’s on the way up.

“I’ve been through hell and back my whole life,” he said during a recent interview. “I came from being homeless to seeing my momma get beat, from being shot to losing my mama, to being in an alternative school, to being in so many fights, to so many people betraying me. I want them to see I made it out all that damn dirt and I’m trying to shine.”

Born in Charlottesville and raised in Culpeper, the 27-year-old got started rapping as a freshman when a teacher at the local alternative school introduced him to the late Tupac Shakur. When Thompson transferred the following year to Culpeper County High School, two fellow students, who happened to be white, showed him how it was done. He recorded his first track in their home studio in 2006.

“It sounded horrible, but I never stopped,” Thompson said.

He was among the first class of seniors to attend Eastern View High School and even wrote an anthem for the new school that former Principal Roger Mello would play mornings on the intercom. Lacking enough credits to graduate, Thompson dropped out in 12th grade to pursue music. He has since written and produced dozens of tracks with raw, explicit lyrics and subject matter, and a clear measure of talent.

“My music is a reflection of life – what I’ve been through,” Thompson said. “I have all different stories – sad, happy, fun, whatever. It’s all mixed in one because we as humans go through different emotions.”

At 5-years-old, he was devastated when his father got locked up for drug trafficking. Thompson didn’t see him again until he was 17.

“I remember I felt safe when I was on his shoulders so I felt it when he left because a woman can’t teach you to be a man like a man can. When he left, it was basically just me, my mom and my three sisters,” he said. “By the time he came home, I was already a developed man.”

As a young teen, Thompson got in trouble and continued to face adult issues at home. As he got older, music became a way to cope.

“After high school, I went on the streets and I waited to see what I should do next,” Thompson said. “My whole thing was to push my music out to the public and get everyone to know who I am.”

In the past decade as Lyriq Luciano, the young artist has performed all over Virginia and Washington, D.C. as well as gigs in New York, Maryland and right here in Culpeper, including at the Moose Lodge – his last show in October sold out. Thompson said he chose the stage name because he feels music is all about the lyrics while Luciano is a mafia reference to disloyal friends.

“I wanted that to be a part of me to let myself know that no matter how much you love you give, people can still betray you, but if you have faith you can always work your away around things,” Thompson said.

Working on his music has been a top priority; Lyriq Luchiano has three albums out – “Pay Attention,” “Release Me to the Streets” and “Next 2 Blow.” He has an active YouTube channel and is currently working on a new album, “Real & Rare,” featuring the already-released singles with videos, “Worldwide” and “Mama” – the former of which has been viewed more than 57,000 times. - Allison Champion