YG Cero

Luis Rogelio Almanzar, professionally known as YG Cero (born 13 September 2003), is a Cerveran rapper, songwriter and recording artist. Melding traditional Theykan rap with domestic reggaeton, kuduro and and R&B elements, Cero achieved rapid domestic and international popularity beginning in 2018 and undertook his first international tour in 2020, becoming the youngest Cerveran artist to do so. His first album, Planet Cero, released in 2017, achieved domestic platinum status in 2018 and international platinum the following year.

Cero's career successes have been punctuated by several run-ins with Cerveran authorities over the content of his lyrics, which often feature themes of drug use, gang life and sexuality, leading to their censorship domestically. These clashes have served to deepen his popularity and cement a reputation as a countercultural figure, though Cero has denied any such intent in interviews.

Personal Life

YG Cero was baptized into the Marian Church as an infant and occasionally wears a rosary in public, though he has stated that religion "isn't really something I think too much about." As a child he took part in the Raul Garcia Pioneer Youth organization and the Young Directivists League, both of which are noted by outside observers to be de-facto compulsory.

Cero lives a modest life despite his international appeal, owing in part to his label contract providing the majority of royalties to the label rather than to Cero directly; Cero has characterized this as a personal choice, saying he "didn't go into music to get rich." As of 2022 he resides in a condo in Puerto Fortuna described as "solidly middle-class by Cerveran standards."

In early 2021 Cero was reported to be in a relationship with Theykan model and actress Ruiha Ni'Tala; the relationship reportedly dissolved amicably in mid-2022.

Controversies

In 2018 YG Cero's music video for single Mi Gente was banned by Cerveran authorities and a search conducted of his residence following excerpts in which he appears to brandish several pistols and an assault rifle; these were later confirmed to be props, though the video remained banned domestically until 2020.

YG Cero has been noted to be critical of the Cerveran government's censorship policies on music and other media; much of his work is reportedly inaccessible in non-edited form in his home country, with some tracks being banned entirely for suggestive thematic content. Addressing this in a 2021 interview with Theykan entertainment magazine MediaNow, Cero was quoted as saying "I write about what's real...if the realness scares people, maybe they should ask themselves why." In the same interview, he asserted his patriotism and attachment to his homeland, saying "Cervera is my soul, my spirit, my home. You could take me and put me somewhere else but then you wouldn't get the same spirit in my music. If I were somewhere else, living some other life, I wouldn't be me." These comments ignited a firestorm in domestic and international music media with commentators describing the veiled criticism of Cerveran censorship as "unprecedented." On 9 October 2021, Cero and his entourage were detained by security forces at Matanzas Raul Garcia International Airport, leading to speculation of government backlash for his comments abroad. On 26 October, Cero made his first appearance via social media since his detention, downplaying the incident as "a misunderstanding" and saying that he "didn't get arrested or no shit like that" but was simply taking some time to "disconnect and refocus."