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About

Born and bred in Chicago, Marisol Vélez (aka Pinqy Ring) shook hands with the mic at 15 when her love for learning Hip Hop songs turned into a curiosity to try it for herself.

A tough childhood, troubled teens and a catastrophic car accident all worked to mold the young artist into the powerful MC she is today. The accident, (which left Pinqy in a coma), served as the defining turning point in her life as she realized that telling her story was paramount.

In 2013, Pinqy released the EP Herstory and followed it up with the courageous single “Little Hearts”, detailing her past experience with childhood sexual abuse. Soon after, she released her first album Herstory: The Lost Chapters (2015). She has released several singles since, tackling many tough topics with her musical platform. In 2016 she introduced her bi-weekly web rap series #PinqTuesdays, which has totaled over 75,000 views.

During the span of her career, Pinqy has captivated several audiences in Chicago, (including the Taste of Chicago in 2017), as well as in Cuba, Atlanta, Oakland, Miami, Denver, Detroit, Washington, Austin, Houston, Minneapolis, St. Louis, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and even Ghana, West Africa. This year she will join La Belle Hip Hop Festival in Belgium as the U.S. representative for their 8 day International Women’s Day concerts and workshops.

Pinqy Ring is a two-time recipient of the City of Chicago’s prestigious Individual Artist Program grant, and was the first Hip Hop artist to complete a residency at The Ragdale Foundation. She completed her first tour, “The Rise of the Phoenix”, in 2017 – traveling to 8 cities for a combination of performances and youth workshops. She proudly joins the U.S. State Department’s prestigious Next Level 4.0 cohort, performing and hosting workshops in Cambodia in March of 2018 as a Hip Hop Cultural Ambassador for the United States.

Pinqy prides herself in her lyrical prowess, the courage to fearlessly share her story (and connect with people while doing so), as well as her ability to rap in both Spanish and English. She has been featured twice in The Chicago Tribune, and has been covered in The Chicago Reader, Karen Civil, ThisIs50, Streetwise, Moral Courage, PBS, DNAInfo, Vocalo Radio, WVON, Microphone Bully, Power 92, Fake Shore Drive, DePaul Radio, UIC Radio and CANTV, amongst others. In 2013 Pinqy Ring was given the cover of The HYPE Magazine, and in 2014 was highlighted in the pages of her alma mater’s UIC Alumni Association Magazine.

Outside of music, Pinqy has engaged in countless hours of philanthropy. Through her workshop, The Pinqy Project, she spreads her message of hope, perseverance, and self-worth to youth across the world. As a young Latina artist on the rise, Pinqy Ring shines bright with the determination to share her story while encouraging others to find and tell their truth.