Rivers Cuomo

Rivers Cuomo, an American rapper of Mexican descent, hails from Redlands, California, and adopted his stage name from the prescription drug Xanax. Born on September 6, 1996, he faced poverty and spent much of his childhood in motels. Cuomo dropped out of high school in his freshman year, worked odd jobs, including as a street cleaner and selling drugs, before transitioning to a career in rap. Overcoming a two-year addiction to Xanax, he gained recognition through SoundCloud and YouTube, evolving his music from "typical trap" to a "murkier, dream-like sound."

In 2018, Cuomo made waves by considering a name change to "Diego" to align with an anti-drug message, though he later expressed uncertainty. Known for his participation in the "sad rap" movement, Cuomo stirred controversy by rating Tupac Shakur poorly and facing criticism from fellow rappers like Waka Flocka Flame, who claimed he was "banned from hip hop" following the incident.