For two WKU sophomores, music is more than a hobby; it is a passion. A duo of Louisville natives are hoping to make it big in the rap industry and use their college education to pursue this dream.

Matt Vicente, whose stage name is Rosario, and Alex Gee, whose stage name is Lougz Gee, have been roommates at WKU since the fall of 2014.

During their time on the Hill, the two have collaborated to create their mixtape “603,”  which dropped on BLUNTIQ on July 17.

“We’ve been best friends in high school, and now we’re roommates, so we just come together for this,” said Gee. “We’ve both honestly loved music forever, so it’s been our number one interest.”

Vicente discovered his passion for music early and began writing it at age 10.

“I just started writing, and I never took it very seriously until last year,” said Vicente. “I saw a video of ‘106 & Park’ of Biggie, and I really liked it, and I wanted to write to it.”

Outside the studio, Vicente is majoring in broadcasting while Gee is majoring in communication studies. They hope their majors will help them succeed with their music.

“I majored in broadcasting because I took broadcasting in high school, and I really wanted to learn how to edit videos really well,” said Vicente.

They find inspiration for their raps in everything from day-to-day life to the Internet, according to Gee.

“We get inspiration from everything, honestly,” he said. “If we go to a party we can write about that, or if there’s a picture, we think, ‘Oh, that’s perfect for cover art.’”

The duo classify themselves as hip- hop artists but say there’s much more to it than that.

“It’s hip-hop, it’s rap, but it can branch out into a lot of different ways,” said Vicente. “We listen to everything, not only rap.”

For now, the two are focusing on being featured on blogs. Their mix tape can be found on SoundCloud and RJmeads, and they have been featured on BLUNTIQ. They hope to branch out as their music progresses, said Gee.

“Blogspot has been our big thing that we’re trying to do right now — just get on as many hip-hop blogs as possible,” said Gee. “We’re shooting new videos soon.”

In the future, they hope to make it big and make a living from pursuing their passion. They have had an immense amount of support from everyone through this process, said both Gee and Vicente.

Aidan Barnett, a freshman from Louisville and a good friend of both Gee and Vicente since high school, said he has seen the progression of their music and believes they will be successful.

“I think they will make it,” he said. “They both, but Matt especially, have a type of drive and motivation I haven’t seen in many people I’ve been around. Many big name music blogs and trap managers have recognized their music, and the amount of people catching wind of their names will only grow.”