Trademark Aaron

It’s a cool Friday night underneath the streets of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio as Trademark Aaron takes the stage with drummer Aaron Roy at the third annual Ubahn Fest. In a mere matter of minutes, one of the key contributors to his perseverance in Hip Hop, Nas, will be rocking one mic in front of the same audience. 
 

 Food vendors line the underground tunnel in which the festival is held, but the audience is feeding off Trademark Aaron’s energy tonight. You can feel greatness in the tunnel, as if witnessing the laying of a cornerstone in the career of Northern Kentucky’s most celebrated emcee.
 

Opening for legends isn’t the only place you can find Trademark Aaron and longtime collaborator Aaron Roy. Since linking up under the same indie label in 2011, the two have regularly been complimenting each other’s skill set on the same stages as household names like Yelawolf, Ja Rule, MOD SUN & Mike Posner. Aaron’s aggressive rock presence, coupled with Trademark’s Hip Hop roots have forged a new and original creative force that is yet to be matched in Northern Kentucky and the surrounding areas.
 

Trademark’s love for the sound and movement of Hip Hop began in middle school, up until which he had been minimally exposed to rap music. A young and impressionable Trademark Aaron became a sponge, absorbing everything he could get into contact with. He began drawing inspiration from powerhouses like Wu-Tang and Jay Z, and indies like Murs and El-P, drawn to the storytellers who could paint a picture in your mind.
 

Trademark began with the fundamentals – writing stories. He wrote about comic book, movie and videogame characters on his parent’s typewriter. Stories eventually led to poetry, and ultimately into raps. As he developed his craft and became more comfortable in his abilities, he began to put more of himself in the music. His sense of humor, struggles, beliefs and vulnerability came to the forefront, pushing out the shy, introverted artist he once was.
 

Aaron Roy’s indisputable skill in drumming came as influence from his father, who bestowed upon him music by Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Aerosmith. The classics eventually gave way to heavier acts like Metallica, giving Aaron an array of perspectives on his craft as he honed it. Through years of playing with several admired rock outfits, most recently with The Upset Victory, Aaron finds himself able to draw influence from all types of music, allowing him to tap into an arsenal of abilities that become the backbone to any performer. 
 

Live performances quickly transformed from Trademark’s least favorite aspect of artistry to his most anticipated. He and Aaron became obsessed with improving their performance. The addition of each other completed the formula for a high-energy, engaging and original performance. It’s not Trademark Aaron with Aaron Roy, it’s Trademark Aaron AND Aaron Roy. It’s two uniquely skilled artists meeting in the middle to prove that two passions are better than one.
 

Trademark Aaron has released some of the most celebrated music in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area. Earlier releases like “Prelude to Greatness” (2012) and “For The People” (2013), gave Trademark Aaron the experience to create his highly-collaborative mixtape “Words With Friends” and full-length “Act Accordingly” in 2014, giving his career a shot of adrenaline as both sides of the Ohio River took in his motivational and go-get-it style of songwriting.
 

Trademark’s most recent EP “The Chill” (2016) will hold listeners over while he and Aaron Roy immerse themselves in their creative zone. With each release, Trademark Aaron continues to show signs of closing in on his sweet spot. As he and Aaron Roy become increasingly involved in each other’s craft, we can expect everything we hear from their camp to be better than the last.