Dayton, Ohio native and rapper Seth Rock now lives in Las Vegas, but he still gets down with Miami Valley based talent. You can’t take the Dayton out of him, as evidenced by his new single and video, “Mr. Lahey”.
WYSO music contributor Greg Simms Jr. recently spoke with Rock about his music:
Greg Simms Jr.: Were you raised in Dayton? And, do you currently live in Dayton or Nevada?
Seth Rock: I was born in Dayton and bounced back and forth between Dayton and Columbus after my parents split when I was three. I honestly thought it was normal for kids to get traded off at a truck stop like some sketchy drug deal. From 14 to 28 I lived only in Dayton, then I moved out to the Southwest. Right now, I live in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Simms: Your music and persona is irreverent and edgy, but also funny. Is this the ‘real’ you? Is it your artistic side? Or both?
Rock: It’s both. I’m not out here doing a character; I’m just amplifying the chaos. I can be dead serious one second, clowning the next, and still mean every word. It's rap mixed with stand-up mixed with a therapy session that got way outta hand.
Simms: Your latest single is “Mr. Lahey.” What’s it about and what is the story behind it?
Rock: I felt like I needed a song to reintroduce myself after taking a break from dropping content. The most genuine way for me to do that was to bring the things I love into my music. One of those things being the characters from the TV show “Trailer Park Boys”. Mr. Lahey was perfect: petty revenge, talking crazy, stumbling through life with a whiskey glass in hand. Underneath the comedy it’s still rap bravado. Really, it’s about how we’re all stumbling through this thing called life.
Simms: The video for “Mr. Lahey” is a riot. How did the concept come about?
Rock: When I told my friend Brian Ward Sr. from City of Gems I was coming back [to Dayton] for Rap Campp 2, he said, “We gotta shoot a video.” I came up with an idea, he did some recon, and we figured out how to pull it off in under a day. We shot it guerrilla-style with no budget and just made it up scene by scene. It turned into this beautiful mess, exactly like the character. And we couldn’t have done it without all the people who showed up when we put the call out. They really helped bring the world to life.
Simms: How long have you been rapping and making music?
Rock: I’ve been rapping seriously since 2008. Long enough to make mistakes, learn, quit, come back, quit again, and finally realize I can’t stop even if I wanted to. But music’s been in me my whole life. The first time I ever performed was when I was five at my mom’s wedding reception. They had a live band; I grabbed the mic and told them to play “Great Balls of Fire.” The movie had just dropped on VHS, so I knew every word. From that moment, I was hooked.
Simms: What’s the feedback been from the “Mr. Lahey” single?
Rock: People are loving it. I think they’re recognizing the authenticity in the delivery. I’m not trying to convince anyone I’m this or that. It’s back to basics. Visual storytelling that adds a layer to the song instead of just being an ad for some fake persona. Too many rappers push their image. If you push your actual personality, it comes across way more naturally.
Simms: Do you have any new music dropping this year?
Rock: Yeah, I’m not slowing down. I’ve been dropping free verses every Friday on Instagram for the last 16 weeks in a series called Your Weekly Programming. I’ve also got an EP called Still Real To Me, Dammit. It’s a love letter to pro wrestling but also a reflection on my own life through the wrestlers I grew up idolizing. It features Young Reese Dude and will have a release date announced soon. And I’ve got a project with Chete Blaque called Slanguage scheduled for 2026 through Hen House Forum. Basically, I’m stocking the shelves like Costco, come fill up your cart.
Simms: Are you touring or doing any shows?
Rock: I haven’t done a live show in way too long. At this point, if I do one, it must feel special. Not necessarily an arena, but the right time, right place, right people. Stay tuned.
Simms: If you had to explain the concept of Seth Rock to anyone, what would you say?
Rock: Seth Rock is a kid from Suburban Hell, raised on pro wrestling and bad cable TV, who decided to rap about that instead of trying to fit a mold. It’s hip-hop, but also a parody of suburbia, a celebration of the underdog, and a middle finger with a smile.
