Like many skateboarders, Ryan Decenzo’s music choice is heavily influenced by the skate videos and his friends growing up. From the punk-rock featured in Zero videos to the mix of hip-hop and moody instrumentals in TransWorld Skateboarding edits, Ryan prefers a wide variety.
I’m not choosing the music in the morning; the skateboarding is choosing the music for me.— Ryan Decenzo
“My friends and I were super into Dr. Dre, The Chronic, 2001, Still Dre, when I was coming up,” says Ryan. “When I would be hanging out with my dad, he would be listening to like classic rock and country-rock. I’d be hyped if we could get a Metallica song in there while we were on a road trip.”
When asked if he favors one genre of music over the other, Ryan says he needs the balance of having both. “Hip-hop has chill songs too, and then rock-n-roll will have intense, upbeat songs that get you fired up and give you a lot of energy.”
In the mornings around the house, Ryan doesn’t play music but rather hits play on a skate video. “I’m not choosing the music in the morning; the skateboarding is choosing the music for me.” A bonafide skater whose grassroots to music leads him back to where he started; skate videos.
At skate spots, you won’t find Ryan plugged into headphones. Instead, you’ll hear music coming from the top of the stairs, or by a rail, blasting from a boombox. “That way, all the homies can keep the same vibe with the session. With headphones, you’re in your little world, and no one can really talk to you.”
On Rotation is a new weekly series that shows off a sample selection of what the world’s best athletes are listening to. Each week a new playlist will drop on the Dew Tour’s Spotify account along with a few words from the riders themselves, giving you personalized insight from the pros while you turn on their customized selections.
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