About Us
Inkwell is a San Antonio, TX based record label promoting and creating unique hip-hop vibes, and hip-hop culture, as well as cultivating an audience that is informed and educated. At first a rap group by a different name, and then a collective, childhood friends Ryan Rendon, Alejandro Valverde, and Christopher Gagnon finally formed Inkwell Recording Company in 2018.
Our Story
Ryan Rendon (Rion Atom) started his rap career in early middle school, at the age of 13, and quickly grew an affinity for it, recording some of his earliest tracks shortly after. When he met Alex in the eighth grade, they became quick friends over gaming, weed, and comedy, and met Chris a year later.
The group quickly found their common passion in music, attending numerous tours by then-artists of Psychopathic Records, indie bands such as TBS and Circa Survive, and classic metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Heaven and Hell. Inspired by these varied artists, Ryan, Alex, and Chris formed their first rap group in 2007.
By early 2009, the group had written and recorded several songs, but never made it to a complete LP. Over time, roles in the group began to shape. Chris took a lead on audio engineering, while Alex began to look over digital media and management. On Ryan's lead, the team began to look more like a collective, working now with local artists like Kaeo, and began working collaborations with the Grand Unified Theory. With a creative team at their back, Kaeo and Rion Atom dropped their collab LP in 2015, Street Tunez, shortly before Rion Atom's premier mixtape War of the Words. As the group continued to hone their craft and perform at shows in San Antonio and elsewhere, the friends took yet another turn, and made the decision to form their own record label. Inkwell Recording Company was formed in late 2018, and its first distributed album, Auditory Emporium, was released in March 2020, followed shortly by Cool Calm Collected in January 2021.
As of October 2021, the label had expanded to include both Aaron Corronado and Ronnie Macias as Heads of Marketing and Advertisement, and had released yet another fantastic project by Rion Atom, Color Coated. The small team continues working toward shows in a post-COVID world, and new music in 2022.
Contact us
Inkwell is always looking for ways to collaborate with other artists and businesses. Hit us up, and let's get something going!