On the Rise: Paul Pontillo

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

By the look of the picture, a person would not guess Paul Pontillo is well on his way to becoming one of the top record executives in hip hop. If the picture was a surprise, the location will be a shock. No, Pontillo is not based out of New York, Miami, or Los Angeles. Instead, Paul Pontillo is building his empire in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Founded in 2009, Paul Pontillo only wanted to give rappers from his local area an outlet. Only one year later, Fortified Records has become one of the hottest independent labels in the Tri-State area. Currently, the label is focusing on it's flagship artist, Sinergyst. His debut album, The Catalyst, was released earlier this year.

Despite growing up in Connecticut, Paul Pontillo has been a fan of hip hop for most of his life. Most of his friends in Bridgeport were rappers and Paul saw a chance to make it big. Even now, things are starting to change in favor of Pontillo and his label. While he knows and understands things will not happen overnight, he does feel as if he can turn Fortified Records into a major label one day.

It all started with an idea and now the idea is a movement, Paul Pontillo knows one day people will put him in the same category as Russell Simmons, Diddy, and Jimmy Iovine.