He looks really young for 33, but so much of his youth was lost to his illness, he deserves to not grow old for a while.

He is once in a generation gem. Do More Ren please 😊

Great reaction. There is nothing Ren can’t do, there is no one like him and he has a phenomenal catalogue, I look forward to watching you slide down the Ren rabbit hole.

Ren is a Diamond 💎 ✨️

Great reaction. I wrote this introduction to Ren when I first discovered him earlier this year, as there wasn’t a Wikipedia entry for people to look him up prior to March 2023. I have posted this info to every “Hi Ren” reaction I have come across since, and I hope it will be of some use to the uninitiated. “Hi Ren” is the song that put Ren on everyone's radar since December; it went viral and has garnered over 11 million views since its debut, but he has been creating great music for more than ten years. Ren’s music videos are generally recorded live, often in a single take, although not necessarily the first take, and from various camera angles. His release, "Sick Boi," is almost another chapter to "Hi Ren." Many of Ren’s songs resonate with people because he addresses struggles that many others face every day. Ren is an independent artist/singer/songwriter/busker from Brighton, UK. He plays multiple instruments (acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, piano, drums), has impressive vocals, is an excellent storyteller, and is quite the philosopher and poet. He is considered by many a modern-day bard; he calls his music “bardcore.” Ren’s earliest recordings on KZread are from his time in a band called “Trick The Fox,” consisting of Ren and his buddies Charlie and Tommy. Unfortunately, the band performed only briefly due to Ren’s onset of health issues. They are very talented. A fun clip to watch is “The Mash Up.” Ren’s trilogy "The Tale of Jenny/Screech/Violet" has been likened to a Shakespearean tragedy and is a prime example of his genius; it is a master’s class in storytelling and also showcases his guitar skills. The three acts are haunting, and the conclusion will catch you off guard. The trilogy needs to be watched in the order given, as this is the flow of the storyline and is best watched as a whole rather than piecemeal. Ren’s collaborations with Chinchilla (“Chalk Outlines,” “How to Be Me,” “Sexual Healing,” “One Dance/Drunk in Love”) are beautiful and showcase his singing voice. His live music videos are especially impressive. Ren's personal reflections are threaded through many of his songs; "Insomnia," "Depression," “Diazepam," “Penitence,” “Dear God,” “Heretic,” “Dominos,” his "Freckled Angels" album, just to name a few, all deserve a listen. His song "Money Game" (Part I & II) is another recommendation, although it is less of a personal song than it is an indictment of greed and the resulting injustices in this world. Ren’s Hip Hop/Rap style songs are all worth checking out if you enjoy this genre; they are pretty amazing. Check out “The Hunger,” “Genesis,” “What You Want,” “Losing it (FISHER rap retake),” “Right Here, Right Now (Fatboy Slim one shot retake),” "Life is Funny," “Love Music (Parts 1, 2, and 3),” “Crucify Your Culture,” “Power,” "Hold On," his new release “Bittersweet symphony (The Verve retake),” and his latest release "The Illest Of Our Time," just to name a few. Ren's performances with Sam Tompkins (“Blind Eyed,” “Earned It /Mans World / Falling,” “Walking on the Moon/No Diggity,” “Feeling Good/Trouble So High/Masterblaster (Jammin'),” “Latch,” “Wild Thoughts/Crazy in love (Live Session),” “Same Old Situation (Live, feat. Ren),” “Improvising Around Stevie Wonder,” “What Went Wrong” Part I&II) are definitely a must. Also, his collaborations with Eden Nash (“Humble,” “Ocean”), Bibi (“Crutch,” “Ahiahiaoha”), Molly McKinna (“Penitence”), Orlean ("Jessica"), his former bandmate Romain Axisa (“French Song”), are all great. Last but not least, Ren’s busking sessions with Liv Sangster are awesome. I recently discovered that Ren also recorded a cover of “Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Cover),” that is simply beautiful. "The Big Push" (Ren Gill, Gorran Kendall, Romain Axisa, and Glen Chambers) busking sessions, concerts, and live recordings all are amazing and well worth checking out. All but the drummer sing lead vocals at times. Ren, Gorran, and Romain all play multiple instruments. Ren plays acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, piano, and drums. Gorran plays acoustic, electric, bass guitar, and harmonica. Romain plays acoustic, electric, bass guitar, ukulele, and piano. They are each incredibly gifted artists, and their solo work is completely different from each other. Well worth checking out. Their covers of "I Shot the Sheriff/Road to Zion/Hip Hop," "Wade in the Water/Nina Simone/Trouble so Hard," "Watch Out," “War Pigs,” “Roadhouse Blues,” "My Generation," “Paint It Black,” "An Englishman in New York," “Bongo Bong” are awesome. On “These Boots Are Made For Walking,” “Praise You” (Fatboy Slim Cover), “What Kind Of Woman Is This,” all three take a turn singing. The songs "Oh My Woman," “Swan Song,” “Sweet Little Lady," "It's Alright," “Dignity,” and so many others are equally impressive. The band, at least for the time being, performed their last official busking session and gave their last concert in September of last year (2022) due to the fact that Ren was leaving for Canada to undergo specialized medical care and surgeries for his multiple health issues. In anticipation of his stay in Canada, Ren prepared some music ahead of time to be released over the next six months that he expects to be gone. He released “Sick Boi” and “Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve retake),” which is another masterful work. Ren just released his newest song, “Illest Of Our Time,” on his birthday, March 29. His newest release, "Animal Flow," is out now. I still fail to understand how Ren's YT channel has only 854K subscribers while his videos have garnered millions of views!?! What is wrong with people? I guess it is a sign of our times; this is a "me, me, me" society, and people just want to consume, unwilling to give back even as little as giving a video a "like" and subscribing to an artist's channel.

Now watch it again and notice that this was a live performance without multiple takes or lip syncing. I've never heard how many takes it took to get it perfect all the way through, but just the fact that this is so perfect in one shot is amazing. The man has talent to spare.

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely…phenomenal

@user-zu6ir6kj5g

Жыл бұрын

4 takes.

@ericstorr9880

Жыл бұрын

Used 3rd take out of 4 🕊️

@jonathanohnona9191

Жыл бұрын

It took 4 takes

Great reaction! You totally “got” it. Next steps: “The Tale of Jenny and Screech (full version)”, Money Game (both parts), Sick Boy, and some of his busking. And check out the video descriptions and pinned comments of his videos, he often posts lengthy background info about it. He’s had a rough time health wise which has (obviously) shaped his music, but also must have given him tons of time to practice!

You have no idea how talented he is

Ren has such an amazing catalogue of music. People will list the same few songs to listen to but he has so much music that is just as good, just as unique and just as beautiful.

Wow. I have missed you Sonny. Hope all is well in your life. This song hit me like a Kenworth at highway speed the first time I heard it. My first thought when I finished ugly crying was that I was witnessing the birth of a mega-star. I have heard it said that the true quality of Art is measured in its ability to make you feel. Feel amazed, feel emotions, feel deep memories ... but feeling impacted is said to be the true measure in that standard. By that measure, for me "Hi Ren" is a masterpiece of artwork. I feel like we are getting to watch a guy perform for free on the internet 10 years before he is one of the 20 most famous people on the planet.

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

The Dude!!!! I feel it man

@TheNomaer

Жыл бұрын

That's quite a nice tribute to Ren and nice to hear it expressed so authentically.

@thedude6043

Жыл бұрын

@@TheNomaer Thank you.

I can't even begin to count how many reactors say, "Omg over 9 minutes long!" And then get to the end and say, "Is that it?" 😆 Im up to 1100 vid reactions for Ren... Yours is definitely on my top 5 list. Brilliant reaction, luv. Thank you for sharing it with us. 🥰🙏🏽❤️ Hope to see more Ren reactions from you! Just follow the comments and the RENegades will point you in the right direction. 😁💕

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! I’ll def be checking out more of him!

thanks Sonny for your great reaction to Ren, he's a fucking genius! Ren is versatile, every song is like a new adventure, keep discovering it😉 Ren's playlist is so captivating.........thanks Sonny

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Thank YOU for recommending!!🙏 SUCH a great song.

Welcome to the multitalented genius Ren. This is a masterpiece but trust me it is just the tip of the iceberg with this man. Hope to see you down the Ren rabbit hole with the rest of us. Nothing but greatness 🐰 🕳️

Great reaction Sonny. I think you absolutely nailed it. Rock on babies and keep on doing what you do. ✌🏻🖤🎶🤘🏻

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Love you, Nana!❤️

Welcome back! 🥳 Great that you decided to react to Ren, you got the essence of the song right from the start. You would enjoy the trilogy of Jenny, Sreech and Violet by him, I am sure.

Loved yr reaction to this landmark masterful piece of artistry. Your thoughts afterwards were spot on. I wish you all the best and look forward to your thoughts on more stuff from Ren

Here is some additional information on Ren's story that I gathered from old newspaper interviews, articles, and Ren's livestreams and posts where he discussed his condition. Ren Erin Gill is a British musician/independent artist; born in Wales on March 29, 1990; he eventually moved to Brighton. Ren pursued a career in music from an early age. In 2009, while studying music performance at Bath Spa University, Ren began to experience health issues and was struggling to attend his lectures. In 2010, he was signed by Sony Records and was working on an album when his health deteriorated to the point where he was unable to continue and subsequently dropped by Sony. Ren's illness often kept him in bed for up to 23 hours daily. Ren was initially misdiagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome, which led him to experience psychosis and develop PTSD. It would take seven years before a doctor in Belgium finally correctly diagnosed Ren with autoimmunity, Lyme disease, and resulting damage to the brain, organs, joints, and PTSD. Ren eventually underwent stem cell therapy in the United States, which improved his health, but it has not been a cure. Ren is currently in Calgary, Canada for more treatments, including surgeries, and will have to be there for at least six months (Summer of 2023) undergoing IV and other interventions five days a week. Ren recently underwent wisdom tooth removal and cavitation surgery. In addition, his Canadian doctor discovered that Ren also developed a condition called Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD), which has affected the myelin sheath in his brain, his thyroid, adrenals as well as his bones/joints. Now, Ren is receiving additional treatments for this previously undiagnosed condition. Let's keep supporting Ren as he undergoes his treatments. Check out and subscribe to his channel, if you are a content creator, ask your audience to subscribe to Ren. Listen to some of his earlier work, like and comment on his performances, and let's lift Ren's spirits. If you are a believer, pray for him. Ren is an artist with something to say to the world, and his work is important in these troubling times. Someone has finally created a Wikipedia page for Ren, so there is additional information available. Here is the link to Ren’s GoFundMe page to raise money for his current treatment. Ren has exceeded his initial goal. However, his goal was very conservative and did not reflect the added costs of unforeseen surgical procedures, and treatment for additional health issues such as MCAD. www.gofundme.com/f/ren-get-better-from-lyme-disease-and-autoimmunity

@analisasmith7927

Жыл бұрын

Hi Jens! Thanks!!👌😁

I really enjoyed your reaction and appreciation for Ren. He is so unique and although his subject matter can be dark, he is an amazing talent. When you get a Chace, check out The Tales of Jenny and Screech. It is a trilogy of 3 songs but shows off his incredible story telling skills as well as his amazing acoustic guitar style.

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Nice!

Enjoyed your reaction, I subbed and liked.

If you want another mind blowing reaction, do The Hunger next. It’ll blow your mind after doing Hi Ren, and you look like you might love some rap rap 🔥👍

9:50 “she sells seashells on the seashore” is a reference to a section of his song “Money Game, Part 2”, which is a brilliant piece of lyric writing.

@user-fc3vp9yz2o

Жыл бұрын

In fairness, it's also a reference to Eminem doing those first few lines in 8 Mile

@NightFogFilms

Жыл бұрын

@@user-fc3vp9yz2o It also means it's already been done and there's nothing new here.

@user-fc3vp9yz2o

Жыл бұрын

@@NightFogFilms I am well aware I assure you, while I may not be the best at expressing my thoughts in written format, its mostly due to trying to constrain myself rather than a deficiency

@dmj4966

Жыл бұрын

This line originated with Eminem in one of his self reflective songs, so u can see the tie to this one....

@NightFogFilms

Жыл бұрын

@Dan Jackness Actually, it is a tongue twister and originally a song from 1908.

One of the best reactions to this and i have watched lots, thanks mate

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Hellsyeah, thanks bro. It’s a DEEP song and he speaks some REAL things, man

It’s so good. Such a masterpiece.

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Facts!

👏👏👏👏👌 you got it

I love your room! Just had to say that immediately 😂😂

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!

great reaction bro!

Please react to his song POWER...its a vibe...you cant help but dance in your seat.

🤘😎

@Mickee2605

Жыл бұрын

And welcome to the rabbit hole m8 😎

Hey Sonny, wondering where you’ve been! Thanks for checking Ren out! Someone elsewhere commented like “33 years ago, all the world’s musical talent coalesced in one singular human being” - and that is *Ren*

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Nice! Good to hear from you!

i sent you a message on messenger a while ago about this song!! good to see you back!!

I've been watching Ren reactions for many months and have Never seen your channel! Odd! If you liked this... his Jenny and Screech trilogy (Full Version!) Will Blow Your Mind! Trust the stranger on the interweb!!! Lol

(Unrelated to the video... is that an Everquest Chalice I see on the left side of your dresser?) Welcome to the RENaissance, a home for the lost and broken; enjoy the ride - For more Bardcore - check out the 3 part Tale of Jenny & Screech If you want to dive more into the rap side of his catalogue, I'd start with "What You Want" which is a brilliant homage to the Beasties, followed with "Genesis" followed by "Sick Boy" followed by "Illest of Our Time" (this one goes after the previous one so you have some grasp of the meaning) and the trail goes from there For more rock oriented fare follow the breadcrumbs to The Big Push and dive in (I personally suggest Sweet Little Lady, Swan Song, Englishman in New York, and the cherry on top 'I Shot The Sherriff/Road to Zion/Hip Hop') Last but not least, don't be afraid to check down the alleys, Ren has built himself a circle of talented musician friends that will surprise you and make you glad you chose to look for hidden treasure (Hint: *Chinchilla, Eden Nash, Sam Tompkins, and so many more) (Also Humble w/ Eden Nash is just pure young punk/rude boy heaven) *Chinchilla: Take 1 part Christina, 1 part Jessie J, 1 part Rhianna, blend well and pour over your own unique style, served ice cold by the baddest bitch in town (See Fingers (Live), Little Girl Gone (the official video is just *fun*) *Gorran: I've fallen in love with his tune If (live version) *Romain: I haven't found one that just ... stabs me in the face and says "LISTEN TO ME ON REPEAT" but all of them are ridiculously good

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Hellsyeah! And it IS!! I’m a bit of a D&D nerd 🤓

@user-fc3vp9yz2o

Жыл бұрын

@@sonnyvoncleveland Heh, I have a pair myself, well did, ex has them now. If you bought them at a fanfaire between 2001-2005 .. that'd just be funny

Mephistopheles *and* Oprah!

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

FACTS!!!!!

"This kid" may be older than you. :D

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

I doubt it…but yeah, I call everyone kid 😂

@seth1455

Жыл бұрын

Ren is 33 no not a kid, but this guy has a grey beard, it's been a while since he was 33 (still looking fit though dude)

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

I’m almost 42😳

@seth1455

Жыл бұрын

@@sonnyvoncleveland that would be 41 then😀

I'm disappointed with ur disingenuous second-run-through breakdown, these reactions fuel me, minus ur underwhelming platitudes. "Yes I used complicated words, so u have something to attack if you boo-hoo " don't fight me, I'd have to respect u back.

@sonnyvoncleveland

Жыл бұрын

Lol….what? 😂🧐