Torch

Kevin Christopher Belnavis (born July 12, 1982), better known by his stage name Torch, is an American rapper signed to Maybach Music Group as part of the group Triple C’s. He grew up in the Castle Hill area of the Bronx before moving to Florida as a teen. While living in Miami, he met William Leonard Roberts II who would come to be better known as Rick Ross, a Miami rapper called Gunplay and rapper Young Breed; together, the four would go on to form the southern rap group Triple C’s (aka Carol City Cartel).

Torch was born Kevin Christopher Belnavis to his parents Lorna and Christopher Belnavis on July 12, 1982 in the Castle Hill area of the Bronx in New York. Spending most of his childhood on the streets of this rough neighborhood earned Kevin the nickname «Torch» for his rampant and unpredictable misbehavior. Fearful of the dangerous and seemingly predictable path her son was on, Torch’s mother sent him to Florida to live with his older sister. While living in Miami, Torch met his future Triple C’s group members Rick Ross and Gunplay.

Though skilled with words and wit, without much in the way of role models to look up to, Torch struggled academically. Having attended PS 136 and Junior High School 125, he was expelled from three high schools before finding an advocate in the principal at the fourth. At Lehman High School the school principal helped Torch catch up in his classes and makeup months of neglected work to graduate on time with his class. It was also in high school that Torch me Kenta “Geter K” Geter, future VP of Maybach Music Group.

In 2005, Torch served a brief sentence in a New York state prison on drug charges. Shortly upon his release, Rick Ross shot to fame with his platinum single “Hustlin’” which Torch describes as the first indication that his life could be something bigger than a stereotype played out on the streets.

Newly out of prison, Torch joined Rick Ross, Gunplay and Young Breed to form rap group Triple C’s. The group was featured on Ross’s certified gold albums, Port of Miami (2006) and Trilla (2008) and their own first studio album, Custom Cars & Cycles was released in 2009. The album reached peak positions of number two on the Billboard Rap Album chart and number 44 on Billboard’s Top 200. After releasing a series of independent mixtapes, Torch was given music’s official stamp of approval from L.A. Reid who dubbed the rapper, «what hip-hop’s been missing.

Torch is also CEO of Specialyst Entertainment, a music and artist management company based out of New York