Rico Richie: The Answer to The Facade of Hip Hop
Recently, I got a chance to sit down with Mr. Rico “If You Ain’t Got No Haters, You Ain’t Poppin” Richie!!! Who recently just came home from a brief stint behind bars. And he hit the ground running!!! Make no mistake about it… Rico Richie is who the average artist claim they are on paper! He not only lived it.. He’s living it!!
Check out the FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:
Shar Bates: So tell me this, how long have you been doing music?
Rico Richie: I’m coming up on 4 years… I started rapping 4 years ago coming up in June. I dropped “Poppin” before I even hit year 3!! This is what I’m telling you about the work.. I knew this was what I wanted to do so I basically locked myself in the studio until I came out with something that I knew would competition with the great names that are in the music game! You know Im a street n*gga, and I didn’t want people to be that stereotypical street drug dealer that got money and now trying to rap! I didn’t want people to respect me for that. I wanted people to respect me for the fact that I could go into the studio and make hit records with some of the best rappers out. And I prove that day in and day out.”
Shar Bates: What made you want to get into music?
Rico Richie: The love of it really. To be honest, I didn’t start initially rapping. I actually built a studio for some other rappers and producers that I was managing to get their projects started. But I couldn’t get the work ethic part across to them. And it was something that I knew I had because Im competitive, you know I played sports my whole life. So all I did was take the competitive nature I had from sports and in school.
Because no matter what, I’m just that type of person. A lot of people be looking at me like.. Oh he can’t be from the streets and be educated. I ain’t never look at it like that.. I just wanted to be the smartest mothaf*cka, fastest mothaf*cka, flyest mothaf*cka, with the most bitches, the n*gga that had the flyest clothes, you know.. I just wanted to be number 1 at everything!
So I never looked at it like I’m not cool if I am this.. Or I’m not cool if am that.. I just wanted to be the best at whatever I do!! So I took that work ethic, put it into the music game, utilized my relationships and made it happen!
Shar Bates: So what a lot of people don’t know if they’re not Georgia, is that you were a football star! You played in College right?
Rico Richie: Yea I played ball
Shar Bates: He’s being modest right now.. He played for GA Tech, that’s a Division I school!!
Rico Richie: Yea, I was one of the Best Cornerbacks, I was one of the Top 5 Cornerbacks in the nation going into my Senior Year. Then I went on to be in the NFL! It was just a situation where I never got a chance to separate he street life from the sports and academic career. And it was always grew up into. I just always had trouble separating those relationships.
And just know, that if you ever have an opportunity like that, and you think that your friends, family, or anybody else is more important than that.. You’re wrong! Because its nothing I wouldn’t do to trade and be able to go back and just be able to live that life. I’m just blessed to be able to take that ethic trade it into the music game and still live that life. But just know.. There’s no substitute for making those kinds of mistakes. There’s no dollar amount that’s worth missing out on that type of opportunity!
Shar Bates: So what took you away from football? You were in college, one of the top players in the nation. And you caught a charge?
Rico: I caught a Fed Case, and it really took the wind out me. It was a real punch in the chest. And the backlash that came with it. It just made me fall out of love with the sport. I just couldn’t focus and concentrate on it no more. People don’t understand that conversation that comes along with it. Even with the “Ain’t Poppin” Song, “If You Ain’t Got No Haters, You Ain’t Poppin,” I’ve been feeling that for a long time. The hate that I got from making that mistake. But I understand why, and I didn’t understand why at the time. I know that I was young and it was hard to deal with at the time, but I understand why and it didn’t make since at the time. And I would encourage anybody given an opportunity like that to not put themselves in that type of situation to not make the same mistakes.
But my reason for it is. You don’t know where I come from. You cant judge me. You don’t know what I had going on at the time, you don’t know where I come from. You don’t know what type of life I had to live. And the responsibilities I had at a young age. You don’t know what I have to wake up and deal with on a daily basis. Yall don’t pay my bills. And I had real life situations going on, having to take care of my Mom, and having to take care of my Pops, and having a baby while I was in college.
Shar Bates: So you were already taking care of your family in college?
Rico: Yea, I was the only person that everyone was turning to even when I was in college. Everybody already know college football don’t pay no money. And they wasn’t making sure that I was taken care of, and I had to make sure I was taken care of. You know its still not an excuse, but I had to make sure things were taken care of. Still not an excuse. But really what I should’ve said is that if yall really love me then take that pressure off me!
Really that’s the truth. Because if they really loved me then they would’ve said Look, we want to take this pressure off of you, so don’t feel like you gotta do this or do that. But really it was the opposite. Because really there were steady calling like, I need this, and I need that.
Shar Bates: Because really that should’ve been a time when you were provided for.
Rico: Right, I should’ve just been focusing on myself. And so being young and looking back on it, if I could do it again. Which I am doing it again, I’m just focusing in on myself, and developing this talent that I have. Making music and making it as big as I can.
Shar Bates: Just to clear up rumors, because some people are saying that you actually went to prison, was it jail or prison.
Rico: No I was just in Prison just now, for over 5 months almost 6.
Shar Bates: So you were in a Prison Penitentiary?
Rico: Yes, I was in prison. That’s why I can’t really talk about my situation too much! Because right now I’m in a situation where, I’m answering to the case that they picked me up for. I was already on probation when they picked me up. They sent me to prison on violation of probation for a case that I already was on. So I did the time for that case, now I have to answer to the new case. That’s the catch 22 of the situation. So that’s why when I’m moving around it’s a little different. That’s why I preach with all my heart that you really only live one time! I came home to 3 very close people of mine that would’ve died for me. Being take away from me the way that were taken. But it comes with the game, with the streets. I wasn’t planning on waking up to the feds busting down on me and taking me away saying it was time to go.
Shar Bates: Yea you had one of the top songs on the radio, and you were in jail.
Rico: Yea I was sitting in jail listening to the radio SICK! They like this ain’t yo song.. You know prison full of a bunch of lying ass n*ggas. And a few people started to notice like, this is really Rico Richie!!
Shar Bates: What I love is that even though you had a football career, and went to jail. You still finished school.
Rico: Yea, Im just one of those people, you know.. I finish. If I start something, Imma finish. It don’t make no sense, to start something up.. Then start something else up.. You know, if you in the construction business and you build your first house. That doesn’t mean build 10 more. Build another house, then another. You know, build one house, then build another, then build 10, then build a building, then build a shopping center. Mothaf*ckers be having so much damn ambition that they don’t understand that you can make a mistake on your 2nd or 3rd try. People don’t understand that to master a craft, it takes years.
That’s why a lot of people are surprised that I caught on to the music so fast, but a lot of people don’t understand that its so much more great music to come! Because I’m still getting better at that rate! But that’ what I strive for. I always make sure that I out do the last thing that I did!!
Shar Bates: What do you feel like separates you from others in the music game:
Rico: Hard work!! People don’t understand that I’m a real BEAST!! You gotta understand that Calvin Johnson aka “MegaTron” was who I had to go up against everyday!! Every rapper is Megatron to me!!! That’s what I do, I’m coming for you! I wake up every day to put myself in position… When I jump in that booth it’s practice! I’m just getting myself ready for the game, because it’s gonna happen.. It may not happen the way that you want it to happen, or when, but as long as you keep going it’s going to happen.
Shar Bates: What’s your favorite song that you’ve done?
Rico: I cant even tell you what my favorite song is, I haven’t even dropped it yet!
Shar Bates: You live on The Hype Magazine, I need the TEA!!
Rico: I cant even tell the name of it.. I don’t want nobody to steal it!! But what I can tell you is that my new single is “Too Lit” and it’s on the other side of “Poppin.” And if you understand the concept to “Poppin,” then you understand that If you ain’t got no haters you ain’t poppin, you that if you ain’t out there doing yo job, if you ain’t grinding every day to get it, and you ain’t got people out here telling you that you ain’t shit, then what you doing ain’t gone work?? Then you ain’t doing enough! Cuz you need haters, rather it’s your motivation, or rather it’s your guideline that let’s you know rather or not what you doing is being effective or not. So we take that song and that platform and take it to the next level! And that’s “TOO LIT”..
You know and that’s where we are right now.. Shar you do ya magazine thing and be “TOO LIT,” rather you a plumber you be TOO LIT, you in construction, you be “TOO LIT.” No matter what you do be “TOO LIT” at it!!! It ain’t always about the shiny part of it, the bottles, and the parties, and the bad bitches, which is the celebration part of it. It is those times when you need celebrate the success, rather with a pretty lady at the bar, or even ya boys. It don’t always have to be in a section with a gang of females. Just be you..
Go download that “TOO LIT” and “MY BUDDY”, especially if you aint download “Poppin”
For new music and updates.. Visit http://RicoRichie.com @RealRicoRichie Instagram and Twitter, RicoRichie1000 – Snapchat!!!
Thank you to Faders Studio and Highly Unique Radio for welcoming us into your facility! And also the Mad Scientist for recording!
Follow me… Shar Bates.. Seriously!!!
@IamSharBates – FB, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat
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