Read Richarts
Austin, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF
Music
Press
Read Richarts' video for "Dear Chance" is dark, minimal and foreboding, echoing the song's ominous vibe. It's been selected as this week's winner of the Heatseekers Video Edition. - HotNewHipHop
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Outkast and UGK, and further expanding his outlook through Lupe, Kanye and Nas, Read looks to sculpt and define a new standard of what we've come accustomed to with Texas hip hop. Providing an ironically introspective take over equally grandiose and bombastic instrumentation. - 2 Dope Boyz
Austin, TX native Read Richarts will drop his upcoming Irrelevant project which will be released as a free download on August 6th. Initially influenced by the likes of OutKast and UGK, his love for hip hop spread to the Midwest and the East Coast.
Austin, TX, one of America’s fastest growing cities and cultural nexus of the state has largely been overlooked when discussing the state of their hip hop community. The state’s capital has often been overlooked by the metropolitan areas of Houston and Dallas and Read Richarts hopes to include Austin into the mix starting with Irrelevant and his upcoming full length album shortly being released after.
Today, enjoy the music video to “Dear Chance” which is the first song and first set of visuals from the Irrelevant project. Produced by OSYM and featuring Jermaine Andrews on the hook, “Dear Chance” is Read Richarts’ opening statement to what will hopefully be a long and fruitful career. - URB
Having released his debut mixtape Read Between The Lines earlier this year, Austin, TX-native Read Richarts is back again with the visual accompaniment for smooth hip-hop track, "13 'Til Infinity." Composed of electric neon hues and smooth multiple layer cuts, the video merges vibrant composition with a minimalist feel, allowing the transition of color and cuts to lead the video to a finish. Featuring a steady rap flow atop a smooth instrumental sample loop from Souls of Mischief's "93 'til Infinity," Read Richarts' edit brings a fresh vibe to the retro hip-hop classic beat. - HYPETRAK
When Austin rapper Read Richarts was done with his set, I knew I was in the right place. First, who knew there were rappers amid the indie-rockers in the ATX? And second, who knew there was one as good as Richarts? He has a Kanye-like tenor to his voice and his music sounds like places west of Houston, even further west than Austin. "B.A.L.L. (Be a Living Legend)" stuck with me. - Houston Press
Lyrics, substance, charisma, attitude are all components of a great emcee in my opinion. You want an emcee who can give you heart pounding, breathtaking lyrics that are about something, all with the confidence and swagger ... - Fresh Prince of the ATX
Yeap it’s Humpday again, so you know what that means..Featured Artist Wednesday! Today I’d like to introduce you to Austin MC Read Richarts. Read Richarts drops his first single “B.A.L.L. (Be A Living Legend) off his sophomore mixtape I Am H.I.M. (History In The Making). Richarts mentions that this track is an anthem for every artist striving to make it while dealing with life’s day to day grind and struggles. The Kid is Nice that’s all I have to say, Listen and Download “B.A.L.L” below and get his latest mixtape! - Hash Out Loud
As we patiently await the release of his sophomore project titled I Am H.I.M., Read Richarts has let us in on the first single of the upcoming mixtape. “B.A.L.L.“, produced by B.Sure, is a track with street anthem potential, communicating the day-to-day grind and struggles of an up and coming artist. Although backed by ominous synths and deep 808s, Read isn’t overshadowed by the instrumental, putting his lyrical ability on display. Check it out, drop your thoughts in the comments below, and be on the lookout for his mixtape. - THE SUPERLATIVE
A standout from what’s expected from a Texas rapper, Read Richarts displays his versatility as a rapper/producer with clever word play and a multi-genre sound. Another talented artist striving to shed some light on a growing Hip Hop culture in his city. Production ranging from Read himself to Cardo, Read Between The Lines is definitely something for everybody. - Ill Material
Kicking the tape off with a exert from of a Will Smith interview about believing in oneself and making things happen because you want them to. The exert gives you a sense of what Read is all about and sets the tone for the tape. After all that Read goes straight into "No Introduction" were he in facts introduces people to who he is as a person and an artist. taking the listener through a journey of his beginning to the dropping of this very tape. The tone from here on out is set from the heart pounding lyrics and the heavy bass production. - Fresh Prince of the ATX
Tell us about one of the hardest challenges you had to face in the industry?
One of the hardest challenges has to be being that one grain of sand that stands out from every other grain on the beach. And to me that’s how the industry is, that’s how I see it. Everybody raps, everybody produces, etc, but everybody is doing the same thing, taking the same path that was traveled. So trying to standout and be seen in an industry that’s saturated with the same act is the hardest challenge, getting the people to focus in on you. That’s why I strive so hard to be different. - WWSMAG
"He takes on an Alchemist beat and in my opinion does it justice" - Fresh Prince of the ATX
Austin native Read Richarts is slowly becoming a BILHH mainstay it seems. All you Hip Hop heads who, like myself, often feel that the younger generation is clueless, might want to check out his growing body of work. He brings something different to the table with his choice of content and unconventional (as far as the new era is concerned anyway) production. Check him out and let us know what you think! - Because I Love Hip Hop
Read Richarts(Reed Richards) is an up and coming Rap artist from Austin,TX who is trying to separate himself from what has been perceived as the "Texas Sound". He's currently working on his first project called "Read Between The Lines Vol.1". Check out this single he dropped off and feel free to comment or thumb it up or down. I think the young squire is on to something, but listen for yourself. - Because I Love Hip Hop
" "Everything's a Go" is my personal favorite since I think it's a defining song for him and both production and lyrics are pretty amazing here" - Because I Love Hip Hop
Read Richarts – Austin rapper and municipal code violator – had released “RCS”, a striking video single. Richarts spits conviction about being authentic in his craft (which he deems similar to finding a rare card in a Pokemon booster pack) while marking up every whitewashed wall in Travis County. I’m definitely digging the chorus on this one. Watch “RCS” below. - Potholes In My Blog
Discography
Read Between The Lines Vol.1 - 2012
Modus Operandi - TBA 2015
Photos
Bio
As it stands, Texas hip-hop is largely defined by the precedents set by the Houston and Dallas metropolitan areas, leaving the state’s capital city with no identity or defining quality. Aiming to sculpt and define a new standard is Austin’s-own Read Richarts. Paying due homage to the pioneers of Southern hip-hop, while channeling the energy of the emerging era of the subgenre, Read presents an ironically introspective take, over equally grandiose and bombastic instrumentation.
An Austin, TX native, Read Richarts began his musical endeavors as a youth in and around the city limits, with his initial sound drawing direct inspiration from the likes of OutKast and UGK. Further expanding his outlook, influences from the Midwest and East Coast, such as Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West and Nas, also helped Read to craft and develop his currently elaborative and emphatic delivery.
Perfectly executing an “off-tempo” flow with convincing confidence, Read makes of every song a tight-rope balancing act, straddling the fence of the contrasting traditional and progressive hip-hop sounds, geared toward keeping his listeners on their toes, while providing a timeless, feel-good experience. On a personal level, Read can be described as having an unassuming edge shadowed by his otherwise calm demeanor, possessing nothing less than a mean streak, showcased through his music that works to show both sides of his psyche.
Read’s debut mixtape, Read Between The Lines: Vol I, laid the groundwork for the artist to get a full-length introductory project under his belt and put his raw style on display, while also working to toss his name in the hat of the numerous Austin-based underground hip-hop acts. His upcoming will bring forth an elevated sense of self, punctuated by a shift toward an overall aura of simplified sophistication. Eschewing the notion that rap at its core is comprised of an overload of similes and metaphors, Read employs a “layman lyricist” approach, drawing in both the aficionados and casual listeners.
Undoubtedly, the cultural nexus and America’s fastest growing city that is Austin, TX is on the verge of an unprecedented amount of attention in the near future, with Read Richarts being on the cusp of the upcoming spotlight set to shine on the city.
Band Members
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