Music
Press
Artist / Group Website: myspace.com/RyanRichards
Where is the artist located:
DMV (DC, Maryland, & Virginia) byway of Northern VA
How did you get started with your music?
I got my first taste of music when I was seven, in a friend of the family’s home studio. He showed me the basics to recording and making an actual song. At first I tried my hand at singing but after a year of realizing I wasn’t MJ, i began to write one page long verses, which at the time I called that a whole song.
What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am working on my collaboration mixtape with fellow Enterprise artist Uel entitled “Interview”. This mixtape will consist of beats produced by Uel and me on the vocals with a few features on the tape. The Interview is dropping sometime in June and consists of about 10- 12 tracks, then after that I’m dropping my 3rd mixtape entitled “The skeleton in the Closet” dropping in July, which should have well over 15 + tracks. After that tape, to get you ready for back to school, I’m dropping my mixtape/ album. It’s currently untitled but will feature all productions by myself. In the Midst of all this me and Enterprise will be releasing a compilation album sometime in the summer. All that equals working….extra hard
What kind of music do you listen to and how does it influence your music?
I listen to a variety of different genres ranging from oldies to jazz and even to techno. I feel if you never try something you’ll never know if it’s for you or not, so by listening to different genres I have more of an advantage to make good music that’s really never been heard before. (hence Enterprise Music!)
What’s your opinion on mainstream music today?
I think mainstream music is slightly changing to fit more young people. Meaning mainstream music used to be songs about materialistic items, women, and etc. Not to say it still isn’t like that because it is, but I think mainstream music is going to set a different bar with all the young artists that are coming out and sounding like no one else. As long as people can feel and relate to my music and become inspired, then I could careless if I ever become a mainstream artist. But if i do become one then that will work too! lol
Who do you admire?
I look up to the man above me, my mother for being a strong single parent and raising me, because I know it wasn’t easy, and anybody who ever been told they couldn’t do something and proved them wrong.
Why would people want to listen to your music over someone else’s?
I know people should listen to me because I’m not making songs to be rich, I’m making music to ease your stress, so you can feel like there is someone who you can relate to, I’m making songs with meaning but at the same time you can feel and say “damn i didn’t know R-Y was like dat” haha and I promise you you’ve never heard Enterprise Music or anything close to you in your life ! So its definitely something new and refreshing for your eardrums so get ready.
Who have you worked with and how have they affected your work?
I’ve worked with a lot of local artists from around my area, as well collaborations with people from the west coast, midwest, as well the bottom of the map. They give me more of a sense of what their area really listens to, expects, and gets lifted by. So I can use that to be felt by everyone across the states as well as around the world.
What is your local music scene like?
I’m from the DMV so to not have some kind of liking for go-go music would just be dead wrong. I feel that’s apart of our culture as well as Nike ACG Boots and North Faces. I think the DMV is so diverse, you can be in one part and hear a certain sound that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else. But I love it
What suggestions do you have for other artists in the music industry?
Keep ya head up, and be prepared for the “room full of No’s” but whether you let that turn you away or keep fighting for what you believe is whether you’ll even have a chance in the industry.
Where do you see yourself in a year from now?
I’m currently enrolled as a freshman in college, in the fall I plan on transferring to Old Dominion University, but even with that in a year I see myself being one step closer to reaching millions and breaking through the industry with no knock; I’m bustin down the doors, saying I’M here where ya’ll been at ?
Any additional information you would like us to know?
Check out myspace.com/RyanRichards for more music and stay tuned for the mixtapes coming out soon you can also reach me at Ryanrichards08@yahoo.com for collaborations/ beat submissions/ and any other information regarding music.
WE OWN THE SUMMER!
ENTERPRISE ON THE RISE!
What are your views about the HYPHY movement? I think the hyphy movement is great for the music industry. Its something new with alot of energy that makes you wanna get out your seat and sweat til you lose all ya weight, now how can you deny that? By the way if any hyphy artists wanna collaborate contact me so we can make moves!
- Hyphy Rockstar Magazine
Discography
2007 - Sounds Of ... Mixtape x Lil Rudy
2008 - Breakfast For Champions Mixtape
2009 - The Interview
Photos
Bio
At the tender age of 7, Ryan Richards received his first taste of music production and recording in a studio, but it wouldn’t be the last. Growing up as a kid in Manassas, Virginia he realized his dreams were bigger than his head. Playing youth football and basketball he loved to be active, though he wasn’t the best at either he still enjoyed playing. It was during the mist of that he found something he was good at, music! While other kids had to be home before the street lights came on Ryan was already inside writing notebooks of songs and recording tracks that could fill albums all before he was old enough to see PG-13 movie. Writing on topics such as his everyday life to child abuse, he was what some would consider a bit old for his age. Getting turned on to the process of making his own music from a friend of his at 13, he started to learn and become a student of producing music. Despite being young in age his musical ear loved soul music from the 70’s, R & B from the 80’s, Rap from the 90’s to the Hip-Hop crossover of the new millennium. With the age of digital recording, Ryan chose to go the route of the hip-hop pioneers and first learned to record and mix on an analog 4 track recorder. He knew even then that he could not appreciate the future of music unless he understood the past. Quickly finding the need for more tracks he got to work on building a home project studio, which gave him the capabilities to record his first mixtape. Releasing his first mixtape with fellow rapper Lil Rudy in 2007, only raised the question of how much potential does he really have? So he began passing out the mixtape “Sounds Of…” to fellow classmates and anyone who would listen. Performing at pep-rallies and school talent shows, the student body responded with thumbs up, even though he knew he had more work to do. Producing most of the songs on the tape “Sounds Of…” proved that Ryan definitely had a unique ear for music. With songs such as “A Brighter Day” and “The Trap” showed us his more conscious “backpack” style of rap. Since then Mr. Richards has been on a road to finding more of himself musically and discovering more of the talent he has. In December 2008, he released his first solo mixtape entitled “Breakfast for Champions” which once again proved his potential and how he “steps it up” each and every time his pen touches paper. Ryan looks at this mixtape as a stepping stone for what is to come. With catchy lyrics and meaningful songs such as “I Guess” which talks about relationship issues, to “We Major” which has a sound that he puts as “never been heard before” plays only a portion of his objective. Ryan Richards is definitely an artist to look for in years to come. When asking the young artist what he wants to portray in his music, he wears a humble smile and says, “I want to make music that’s never been heard before while writing lyrics with meaning, which equals to you’re going to have to put on repeat if you can’t listen fast enough!”
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