Rickie B from the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada, is still considered “Under The Radar” of Hip-Hop artists out of the City today. That won’t be the case for long though. Rickie B provides lyrical prowess and a commanding delivery, but also produces his own beats with an R&B blend to his music. All in all, it’s the message that’s the driving force of why he’s an amazing artist to listen to. As talented as he may be, his work ethic, drives to fulfill his purpose and his creativity is what separates himself from his peers. His passion is to help his community which stands above all else in his mission to change lives not only in Las Vegas but worldwide. Rickie B’s humanitarian persona is what makes him an interesting artist to become interested in. Rickie B is representing what most artists tend to shy away from. He’s opening this bridge for his fans to connect with not only his music but Rickie B himself.
Rickie B is a sonically artistic individual who has all the right ins and outs to become a huge success if he keeps his consistency going. With various amazing singles released this year including “The Fame”, “Sky High”, “Know The Deal”, “I Can Do Better”, and more. Rickie B is uncertainly on his way to the top.
Listen to Rickie B here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Rickie B.! What initially inspired you to pursue music? Can you recall some of your early influences?
Thank you again for the opportunity! My initial inspiration came from my own curiosity. I was always interested in how people made beats and how a song was created. I’ve also had musical inspiration from within my family, so even at a very young age, I was always exposed, first hand, to real artistry through my cousins Nikko (who has the best vocal ability that I know as a singer) and Lawrence (who is the best drummer I’ve ever seen). Big s/o to them! Outside of family, Michael Jackson was the one that led me to become interested in music as an art form, especially on the entertainment side. Seeing all his concerts when I was a kid and how he commanded the stage and controlled the crowd led me to believe early on that if I ever did music, I’d want to do it on that scale. He taught me about how powerful and influential music is and eventually I made it to where my goal was to utilize that same power to help someone else out. As I got into high school, the person (or people) that actually drove me to pursue a career in music was my bro Tiny G. Beats and his dad Darrell McKenzie (who was like a 2nd dad to me). Meeting them two was like the key to my development as a producer and a rapper. They taught me my work ethic and helped lay the foundation of who Rickie B. is as an artist.
Talk to us about your release of “In The Game”. What was the theme behind this song?
I actually created that song in hopes to get in the NBA 2k20 soundtrack. I saw through UnitedMasters that they were accepting independent artists on the soundtrack and I thought it would be dope to make a track for the game. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected, but the response was well received. I’m glad so many people enjoyed that track. Hopefully, next year, when the opportunity comes back around, they won’t overlook me.
Did you face any challenges when creating “In The Game”? If so mind detailing to us which?
The only challenge that I had for creating the track was the mix. I found out about the opportunity kind of late, so I only had about 5 days to create the lyrics, make the beat, record the track, mix and master the track and then submit it. The mix didn’t fully sit well for some odd reason to me. So although it may sound good to most people, I feel like I could’ve gotten a better sound out of it had I had more time.
What was the biggest inspiration behind the songwriting in “The Fame”?
My inspiration came from my purpose in life. “The Fame” is more than just a song to me. I wrote it as if I was penning a letter to my younger self to warn myself about the dangers that Fame can bring and that without God at the helm of your life, that fame and fortune will ruin you. I also wrote it to my audience as well to let them know what my intentions are in rap and within the music industry as a whole. Overall that track is really personal. It’s my statement song in which I’m saying: I’m not in this for the fame or the fortune. I make music because this is what God has for me in order to help save the lives of those that are lost in this world or struggling in this world. The mark I want to leave will be legendary, not because I did it for the money or to be seen, but because anything that you do in Christ Jesus becomes glorified in heaven; thus adding value to what you do here on earth. If I ever feel like I’m falling off track, I have that one song to help push me back in the right direction.
Were there any arrangements you were experimenting with within both “The Fame” and “That’s Real”?
The Fame was definitely a sample from an arrangement from Norman Conners - “You Are My Starship”. My dad was actually the idea behind it and introduced me to the song. He was telling me to sample that track and to make a beat off of that for like a whole year. Once I touched the sample (and he heard the final outcome), it almost brought tears to him. So that definitely was a proud moment for both of us. That’s Real on the other hand was completely made from scratch with no samples or arrangements added. That was just, at the time, probably one of the most in the zone moments of production I’ve ever had in my life. I will say that the creation of That’s Real is the reason why The Fame came out the way that it did. Both beats are proud producer moments for me.
What’s next for you in 2020 Rickie B?
I’ll take over in a major way in 2020. I’ve got some new business ventures that I’ll end up sharing once the time comes especially when it comes to the music and my new shoe line. You can also expect to see at least two new projects from me next year. My main focus though is just to keep elevating musically, spiritually and in life in general and to build with my wife, my family and within my community. I’ll definitely be doing more performances as well and I want to really help the music scene in Vegas grow as a whole. So that is definitely the focus. Shout out to my team, Kiing Lavon, Qweezy’, Tiny G. Beats and all of Etymology and to Luke Wynn and William Wynn. I’ll be helping them grow as well in the next year. Last but not least I plan on being apart of another feature with BuzzMusic for 2020 because y’all are magnificent. Thank you guys once again for the opportunity and stay Grandatious.