Hey there Rickie B! Welcome to BuzzMusic! “The Fame” is a category transforming! Tell us how you came to produce this track!
Before I answer I’d like to thank you guys for the opportunity to feature me on your site. The production for “The Fame” was actually inspired by my dad. He pitched me with the idea to put some live drums around the sample and from there it just kind of manifested into what you hear today. I also remember being in the zone from listening to this song called “The Rapture” by Fabolous, Torrey Lanez and Jadakiss. It took me about 2 hours to produce that track and after I chopped the main part of the beat, I really just let the beat take over.
"Small City Big Dreamz" is definitively lively, with such an eclectic, yet modern take on production.
How did you intend to connect with your listeners with this particular project?
When I started the production for the album in 2015, I was in the middle of completing my mixtape “The Free Sample”. The first beat I made for the album, “That’s Real”, originally was for the mixtape and so was the “Small City Big Dreamz” title track (which I made the day after). Both beats were so different from what I was doing and I just felt like the direction I was heading in was more progressive and had that album sound. I held off on the production until around 2017 and after finishing the mixtape, I went back and started writing to the Small City, Big Dreamz beat. I was really locked in and just wanted to tell my story of my struggle living in Reno, NV at the time and wanted to just let people know how I went from this confident kid from Vegas to being vulnerable and struggling and just not confident at all; then from that to really just putting my trust in God and just allowing God to build me back up from my mistakes and shortcomings. I felt like it would be the perfect time to allow people in on where I was at in life because I didn’t vocalize it with really anyone in how I felt internally and spiritually. So I allowed my life to speak and I just wanted my come up to inspire someone else. Even to see what I’m doing now from the music to my brand new shoe line that launched a couple of months ago is inspirational for myself as well and just keeps me motivated to keep going and to keep fighting for my family & anyone who looks up to me.
This is a track with an abundance of lyrical depth! Tell us more about the meaning of the lyrics within "The Fame!
The Fame is one of the deepest songs to me on the project (lyrically). I wrote the intro and the first verse it as if I was penning a letter to my younger self. If you listen early on in the album the sound is kinda confident, cocky and resembles me when I kinda came on the music scene. I thought I was ready for the fame, but I apparently wasn’t. The second verse is more like I’m telling my younger self and the world which path I’m taking and reminding myself to stay true to my roots (which is in God). In the midst of it all, those thoughts of being famous still seem attractive, but the reality of being famous is much more dangerous. Everything that glitters ain’t gold and of course, everyone wants to be rush and famous, but what good is it to be rich and famous if you aren’t going to do combine it with your purpose in life. I’d rather be poor, fulfilling the purpose that God has for me than to be rich and wasting my time running away from my purpose and from my true self. So yea, that’s The Fame.
What would you say is the most useful piece of criticism you’ve received thus far within your career? Do you typically take criticism to your advantage?
The most useful piece of advice came from my Dad. I’m lucky to have my father in my life, but he told me two things actually...
1. To be true to yourself and be happy doing it. Make sure that what you do in life matches what Christ has intended for you.
2. The best music is timeless... so take your time when creating it, because those types of projects have the best value.
I’m forever grateful for my parents in general because both my mom and dad make sure I adhere to those words of advice. As far as criticism goes, I love it. I thrive off of it. It’s provided me with what I need in order to grow. We can get caught up in ourselves so much that we forget to evaluate ourselves. So once I’m provided with that criticism, especially if it’s intended to make me better, I can go back, make adjustments and act on it.
It was a treat being able to showcase some of your new music on BuzzMusic! We can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us as listeners! What’s the next goal for you artistically within the music world?
To keep creating, growing, and to challenge me in all aspects whether it be lyrical, singing, mixing/mastering, performing, etc. I plan to collab with more up and coming artists as well and to play with different sounds and genres to see how I can incorporate it into my style. I also have my team right with me, so my goal is to help them blow up as well and to really let the world know what Vegas has to offer in general when it comes to music. My city is slept on, but I feel like with the artists we got brewing, we’re about to be the next Mecca. But yea, I got new music coming soon so stay tuned and stay Grandatious.
Listen to 'The Fame' here.
@Rickiebmusic