Riche Lombardi Turns Struggle Into Strength With His Fierce New Single “Don’t Start With Me”

Hip-hop has always been about truth, and Louisville’s own Riche Lombardi is stepping up to tell his. The rapper and spoken word artist has carved out a sound that thrives in the tension between vulnerability and defiance, blending raw honesty with the melodic sensibilities of Bryson Tiller and the lyrical sharpness of Lil Wayne. His latest single, “Don’t Start With Me,” is a bold declaration of survival, resilience, and self-worth, setting the tone for his highly anticipated mixtape Just Hear Me Out.

Built on a catchy hook and unflinching bars, “Don’t Start With Me” is Lombardi’s way of reclaiming power from the moments that tried to break him. It’s a track born from doubt and dismissal, where he transforms setbacks into fuel. “I’ve been through the worst, and I’ve turned it into fuel,” Lombardi says. “The core message is simple: don’t underestimate someone who’s built from struggle.”

What makes Lombardi stand out is his ability to balance grit with vulnerability. He doesn’t just flex, he tells stories. His delivery carries both the confidence of someone who’s survived the fire and the introspection of someone who isn’t afraid to show the scars. That honesty is exactly what positions him as one of Louisville’s next breakthrough voices.

“I want people to hear this song and feel that same fire inside themselves,” Lombardi explains. “It’s about showing that you can come out stronger after being overlooked or written off. It’s confidence, it’s resilience, and it’s proof that your story matters.”

As the lead single for Hear Me Out, “Don’t Start With Me” sets the stage for a project that promises to amplify the underdog’s perspective: anthems laced with confessions, punchlines fused with truth. Lombardi is building momentum not just as a rapper but as a storyteller, “The Loverboy Jr.” and “the villain with a conscience.” It’s this duality that makes his music hit differently, a mix of charm, toughness, and raw sincerity that lingers long after the track ends.

With “Don’t Start With Me,” Riche Lombardi isn’t just rapping, he’s testifying. And as his voice rises above Louisville and beyond, one thing is clear: the underdog is no longer asking to be heard. He’s demanding it.

"Don't Start With Me" is both a warning and a celebration. What moment in your life made you realize you needed to write this song as your declaration of survival?

 I've had a life where I've always been fighting to be heard. From foster care to losing people I loved, to being doubted by those closest to me, survival has always been part of my story. There was a moment when I realized I couldn't keep carrying everybody else and letting myself drown. That's when Don't Start With Me came out of me. Like I said, "I was broke and was bleeding, still I gave 'em all I had / They ain't care that I was drowning, couldn't wait to see me crash." That wasn't just a bar, that was my life. The song is me saying: I've survived too much ever to let anyone play with me again.

Your music lives in that gray area between confidence and vulnerability. How do you strike that balance when you're writing and recording?

 I grew up in spaces where showing weakness could get you hurt, but holding everything in almost destroyed me, too. That's why my music walks that thin line between vulnerability and confidence, that's real life for me. Some days I'm the most confident man in the room, some days I'm fighting demons no one else can see. I've learned that people connect to the truth on both sides of the issue. So when I say, "Sometimes I cry behind my tint, so they can't see my pain," and in the next breath remind myself, "I was taught to keep it solid even if these n**s change," that's me in full. It's not an image, it's my reality.

Louisville has a growing reputation for producing unique voices in hip-hop and R&B. How has the city shaped your perspective and the stories you tell through your music?

 Louisville taught me resilience. This city made me earn everything twice over. It gave me my hunger, but it also gave me my heart. It gave me a mix of grit and soul, and that's the energy I bring to every record. But more than that, my experiences have shown me that somebody has to step up and tell people it's okay to be authentic. I want people to know you can be vulnerable, you can be confident, you can be imperfect, and still be powerful. The one thing I love about my city is that there's no place like home.

Just Hear Me Out feels like a statement in itself. What do you want listeners to finally understand about you when they hear this project start to finish?

 I want people to finally understand that I'm not just making songs, I'm telling my story. Just Hear Me Out is exactly that; my side of everything I've lived through, laid out with no filter. Growing up, I never had the chance to explain myself; I just had to take what life threw at me. This project is me finally saying, 'Let me speak my truth.' When people hear it start to finish, I want them to walk away knowing I'm not afraid to expose my scars, admit my mistakes, or claim my victories. Like I said in Don't Start With Me, "Built this s** off scars and losses, only the real relate." That's the heart of this tape.

You've called yourself "The Loverboy Jr." and "the villain with a conscience." How do those identities play out in your artistry, and what do they reveal about who Riche Lombardi really is?

 Those identities are the two sides of me that I've learned to embrace. Loverboy Jr. is a nod to Drake, but really it's the kid in me who still believes in love, who'll write about heartbreak and admit the softest parts of myself even when the world tells men not to. The villain with a conscience is the man in me who knows I've hurt people, made mistakes, and lived in the shadows but I own it and I grow from it. Together, they show I'm layered. I can be vulnerable and still be powerful. I can confess and still spit bars that earn you respect. At the end of the day, what those names reveal is that I'm human. And that's all my music is about: letting people hear the human in me.