Music is life to many artists that we love. They pour all aspects of their life directly into thier music opening up to the listener. Being genuine has helped build up a budding career for our recent find Chad Rico. We had a chance to chat with him lately to get into what makes him tick and what drives him forward with all that is going on in his life. Enjoy the interview here:
Give us a short catch-up on the story of Chad Rico?
I drop my project “Myth” mid-September. I’m now currently working on distribution for a full feature film in which I will be getting writer and producer credits for. I also had a couple of shows but a lot more on the way. There are also music videos for my singles “New Level” and “Working” coming soon. The “New Level” video will drop first.
You are a smart man that has been involved in many areas. What pushes you to music now?
It’s like documenting my story. My life is happening in real time. During this journey I’m left with a lot of thoughts and one way I deal with the thoughts is expressing it through the music. I feel like writing music for me is to stop and recap with myself. It is something I make sure I do anyway and music helps with the process.
How would you describe the Chad Rico sound?
A mix of melodies and lyrics. You also get a bit of story time when you listen to my songs.
Which artists and non-artists have had the biggest influence on your development?
Master P when I was going to school in Richmond, he got really big with “Make Em Say Ughh,” and then everything else he was working on came out. Being in that city, people brought to my attention he had lived in the area, so his whole independent movement felt that more attainable. Coming up I really liked how Nas told stories and he definitely was one of my favorites. I liked how Snoop’s voice would sound on songs. I also like Afrobeat and reggae. Like right now in my life I’m looking for different ways to integrate my music.
How does a song come together for you? What is your songwriting process?
Sometimes I write songs before I hear a beat. When I do that, I look for beats that can take on whatever emotions I have expressed in my writings. Sometimes I freestyle songs, like I hear a beat and just freestyle until I hear something I like and then I start piecing the song together. Lastly, I just sit with the beat and write the song. Before I come to the studio, I have the entire vision for what I want the song to sound like. All three work for me. Normally I always start with the one I planned out though.
Do you tie your other passions into your music or keep it all separate?
I tie it all in. I came up with a collection based on poems I had written. I literally would travel, write poems and then send it to a designer. I would work with them to draw pictures for each poem. My music is me. It’s my expression of a lot of my life so naturally in ties into what I’m doing.
Tell us about your debut single “New Level”
“New Level” was basically a freestyle and I finished it in about 30, maybe 45 minutes at the most. It was interesting though. I had a lot of feeling about my life that day. I had loved the beat but hadn’t been able to write to it. So I just went into the booth and expressed myself. As a result, there is a lot of raw passion within that song. I definitely felt I had been reaching a new plateau and there was joy but also the consequences of it as I was expressing my life on that day.
What advice would you give to other budding artists?
Ask questions. Also, invest in yourself. Get your ASCAP or BMI. Really look into PR and getting your electronic press kit. Be ready to spend money on videos. Be ready to look for ways to market yourself.
Where does Chad Rico go from here?
2019 will be big. I have videos coming out. My new project is coming out soon. I will be dropping even more after that. I will have some big collaborations coming as well. Look forward to seeing some big shows as well. I have definitely been moving quietly but it’s about to get real loud. So stay tuned and between social media and the website chadrico.com you can tune in to watch the story continue!
