Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
The idea behind “Speedin” started with my manager pushing me to create a drill inspired beat using the west African Kora instrument. The beat turned out good so we found some dope artists to feature on it. They all ended up writing about the same topic and the story flowed consistently throughout all their different verses. The funny thing is that they never collaborated on the plot of the song prior to recording, it just happened that way by chance! The song sort of wrote itself.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
I didn’t write the lyrics but to me when Darlinao says “thicker then cream liquor” yea I felt that haha.
Who is your favourite beat maker and which rapper’s flow do you enjoy the most?
J Dilla for sure. The man was a master. So much inspiration from his music and life. For flows I think it’s either Black Thought or Kendrick for me. It’s a tough call though!
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
To me Hip Hop can symbolize many things, but most strongly its the overcoming and perseverance through extraordinarily difficult circumstances and still retaining your essence and spirit through these adversities.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
When not working on music I love checking out other bands/ artists around Toronto, cooking or spending time in nature.
Future plans?
Future plans are a new single on the way in the fall, and an instrumental mixtape before the year is out, and a possible tour of the Dominican Republic in November
I would describe my sound as refreshing, soulful, and euphoric, bringing listens back to the 90s style vibe.
Tell us a few things about your new song “Whatchu On”. What is the main idea behind it?
“Whatchu On” is my single off of my upcoming album “Carolina Boy”. It features the legendary voice of CeCe Peniston and is a song of self-motivation and empowerment that also meshes LGBTQ/Ballroom culture and hip-hop.
What is the story behind your name?
The name 2AM Ricky has multiple meanings. For one, I am a transgender male, and earlier in my transition, I wanted to ensure that listeners focused more on my music than my gender, so I chose a name that was very neutral. 2am, (or late at night), also is a time and space where creativity flows, reality turns into late night thoughts, and fears get lost into dreams; its a place of vulnerability, and I allow listeners to join me in that space and lose ourselves in the music together.
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
I think that hip-hop culture in general has become so evolved that there is no true “underground hip-hop sound” anymore. Artists are more diverse and it’s no longer just boom bap and trap.
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Hip-Hop to me symbolizes unity and power through freedom of expression. It’s a wave of Black pride that shifts the American and World culture on a daily. From vernacular, to fashion, hip-hop runs the world and through our music, we’re able to not only express ourselves but empower generations.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
Honestly, listeners are able to enjoy my music in any state of mind but specifically, those who may be smokers, enjoy night rides, or may just need an extra boost in the morning or through a workout each may find something in my discography that caters to them.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
My biggest vice is constantly feeling like I need to prove myself, I’m an overachiever. I’m so accustomed to being viewed as an underdog, especially in hip-hop due to it being a heterosexual male dominated industry. Many judge or discredit me due to my gender identity and that in return makes me want to go 10 times harder. In every success, I’m constantly focusing on what I can do next and sometimes that can be a downfall, because although success comes, sometimes you forget to stop and enjoy smelling the flowers.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?
I wrote this song about the euphoria experienced after a period of depression, aka the flip side. I emulate the hint of sorrows leaving my body in the first bars of the song with a single vocal track. As the harmonies build I allude to the sense of relief that I feel when I have overcome my difficulties. The lyrics “you can catch me on the flip side” is a playful way of saying I’m moving on from what doesn’t serve me and heading to better days.
What is the main topic of your lyrics?
I tend to lean towards writing lyrics that are descriptive and emulate the atmosphere I am trying to portray. I focus on existential themes, dreams, and descriptions of otherworldly places.
What do you enjoy most? Writing music or performing your music live?
I enjoy the creative process that comes with writing and the freedom it gives me to create other worlds within the sound and lyrics.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
My biggest challenge has been pushing through periods of creative blocks and finding a way to continue to create even when it feels like writing isn’t flowing as easily as it should.
Tell us a few things about your new work Spacey Beats 4 Scratch, Vol. What is the story behind it?
SB4S Vol. 2 is a collection of Spacey beats that are made from my pure love for turntablism, 8-bit synthesis, Hip Hop, Electronics, Groove & Space. After using the turntable as a musical instrument and production tool for more than a decade, I decided to produce a collection of Turntablism-oriented beats with a dedication to the creative Djing artists. My intention was to give those beats a bigger meaning, more than just music on the streaming platforms. I wanted to contribute to the Turntablism and creative Djing worldwide community. I partnered up with ‘Tablet Beats’ app – a tool used by the worldwide Skratch DJs, lyricists & dancer community and released the beats via their app. I wanted my music to be more than just music to listen to, to be a tool for creatives, to learn their craft, express themselves, interact with my music and create something new. I also decided to share/submit it to ‘Artlist’ catalog – an original music platform for the use of worldwide filmmakers, video editors, and moviemakers. The beats obtained huge exposure since I released them, and I received a lot of warm messages from a wide spectrum of creators, from Djs that use them for study purposes or playing in clubs, to filmmakers who use them in Videos, commercials, & films.
Do you like the idea of collaborating? Is songwriting a lonely process?
Collaborating is fun, always refreshing the perspective of the creative process. The end result is always surprising and it helps you break out of your comfort zone. With that, I never get bored working alone and like spending hours in the studio by myself, making beats, exploring different sounds, blips and blops, synthesizing, producing, and playing around. I surround myself with fun instruments and toys, they give me inspiration and I feel like I’m collaborating with them :).
Favourite album of the past decade?
Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape) – an audiovisual masterpiece, it’s basically an album but actually so much more, and for me it symbolizes the 21-century albums, an audiovisual / digital experience. Everything is so fresh, accurate, from the sound design and music tracks to the visual aesthetics, how it all coordinates and correlates in perfect harmony.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as an artist so far?
The biggest challenge I have faced as an artist was in May 2018 when I released my first beat tape. For the album release party I decided to make an audio-visual exhibition based on augmented reality technology / experience. For the first time in my career, I had to face the physical materialistic world as an artist. print canvases, cut papers, and do all kinds of things outside of my familiar musical world. Looking back, I feel that this was the first step out of my comfort zone as a musician and this opportunity raised me up from being only a musician and made me the artist I am today.
If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
Hmm, that’s a good one. It will be one of the twos: Sci-Fi film I’ll do a spacey electronic synth-based soundtrack or Rescore one of Hayao Miyazaki’s films, not because I feel that the music is not good or I can do better, I actually think the original scoring is brilliant, fits so well and is irreplaceable, but I feel like composing a soundtrack for Miyazaki’s films is absolute freedom, working with a huge symphonic orchestra, or playing intimate mellow piano parts. It is very much about storytelling, and I love storytelling using music.
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the story behind it?
‘Sugar Rush’ is a fresh Pop R&B song about having a variety of options available when it comes to romantic relationships. Writing “Sugar Rush” only took about a day and it was the most fun I had writing a song. I then sent a demo version over to the producer I work with, Jamie McArdle, and we worked on it some more and it ended up sounding even better than what I had expected which was really exciting.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
I wouldn’t consider this song very personal haha but my favorite lyrics are “I’ve got all kinds of flavors, my favorite is the one with no savior”
Your dream collaboration?
I would love to work with Doja Cat or BTS some day!
Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?
I wouldn’t call it gatekeeping but it is very difficult for small artists to grow in the music industry; it would be great if there were more outlets and platforms dedicated to new and independent artists to help them find their listeners.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I haven’t watched a lot of films to be honest but I watched 13th, which is a documentary on Netflix.
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
I started writing the song as we came out of lockdown, and I wanted to write the song to represent how I was feeling. The song is about letting loose, and having so much fun that you don’t spend all your time in your own head, overthinking things.
What first got you into music?
I’ve always been listening to music for as long as I can remember, but I first started playing the guitar when I was 1I used to post my favourite songs on their for hours at a time.
Your dream collaboration?
My dream collaboration would either be Kaytranada or Lophiile, I love collaborating with people who could teach me something, and their some of the best.
How do you relate to the London music scene? And what do you love/hate about Ldn?
The London scene is where I developed my musical tastes, All the music I listened to when I was younger started here. Now I love getting to experience through the live gig scene. The only thing I really hate about London is public transport.
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
I didn’t really watch a lot of films during the lockdown but I love Fatherhood starring Kevin Hart.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten
The most I’ve gotten in trouble is probably being yelled at by a teacher, I’m usually pretty well behaved!
Tell us a few things about your new song. What is the main idea behind it?
The song “Long Distance” is my second release with my homie from Potsdam, Smokey Da Bear. At the time, we had never made music together in the same room. It was always a long-distance collaboration—him in Potsdam and me in Amsterdam. My initial idea for this song was clean and downtempo. Smokey works more with sampling, so, he chopped up the recordings I sent him to give the song a fresh, raw hip-hop feel. I could feel his musical essence and individuality even though we were not in the same studio. This is what inspired the title.
What is the story behind your name?
My artists name is based on my real name ‘Rinze’. It’s a Frisian name and I was named after my grandfather. I removed the letter E because most people I know pronounce my name without the E sound, so it seemed like the right choice.
Who is your favourite beat maker?
Back in the day, I used to listen to a lot of beats from DJ Premier and Marco Polo. Their skill for sampling vinyl records into their drumkits to make new, unique beats really inspired my own creativity. Nowadays, I find myself enjoying Mark Rebillet’s Sunday morning livestreams where he makes impromptu live music. Those sessions are an insight into his creativity, and I find them very motivating when working on making my own beats.
Your music has very cool grooves. Tell us a song with a lofi beat you wish you had composed yourself.
The song ‘Bitter Chocolate’ by the Lofi Artist SamuW. It’s so fire that I wish I had come up with it myself. Also, ‘Haenyeo’ by the same artist has such intricate sonic details that it’s a great joy to listen to.
If you were asked to rescore a film, which one would you choose?
This is a very difficult question. Most of us are very emotionally attached to soundtracks of movies and TV series and they get imprinted in our minds along with the stories. So, it feels odd to change it. Although I wouldn’t want to re-score it, I would love to be part of the team scoring the soundtrack to the series Stranger Things. Their unique blend of synthesizer sounds creating the 80’s nostalgia really complement the story and I’m fascinated by it as a musician.
What is the one habit/thing you cannot live without?
My morning/breakfast routine. Almost every morning I have the same order of things to get my day started. Most people don’t eat a lot during breakfast, but I really take my time to make a big breakfast every morning. This includes bread with eggs, orange juice, some nice filter coffee and an occasional bowl of yoghurt (Yes, I eat a lot for breakfast!).
I would describe my sound as charismatic, energetic, and exciting. Something that gets you hype but also feels like you get to know the real me through my music.
Tell us a few things about your new song Bad Intent. What is the main idea behind it?
Bad Intent is like my baby, I love everything about that song. I really learned a lot and had so much fun in the process of making it. There really isn’t any true inspiration behind it, I heard the instrumental and thought, ‘damn this some grimey sh*t’ so I started thinking grimey and threw my own little twist on there. Funny story, I actually started this project back in June but ran into computer problems the same day and was forced to upgrade my entire setup. I could’ve gotten my laptop reset and it would’ve been fine but that meant losing this file and that wasn’t something I could give up so I ultimately made the costly sacrifice and upgraded. I was without my computer for a month, I was literally going crazy. The only sort of productive thing I could do was write, so I wrote and I wrote and I wrote and I wrote some more. But when my computer finally arrived I was like a kid on Christmas, I cancelled all plans I had, barely had the thing plugged in and set up, and was already in the studio recording the rest of this song. I’m super proud of how it turned out and think it shows true progression from where I first started to where I’m at now. This song makes me feel like a rapper, not just someone making music in his room.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
To be honest, I’m super proud of my entire first verse. I was really diggin the rhyme scheme and flow I had going on, plus I felt like this was my cleanest sounding mix yet, so it all just fit together perfectly. But if i had to pick a lyric in Bad Intent that I am most proud of, it would be the section that goes like, “Oppressions of expressions only lead to more suppression, while progression of recession brings out all the true confessions.” Cause if you really dive deep and analyze the lyrics in that section the message behind it is mind boggling. Definitely one of those things that made me think, “Holy sh*t, how did I come up with that?”
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
This is such a tough question for me. I was inspired to start making music during the infamous Soundcloud rapper days. That distinct style and sound influenced a lot of my music, however, I feel as though it became so popular that the underground vibe became mainstream and the mainstream sound became sort of outdated. I do believe there is a true underground hip-hop sound, but I’m not sure the industry (and fans) are quite over the SoundCloud era. Right now everybody is just rocking with what they got, being original, and not trying to ‘fit in’, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that!
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
Change. Hope. Inspiration. Hip-Hop is oftentimes looked at in a negative light given it’s history of origin, but what people overlook is that Hip-Hop is used as a tool to express, inspire, educate, create change, give hope for a better tomorrow, and let you know that you’re not alone in this world. It’s something that goes deeper than lyrics, it’s an attitude, it’s a lifestyle, it’s knowing that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows and when the going gets tough, so do you. If Jay-Z ran from every challenge change brought, or quit when he lost hope, he wouldn’t be Jay-Z. You never know what you can do and what you can accomplish in life and hip-hop is the perfect example of that.
When not writing music, how do you spend your time?
This is gonna sound so cheesy because every other artist says the same thing, but I don’t really do anything besides make music. I truthfully spend 99% of my free time working on music, whether it be writing, recording, mixing, promoting, researching, photoshoots, video shoots, and everything in between, my life 100% revolves around music. I am a big outdoors guy though, I love to fish, hunt, camp, really anything that lets me get out in nature and enjoy nature is the way I spend my other 1%. I am a big family guy as well, any opportunity I have to spend with them I take it.
Future plans?
I have so many dreams and ambitions other than music that I would love to pursue during my lifetime. The biggest one for me right now is the fact that I want to write a book one day (I have this super sick idea that involves music, murder, betrayl, and hella twists.) I also want to eventually open a chain of studios that gives engineers the freedom to freelance work in professional settings. Eventually I’d love to act one day, but who’s got two thumbs and is a terrible actor? This guy! But of course mostly, more music. I may or may not be working on an EP currently, but we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds for our Idols.
My sound would have to be exploration, haphazard, and old school
How many beats do you listen to before you end up using one? Tell us a few things about your creative process.
Whew the number can vary depending on what I am sent or what I come across. Sometimes I listen to twenty something beats before a flare of inspiration strikes.
For which lyric you are most proud of?
From this record, I think the most standout to me is probably, ummmmmm “couldn’t see past they greed geez Louise, not even a sorry or please”. That’s from the most lyrical track on the record I feel called “Shopping Cart”
Do you think there is a true underground hip hop sound today?
No, everyone is going for A sound and it is very easy to tell, nothing ever really is underground. I miss the days where you could find an artist and be so amazed by their sound instead of a Tiktok or trend
Why is sexism, and even outright misogyny, so pervasive in Hip Hop culture?
That is a question I ask myself daily. It is almost like an expectation to be a certain way when you rap or else you can’t “sit with them”, but I do think it is changing because females and gay rappers are dominating which is indicative of change.
In which state of mind do you imagine people might listen to your music?
I don’t know, I hope when they are ina mindful state. I share my story to get people who share the same experiences to reflect on how they can manage or coexist with whatever problem. So yeah defintely mindful and reflective.
What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Most trouble, depends haha. I sold some dope once and got arrested for that. That’s bout it tho.
Tell us a few things about your new song “Downtown BA”. What is the main idea behind it?
I wrote Downtown BA after spending time living in Buenos Aires. The song is a love letter to the city (one of my favorite places in the world), as well as a story of heartbreak and parting ways with someone special as a result of having to return home.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
A very personal lyric to me is from a song I wrote about growing up called ‘Starting to see’. The lyric is: “I’m not half the man I’m supposed to be and now that I’m older, I’m starting to see”
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
I was hugely influenced by Elvis as a young kid and so I feel he was a big inspiration to me to start music. Since then, artists who have influenced my sound include Guitarricadelafuente, The Gypsy Kings, Damien Rice, and John Mayer.
What would be your dream performance venue?
would definitely have to be playing at Wembley, that was always a dream of mine growing up!
What was the best film you have watched during the quarantine?
‘Three Idiots’ a Bollywood movie is definitely one of the most enjoyable films I have watched recently! You’ll have to dedicate an afternoon to it though, it’s very long!
What would you say is your biggest vice?
I definitely drink way too much Coffee! But I call it “embracing my Colombian heritage”
HipHop Paranoia 