Interview with Ragtime Richie
Questions:
Q1. What made you want to name yourself "Ragtime Richie"?
A: From age 14-19 I formed The GNF Crew, a hip-hop group w 2 other homies I grew up with (J.Quest probably still has a copy of the album we made! Haha!). Back then, most friends called me AJ, so I rhymed under the name A.10; "A" for Amos (my actual name) and 10 stood for "J" (the 10th letter of the alphabet and first letter of my middle name- Judah).
It was cool for a while, but MAN, I got tired of explaining that name to people!!
After the group dissolved I knew I wanted to keep rhyming, but not as A.10 (plus, in my tagging days A.10 was my tag! Not too smart to tell the popo exactly who I was via walls & my songs..! Not hard to connect the dots there!). I kept trying to come up w a new twist on my real name but couldn't quite create one... Then one day it dawned on me that music is art! Art has no boundaries or rules! I can call myself whatever I want!
I then had a flashback of being w my Papa (my Moms Father) when I was 10 years old or so. We were at a table in his backyard & he was teaching me how to play dominos. After I learned the rules & such we played game after game, after game with his Swing, Ragtime, & Grand Orchestra records playing in the background the whole time. It was a great day. One of my favorite childhood memories...
"Swing" and "Grand Orchestra" were no good for an MC name...but I felt that "Ragtime" was something I could make work somehow, as well as a way to honor my wonderful Papa... After a few days of horrible ideas, the name Richie popped in my mind. It instantly worked, in my head at least! I said it out loud a few times and I loved how it sounded- the way it rolled off the tongue, almost rhythmically, and decided "Yup. I can work w this.”
A.10 passed on & Ragtime Richie was born!
Q2. What is it that helps you create the music you share with the world?
A: Moms ALWAYS had music playing in our house. Always. All types as well... She's a self-taught pianist/keyboardist who formed & played in a band (writing 50% or more of their songs, recording an album & touring with em) as well as being the leader of the music & choir department at her church. Best. Mom. Ever. I soaked it all in as a wide eyed/eared youngster...
With musical notes always dancing around our home, I started making up different beats in my mind to complement them... I also banged out beats on table tops constantly to improve my coordination, hone my timing & hear if said beats were dope in the real world, or just in the fantasy world between my ears... Then, at my dad's church, I would hop on the drum set & try to replicate said patterns... My love of beats & rhythms has grown every day since then!
Once computer drum & home recording programs became affordable, I purchased them & have been creating my own sounds & songs ever since. Music is just IN me; in my blood. I have to create it. Its life for me, giving everything else meaning... I'm SO grateful to my mom for putting the love of music in me at such a young age. I KNOW I'd be lost without it... LOVE YA MA!!!
Q3. I have been following you for some time now, but for those missing out what are they missing out on?
A: They're missing out on TRUTH!! Not the played out "I'm keepin it 100 by stacking bands", or "I'm real, so if u look at me funny Imma blast you" attitude often confused with truth & being "real" in this game.
All that's fool’s gold. To me it is, at least.
I make songs that, I hope, show folks that no matter how hard or dark things get, that if you're strong and hold on & refuse to let this world break you....then you WILL make it back into the light & rediscover the beauty of being alive. That getting knocked flat on ur ass doesn't mean you've been defeated - unless u wimp out and stay down. Getting knocked flat means you had the courage to rise to a challenge in the first place! So dust yourself off and get after it again!!
Look, I'm no saint here. I was a dope dealing junkie for 8 years, a drunk for a decade, I hurt those who loved me & on & on... But u know what? I KEPT FIGHTING my demons... Even though I got knocked down time and again and wanted to give up MANY times, I didn't. I refused.
And here I am, back in the light. Victorious. I lived thru a hell of my own making, so I write about my experience to hopefully spare others from going thru it...
I'm a 70's baby, so I know younger cats may not be trying to hear all that at this point in their lives...
But when/if they ever need em- these tracks of mine will be there to encourage them & help light the way out of the wilderness...
Now don't get it twisted- I also make songs to bug out on the dance floor to, lyrical wordplay cuts that u can just bob ur head to....etc. But there's always a little truth nugget in each of my creations, regardless of what the main point of the song is.
I'm all about hip-hop. I live and breathe it on the daily… Hell, I grew up on N.W.A. Memorized every lyric they laid down. So I ain't hatin on anyone's style or content. Do you. Imma do me.
Respect.
Q4. Do you have any upcoming shows?
A: Booked quite a few over the summer (opening for local legend Mac Mall is still my highlight!!) but right now I'm pretty wide open till I rock w our boy J.Quest on I.L.A.M.'s 'Out West Tour 2' at Brick and Motar here in SF on Dec 20 (hit me up for tix, y'all, or cop em at www.brickandmotarmusic.com Just $7 presale/$10 at the door!!)
I'll rock any stage that wants me at any time, but I'm also using this little down time to get some new work done... I'm making new beats & writing new rhymes, I'm learning video editing (trying to, anyway) so the footage filmed for my song "What's Good (In Yo Hood)?!" [Which, btw, won EMG's Unsigned Hype Contest for week16!! I lost in the semifinals...but 3rd place ain't too shabby!) Can finally be made into an actual video. I'm also doing a few remixes of older tracks...as well as doing interviews!
Wink wink :)
I'm a one dude operation here, so it's SuPeR easy to fall behind on projects & such, so I'm trying to use this time wisely so when the next gig comes along I'll be dialed in w killer new material & media for as many types of platforms as possible..
Ragtime's Reloading... Y'all been warned!
Q5. What do you want expect the world to gain from listening to your music?
A: If I never make it big in this game, yet manage to touch & help just one lost soul find their way back to themselves thru my music, then that's just fine w me. Mission accomplished. I write, mainly, from my experiences. So if u can't relate, or even hate, what I'm creating- it's all good. If I stay true to who I am, instead of chasing the latest hip-hop fad, then it's all good! If nobody ever pays attention to another Ragtime track- it's still good. I'll still be making my music. I'll still write my rhymes. I'll still design Covers & have fun with this rap thang. I'll just never stop creating..! I do this thing because I love hip-hop, not because I need hip-hop to love me...
Hip-Hop was FUN back in the day. I want to be a small part of bringing that back...
Q6. How long have you been writing music?
A: Since I was 14 & I got my 1st home stereo system w dual cassette players/recorders!! I'd find a snippet of a dope beat on one cassette tape, play said snippet in one deck & record it in the 2nd deck. After repeating those actions for HOURS I'd have a little 3 minute instrumental to flow to!! I'd then plug in my little Radio Shack mic, play my instrumental in one deck & the second deck recorded the beat & my vocals! Ha!! I know I'm dating my ancient ass w this story, but that's how it was done back in the day!! I was poor, yet loved music, so I had to find a way to create w what I already had!! Poverty forces one to get creative fa sho!! Good times...
Q7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: Wish I had a good answer for you, but I've never really had a plan outside of being involved in music. Plus I honestly never thought I'd live to 30; not w all the madness I was caught up in. If I have food to eat, a roof over my head & I'm still creating, I'll be happy w that. I've never wanted to be rich. Ever. Just need to have enough currency to be secure & free to follow my artistic leanings... I'm easy. That's a great life in my eyes.
Q8. I ask all of the local artists I interview, but if I were to look at your iPhone or computer - What kind of genres or songs would I find?
A: Everything under the sun's in there... The Brunettes, Andre Nickatina, Broken Bells, Sam Cook, Public Enemy, The Submarines, HELLA BEASTIE BOYS SONGS, Etta James, Mos Def, Bonnie Raitt, Dr. Dre, Tom Petty, De La Soul, D'Angelo, EPMD, DJ Carlos, Bill Withers, J5, Basement Jaxx, Radiohead, Richie Cunning, Digable Planets, Eminem, Cibo Matto, Beck, Portishead, Taming Kate, Sam Phillips, IMP, RBL & on & on!!
Told ya- Music Is Life!!
Q9. Where can your new followers find your music or follow you on your social media sites?
A: iTunes, Google Music, Amazon MP3, Deezer, Spotify, Rhapsody & the like have my last 2 LP's available as do my bandcamp & reverb pgs ..
My Bandcamp pg has all my latest everything -LP, EP's, Remixes, T-Shirts, Singles only available there, etc- for the best price though (some r even FREE!) so I recommend checking that pg out first..
https://www.reverbnation.com/ragtimerichie
https://www.ragtimerichie.bandcamp.com
https://www.soundcloud.com/ragtimerichie
https://www.facebook.com/ragtimerichie
https://www.twitter.com/ragtimerichie
https://www.instagram.com/ragtimerichie
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RagtimeRichie
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx1SMQuULQpsbrjDRng8q-Q/about
