“Who you know that took a break and came alive like I did!?”

Those are the lines from rapper, producer, actor Riky Rick on his latest hit single ‘Amantombazane’ that took the local hip-hop scene by storm.

Riky Rick states that, the line’s based on the huge break he took a few years ago after he broke into the scene with bangers like ‘Riky is you signed yet’ and ‘Barbershop’ which featured Da LES.

Riky explains why he took that long break and states that “The gap between 2010 and late 2013 was pretty much caused by not wanting to do more after ‘Barber Shop’. Sometimes as an artist you do something and you like ‘yo let me just put it out’, but if somebody tells you that’s not you, that’s not where I ought to see you, that’s not the level where you gonna be at, it will F*CK YOU UP!!”

After reaching a high point in his career, Riky did not feel like doing music anymore. He decided to sit back, analyze the scene properly and take his time doing the music that he loves. Regardless of the break he took, Riky came back with a buzz like he had never left.

“I cooked the buzz!!” – Ricky Rick

From acting on a popular telenovella ‘Isibaya’, to him signing with one South Africa’s most prominent independent labels Motif Records, Riky made sure that his come back and hustle was twice as better. With him having signed a deal, there’s much anticipation for an album to drop, especially after the buzz he caused with his latest single.

Riky has been working on his album since the last time he dropped music back in ‘010. A lot of people underestimate the amount of work needed to put together a well-structured album that appeals to both you as an artist and the people.

 “ I’ve probably recorded like 3 albums after my last single, but everything just sounded so depressed and I said to myself ‘ I need to get that energy back’ then the Isbaya thing happened, now it was Mandelik. After that I was like ‘lets move now, lets do stuff for the people now, no more doing albums for myself I actually need to do it for the people now the mass was calling us.”

After being summoned by the masses Riky took it in his stride to record an album that everyone would love and appreciate. With that being said, this time around there was no break in between making music and he shares a very interesting fact about his journey to recording his album.

“I went to the studio with one of my boys and everything was set up, I had the beats and I was like let me record, after that we pretty much did the album in like 14 hours.”

Whoa!! 14 Hours?

“14 Hours fam, like 14 counting hours. The minute I stepped in the studio? 14 hours later the album was done.”

That shows the dedication one has to have in order to do such wonders in studio. The time frame he finished the album in is very astonishing and sounds practically impossible, but when you’re talented and have a passion for your craft, time doesn’t even matter. With so much hard work being put in we can only wait for the album to drop and party to some of the club bangers on it. Talking about his music, Riky has a powerful joint called ‘Fok Julle Naaiers’.

While we were chilled in the comfort of the Motif Studio’s, Riky played the song and we vibed to it. The song is like a voice for the youth who haven’t been having it great, whether it’s a bad statement said, shade thrown or you just feeling like no one hears you. ‘Fok Julle Naaiers’ is a song you’d play after being jumped by two guys who decided to mug you and found nothing. It’s a song you’d chant out loudly when your President speaks of service delivery and change. The chorus is very catchy and Riky explains what inspired the song, “When I recorded the chorus to the song, it was after I was extremely mad at being arrested for something I didn’t do. I mean the cuffs really hurt my wrists, I had the bruises on my wrists for a while.”

Not wanting to go deeper into the story but focusing more on the song , he told me “ I’m done trying to prove I can rap, cause I know I can. I’m done trying to prove I can produce, I know I can. It’s no more about trying to make a banger or having a number one, now its about if you can feel yourself and start making your own desicions? That’s the one.”

He goes on to say that, “If my music can relate to you in anyway, I’m happy. A lot of people didn’t like the sound The Boyz’n Bucks did, we never wanted to be famous, it’s cool, but if our music can touch people then that’s all that matters.”

Riky Rick is definitely on a mission to make his mark, the “Underdog” is coming up and is positive that this time around things will be different.

Words: @Thy_Black_Hippy

Photography: @KCSeshibe