By Chox-Mak
Hip-HopVibe.com Staff Writer
By now, a lot of people should know who Ricky Official is. This is a young artist who is making some pretty big man moves. He is pushing his new album, Flying High, propelling his reach even higher, as fans are drawn to his music.
Ricky Official actually grew up overseas and moved to Atlanta, a few years ago. However, he spent his childhood studying the American culture and had American friends. Because of this, Ricky Official always spoke English and gravitated towards rap music.
Recently, Ricky Official spoke to Hip-HopVibe.com as the latest On The Rise artist. He has a lot going on, as his music is doing very well, so he explained how he has built his success. While he knows he has done a lot, he has a lot more to do.
Read the entire interview below:
Is it kind of tough pushing your music in Atlanta, a city where there are a ton of artists fighting for the same spot? The music market, in general, is a competitive market. In order to succeed, everything has to be in order, from the artwork to the quality of the recording, your marketing, your image, and everything else as well.
It is true that Atlanta has a lot of different artists competing, but I feel like everyone is responsible for their own success. I also feel like I have a different sound, due to the luck of the draw that I was able to have two producers which tailor all my beats specifically for me. I am a German and Japanese guy coming to to Atlanta rapping in English with a different sound I think that alone is a great help to distinguish myself and my brand from the rest.
Was there a bit of a culture shock, leaving Europe to move to the A? I actually was really relieved coming over here and, ever since I was little, I studied the American culture and had a lot of American friends from all walks of life. With that being said, it was not really a culture shock, honestly it was more of a relief, because it’s so diverse and, with me being mixed, I just love to see diversity. I love Atlanta and it’s vibe and call it my home since three years.
How did it feel to see your Flying High album perform so well? Oh yeah. Of course, I’m really glad that people actually listen to my music and I’m grateful and blessed for everything.
What is your secret to having so many tracks go viral, outside of making good music? I think I have a good start, number wise, for my first album, but I think I’m still far from being viral. To answer your question, I think the numbers, so far, came about because I invested in marketing and promotion people who know their job and I also had great people that created my artwork and music.
This is all a team effort and would not be possible without the listeners and people helping me in the process.
Are you pleased with the numbers on your “Works In Progression” music video? I was actually really surprised. I knew that I hired a good marketing company and I put a lot of money that I had behind me, and the song, but I was not aware of the amount of people that would react to the song and I’m grateful for everything. I don’t take anybody for granted that listens to my music and show support so thank you for everyone of you.
Where can fans connect with you on social media? You can connect to me on my website www.ricky-official.com where you can also sign up to my email newsletter,and also find my other social channels on it to connect with me as well as all my current tour dates.
Watch “Works In Progression” by Ricky Official below:
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