Q. Good day, RicoMuscle! We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. The first thing we want to know is, how would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music before?
A. I’d describe my sound to someone who’s never heard my music before as soulful, transparent, cinematic, and faith-driven. It’s rooted in hip-hop, shaped by southern rap, lyrical storytelling, and artists who focus on emotion and honesty. The music carries energy and authenticity, but the message has shifted. Instead of glorifying struggle, it focuses on healing, growth, and purpose through God. It’s real-life music with substance.
Q. Is there a specific song in your catalog that you feel defines who you are as an artist?
A. A song in my catalog that represents me best is “Real Talk.” It’s honest and vulnerable, built from personal experience rather than image. It reflects pain, growth, faith, fatherhood, struggle, and redemption. At its core, it shows someone who has been through adversity but still believes God can turn broken situations into purpose.
Q. If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
A. A dream collaboration would have been with the late Nipsey Hussle. The respect comes not only from the music but also from his mindset—ownership, discipline, leadership, and building something beyond entertainment. There’s a shared value in creating work that motivates people while staying authentic, and a collaboration in that spirit would have carried real purpose.
Q. What has been the biggest risk you've taken in your career so far, and what did you learn from it?
A. The biggest risk taken so far in my career was fully surrendering creative direction to God and changing the purpose behind the music. That shift meant letting go of certain audiences, opportunities, and expectations tied to a previous identity. The lesson taken from that experience is that peace and purpose matter more than temporary validation. Moving in alignment with faith and authenticity eventually opens the right doors.
Q. If this interview was the last thing someone read before listening to your music, what would you want them to know?
A. If this were the last thing someone read before hearing the music, the message would be simple: this is not music from someone claiming perfection. It comes from someone who has survived, learned, fallen, grown, and kept trusting God through it all. The experiences behind it include losing a father at a young age, homelessness, rebuilding life, becoming a husband and father, serving in church, and continuing spiritual growth. The intention behind everything created is not just entertainment but to leave people stronger than they were before they encountered it.
── RicoMuscle describes his music as soulful, cinematic hip-hop rooted in storytelling and faith. His work reflects personal experiences of struggle, growth, and redemption, with “Real Talk” standing as his most defining track. Influenced by Nipsey Hussle’s legacy, he prioritizes authenticity, purpose, and impact over commercial gain. A major turning point in his career was surrendering creative control to align with his faith, even at the cost of audience reach.
