Meet Lil R.u.d.y | HipHop Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lil R.u.d.y and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lil R.U.D.Y, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Well to answer that question I’ve got to go to a few places. I was born in ATLANTA Georgia. I moved to Gary,IN when I was 3 and lived there until I was 12 and then I moved to Memphis,TN. Glenview Park, South Memphis to be specific. These three cities are some of the blackest cities in America. I consider myself a Midwest southerner. Although I definitely consider myself a Memphian above all else. Each of these cities have shown me what it means to love being black, and coming from a black city. My outlook on life is that black is beautiful and I wouldn’t be able to understand that in such a deep and spiritual way had it not been for these beautiful black places.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So when I started making music as a real passion I was 18 yrs old. I’d been writing raps and poetry since I was like 11 but as a career path, definitely 18. I’d been singing in the choir my entire life until I was about 16 yrs old. My father is also a singer and watching him all my life inspired me as well.
When I was in HighSchool and as I was getting close to graduation I realized that it was nothing else that made me happy. I joined this after school program called HipHop theater in the 12 the grade. It was first place I got the chance to display my rapping abilities in front my family and school. Whenever I would finish my segment I would always get an extra loud cheer and applause and that made me feel like I had something to offer people.
After that I started college at University of Memphis. I joined a club called Delta Vibe that hosted events for artist on campus to display their talents. It was here that would really get involved in the artist community going to open mics, house parties, school events etc where ever there was mic and people willing to listen. I was there.
The toughest thing about being an artist from Memphis is trying to find your own voice. This is the city of soul music, blues , gospel and Gangster Music. Trap music is without a doubt the biggest genre in Memphis and don’t get me wrong. I love it! It’s apart of who I am. That being said it not all of me nor this city. Making music that promotes self love, black excellence, honesty, and the message to not crash out despite the urges to wasn’t an easy task.
It was many day I almost wanted to either conform to the my environment just so I could feel seen, quit making music all together or keep pushing until I saw a change. Obviously I chose the latter but it wasn’t until I made the decision that no matter what I will always try to be true to myself, family, God and my morals.
Once I started to learn how to be myself unapologetically and to lean on faith that’s when my musical career began to take off and God began to fill in the gaps in the places I lacked long as I put the work in to match my faith.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you were to come to the city the first place I’m taking you to is The Liquor Store. It’s a restaurant here in Memphis that sells some of the best brunch you can have. Once that is over we’re going to hit the civil rights museum. Because black history is extremely important and every body black should pay their respects the great Martin Luther King. Then we go get some drinks at The Manhattan downtown which is a hotel attached to a train station. It also has an amazing bar with a DJ that spins nothing but Memphis music. Of course you can’t experience the city without experiencing some Bbq and wings. It’s several places we can go for that for bbq it’s going to be The Cozy Corner, The Bbq Shop, or Central Bbq. For wings we can go to All Stars, Chings, or Crumpys. We can also take a ferry ride on the river and listen to some blues on bill street.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a s/o to my Parents because they really are the greatest. I wouldn’t be who I am today had they not been so loving and supportive throughout my life. I also want to give a s/o to my brother Ari! It’s under his mentorship and guidance that I’ve been able to develop and level up not only as Artist but as a man. And last but not least s/o to Memphis TN, the most beautifulist place in the world.

Website: https://Www.RudyIsTheName.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilrudy?igsh=MWkwcTdrNW16aWNqeQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Twitter: https://x.com/lilrude_off?s=21&t=a0B53-m5AsPqLXEFZTH5_g

Youtube: https://youtu.be/7WglNP8Wh1Q?si=mCUJH4-06UN6rt-A