Meet Richie Akinsanya | Recording artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richie Akinsanya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“you are currently living at least one of the prayers you used to pray.” This has recently become one of my favourite new quotes because it is really eye-opening. Especially when you are chasing a dream, we often forget to enjoy the process and are always looking ahead and this quote has really helped me to stop and show gratitude, reflecting on how far I’ve come and the fact that the life I currently have was something I was praying so hard for prior. It really makes you appreciate where you are in life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started making music in the summer of 2019 but before then I always found myself in the studio, around individuals who were also trying to make music and that definitely inspired me to create my own. I started with a measly 5.7k Spotify listeners in 2019 but after opening for Rich the Kid and dropping being consistent with my music, this year I had over 117k yearly listeners! That type of growth is something I couldn’t have predicted and I feel very confident I am on the right track to success in this industry. This process has not been easy, having to juggle my school life and music career but I found a way to make it work and now have my university degree! Taking the time to reflect on these struggles is what makes the success feel so much more appreciated, because I know where I started from and how much work was needed to improve to this point. When I’m creating, I try not to focus on “making hits” and just speak from my heart and express how I’m feeling in that exact moment in time. I feel this makes my songs much more relatable, which makes for timeless music. When people talk about “Rico” what I mostly want them to take away from my music is the fact that I am authentic, not trying to copy any other artist but just being real and vulnerable enough to share experiences that we may have in common.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First spot I would take them is downtown, Windsor, because that is where most of the culture of the city is based. We are a very multicultural city and there is where you will see it directly. From African shops to Asian cuisine, to middle eastern dishes, there is a variety of food and cultures to experience. It is not a busy city like most others but the calmness is quite relaxing at times. That is usually when I find myself at the river front of the city at night, in my car, listening to music and gaining inspiration for my own. During the day many people can be seen walking along the paths or riding the e-scooters. Our club life is slowly reopening from Covid-19 but before the outbreak, we were at a club named “29” weekly, without fail. It was where mostly everyone would end up during the night and they played great music, from hits to local artists music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shoutout another fellow artist in my city, he motivates me to give my all in everything I release and he definitely deserves some love! His name is Giuliano Giarraputo, stage name KIN9 G and he writes, records, mixes and masters all of his own music.

Website: https://direct.me/ricorich

Instagram: https://direct.me/l/3KIa

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ricoricch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SCORPIOSOUNDS

Youtube: https://direct.me/l/3KJw

Other: tiktok: https://direct.me/l/3KJN

Image Credits
Jaunae Freeman