Meet Rio | HipHop Artist & Songwriter

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

Hi Rio, why did you pursue a creative career?
Pursuing literature is what really transformed the creative side of me. Reading & learning how to write is what lead me onto Poetry. During my middle school era, we’d have open mic Friday’s where everybody had a chance to express themselves freely with poetry/spoken word. I developed a passion for expressing soul into words. Always had love for HipHop music too so I grew onto writing and recording music later on. Being able to create music is such a blessing & therapeutic. I love to pursue an Artistic/Creative career because it really does soothe me and I look at it as a form of Self-Care. Being able to express what you feel is a form of building solidarity within oneself , I take pride in that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Making HipHop music is fun but more importantly therapeutic. This way of Art has given me a passage to release emotion but also give a connection to the listeners who can relate. It gives them a voice when they feel like they have nobody to speak for them as they go through similar real life situations. When people listen to who I am as an Artist , I want to connect with them in a real authentic way. Expressing real emotion is what sets me apart from everyone else because I can be vulnerable & real with my listeners. In many ways I tend to share a lot of my own personal life struggles and also blessings as well to connect with my audience. Really proud at how far it has come because I’ve grown as a person mentally, spiritually & physically through this whole journey of mine. What excites me more is even if it doesn’t work out like I intend it to be, it’ll end up working out more than I can imagine. Being a very positive person is what drives me to where I am today professionally. Without a healthy routine my mindset would not be where it is today. Self Discipline is important & I do enforce it on a daily. It wouldn’t necessarily be called an easy route but I would rather say, I am comfortable with being uncomfortable. Stepping out of the comfort zone is what brings my results. Very high believer of actions speak louder than words. Without the discipline my music would not be in the position where it is today. The greatest lesson ever is , It all starts with positive thoughts and visualizations. Learning that as I grew older help me balance more. If it’s not a blessing then it will always be a lesson. Also overcoming challenges is not easy but there are always solutions. Solving problems & failing is what sets most people apart from successful people. I’d encourage people to always grow mentally as they do physically because the mind is so special. Behind the whole Cosmik brand, I would like for people to relate on a high spiritual level whenever they come across it. As people should always be allowed to grow freely and be their best selves. Cosmik Records provides outlet for people to grow freely and we want for fans to feel the same. The Cosmik Brand will move and influence fans to a higher level always.

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.
Being from a major city, Chicago has always been a nice destination for delicious food & great fun. We would eat delicious tacos at an establishment called Zacatacos and enjoy real steak. There would be fried chicken wings waiting for us at Leon’s Barbecue. Deep Dish pizza is always a thing here so Loumalnati’s or Giordano’s would set things right too. The Cheesecake Factory has great dessert with so many cheesecake flavors to choose from. Tuscany’s is also a great place for dessert too and late night dinners. Chicago is huge when it comes to food, there are too many places to name that would make my list! As far as cocktails and the nightlife scene, downtown Chicago has quite the scene. Up north near Logan square clubs are pretty fun packed with social lounges and bars plus more restaurants. Grant Park is a beautiful setting where we can view the lake, the skyline and cool art. Checking out Navy Pier is a must because there are fun things like a huge Ferris wheel that lets you see the city from a different high point. The boat rides that the Pier has to offer are cool too plus there’s more food there. Chicago is a beautiful place for pictures, food & drinks regardless what anyone says. Walking through downtown already has everything but there’s more the city has to offer outside the metro area as well. The people here make it a great experience as long as the energy is there.

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 like to extend my love & give a shoutout to everyone at my label , Cosmik Records, Highly appreciate my Music Engineer @Milodavinchi , my Producers/Graphic Designers @Elocashmere & @Dopeche1 , my Promoters @Wifidaplug & @Cortezbandz , Videographer @A.OProductions , my lovely Parents and everyone else who has helped me! Thank you for all you have done for me. Wishing everyone who has helped me strive & thrive the very best in life. I have the upmost respect for every single person who has helped me grow as an Individual & as an Artist. Being the best version of myself is what drives me. All the hard work & time that was given from everyone has played a great key to who I am today. Everybody deserves to be recognized. Teamwork makes every dream work, very grateful for you all!

Website: Cosmikrecords@gmail.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rio_hiphop

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rio_hiphop

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGWJhyDQSxv2vtYP2obiJg

Other: Linktree – https://linktr.ee/rio_hiphop

Image Credits
Photo Credit : @Milodavinchi & @Dopeche1