Today we’d like to introduce you to Rec Riddles.
Hi Rec, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started rapping and producing around the age of 10 or 11. Growing up in the nineties, I was influenced by the golden age of that era and it comes through my music. I’m originally from Newark, NJ, and moved to the St. Louis area in 2014. Before coming to the Midwest, I competed in various beat battles up and down the East Coast.
Once I got to St. Louis, I started from the ground level and worked my way up by constantly performing and releasing new music. I’ve released 11 solo albums, 4 EPs, six instrumental albums, and the most recent collaboration album with my older brother, Gunsmoke Jones as The Mercenaries entitled “Thou Shall Not Kill”. I signed with the Norwegian-based indie label Royal Crowd Records in December 2017 but left the label in November 2018.
Being signed is every artist’s dream but I felt the label was not a good fit for me. I went on my first national tour in 2018 with Wu-Tang affiliate, Trife Diesel and performed at countless festivals that year including SXSW, A3C, and 2×2 Hip Hop Festival in Columbus, MO. In 2020 I produced “From the Isle of Staten” off 2nd Generation Wu’s debut album “Hereditary”.
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to also open up for countless hip hop legends including, Method Man & Redman, The Lox, Joe Budden, Kool Keith, 9th Prince of Killarmy, Krayzie Bone, and more. My journey has been a roller-coaster with many highs and lows but it’s far from over.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road for me by far. One of the obstacles I’ve faced is trying to juggle my personal life and professional life. The kind of artist that I am, it can be hard to balance the two because I’m super dedicated to my work and I don’t always find the time for personal things.
Another obstacle I faced was trying to spread the word about my music. I feel every artist or creative is going to face this struggle once they decide to pursue a professional career but it can be a discouraging and a hard task to overcome.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I feel that I’m most known for being a top-tier lyricist, producer, and live performer. Being that I grew up listening to and watching incredible hip-hop artists, I studied and applied that to my music. I’m also very hands and self-contained with every aspect of my work so I record, mix and master all my music as well as design the artwork, press physical copies of music and merchandise, book shows/tours and direct the videos along with my videographer Lamar Wylah.
The biggest thing that sets me apart from others is everything that I just mentioned but also my work ethic. The music doesn’t sound like anyone else’s but I pride myself on working extremely hard to put a lot of music on the market and also get more eyes and ears on the product.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice for networking is always to keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t be afraid to talk with people and build relationships because you never know what kind of opportunities that could lead to. Social media is a great tool for that but also going to events and networking in person works even better.
Business cards are a great item to have with you at all times because they’re small so you can keep them right in your pocket and so can the person you’re handing them off to.
Contact Info:
- Email: recriddlesbookings@gmail.com
- Website: www.recriddlesmusic.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/rec_riddles
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/recriddles
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/rec_riddles
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKmvVRCO9khHXITPEIoBNG
Image Credits
The Omni Film and Graphics
