The rapper, songwriter and producer
known as Richie Carter has released his debut EP record, “Rockford's
Richie.” The EP contains five original Carter tracks for an
approximate total listening time of 15 minutes. It has been proudly
published as an independent release outside the influence of the
corporate music industry. Nuanced, varied, colorfully creative and
exceptionally written and performed, “Rockford's Richie” is a
clear standout for one of the premier indie rap releases of the
summer and a striking introduction to this talented rapper from
Illinois.
Richie Carter cites as his main
influences Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson, Camp Lo, Outkast, Bob
Marley, Jay-Z, Foster the People, Chvrches, Drake, and “a lot of
classic rock from the '70s to the '90s.”
His own sound is crisp, direct, punchy
and full of top-notch urban poetry. His themes are often positive,
his tones aggressive, his musical accompaniment infectious and
incredibly well-orchestrated. His raps are always the main event of
his music regardless of the high quality of his beats and melody
lines. His razor-sharp articulation makes his music accessible to
fans of all genres of hip hop and of music in general.
None of this comes as a surprise when
taking into consideration Richie Carter's status as a veteran rap
artist.
“I've wanted to make music since a
child,” he writes. “I've wrote lyrics and poems for as early as I
can remember. In middle school me and my friend bought a $20 USB mic
from a computer store, built a decent computer, and bootlegged Adobe
Audition. After that we began making freestyles and remixes to our
favorite songs. It was mostly just for fun, but as time grew I became
more talented, and people started offering me opportunities to record
and perform.”
True, this is not a rare story in the
new era of affordable digital audio workshops and home-studio
recordings. The rarity lies in Richie Carter's natural talent, which
has strengths spreading from musical composition to the penning of
excellent lyrics, to the flawless delivery of said lyrics and to a
seemingly bone-deep understanding of flow which keeps his powerful
little EP album moving like a perpetual motion machine from track to
track, and from repeat play to repeat play. The EP can be enjoyably
listened to several times running without becoming tired.
Asked to comment on the themes of his
latest record, Carter writes, “[It's about] coming from a smaller
city – especially Rockford – which has very bad press from Forbes
Magazine. People tend to lose hope and become complacent, assuming
this is as far as life goes for them. My message is to remind
everyone that the sky is the limit and it's their choice how far they
fly.”
This kind of uplifting rhetoric is part
of what has helped Richie Carter build a loyal, enthusiastic throng
of fans that is quickly growing beyond the Rockford area (which is
just two hours from another hip-hop Mecca: Chicago). They clamor to
pat him on the back on social media and actively implore him for
upcoming performance dates. Carter responds to them all with warmth
and humble gratitude.
“Life has obstacles,” he continues.
“We all face them – some run through them, some run from them. I
encourage everyone to run through them. Your passion will fund every
dream you have, if you're willing to put in the required 'work.'”
Richie Carter was born Erich Kalstrom
and is a native of Rockford, IL. He most recently opened for Bubba
Sparxxx from Troup County, GA and has performed in a great many
locales in the Chicago area as well as at premier festivals including
the SXSW concert in Texas.
“Rockford's Richie,” the debut EP
release from Richie Carter, is available online worldwide beginning
20 July 2015. Get in early, fans of hip hop everywhere. Very early.
-S. McCauley
Lead Press Release Writer
www.MondoTunes.com
“Rockford's Richie” by
Richie Carter –
Website –
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