We caught up with the brilliant and insightful RikoWithAK a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

RikoWithAK, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

Early on in my career I felt like I was misunderstood, but it wasn’t anyones fault but my own. I kept trying to fit in a box that was given to me verses just be who I see myself as. It wasn’t until I understood that being myself is the only way to win, that I started winning. That’s the journey I’ve been on completing my second album, making the music I like, doing the things I like on stage, and it’s the most fulfilling feeling ever.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well my name is RikoWithAK, I’ve been doing music for about 11 years now. I started out singing, and mistakenly discovered I had the natural ability to rap. Ever since then I’ve jotted my feelings on paper and rapped them out. In 2019 I was casted for lgbtq’s number one reality show “Chasing Atlanta” and my life has changed since then. It opened doors I would have never imagined. And it’s opened my eyes to a lot of issues we face in our community.
What sets me apart from others on reality tv / and music is me being my vulnerable true self, to one day help motivate our youth within our communities. My goal is to put my truth out there so people can see that they are not alone. Whether I do that with music or being on “Chasing Atlanta”.
I’m mostly proud of the fact that I’m making a dream reality. I’m living the life I wanted to live when I was a kid, I make music, I perform and I make a difference in peoples lives. That’s the most rewarding feeling ever.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Wow, I have so many. Well, if there was a story I think deserves to be heard it would be this one. I’ve been working on my sophomore album for the past two years, last year I was supposed to drop the project, however a week before my albums rollout began I had a medical situation that effected my ability to walk. It hurt to walk three feet or to get up, and here I have filming, interviews, I planned a huge press event to announce the album, and I couldn’t go to any of it.
At first I thought this was a sign, that maybe this album wasn’t supposed to come out. However due to me having amazing people in my team, they motivated me to take this as a sign to wait, and I’m glad I did. Since then I have accomplished so much, And it all helped me write better music for this project. I would have missed out on so much great music. Not being able to walk, made me hungrier, I kept telling myself that when I get better I’m going to do everything I put my mind to! And here we are, still standing, and still making music.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Growing an audience on social media is tough, especially if you’re one that relies on talent and not gimmicks. However, a lot of trial and error is what helped me, and I’m still not perfect at it. But you have to understand what attracts people to press that follow button and exploit it. Use it to your advantage. If you’re funny, use that to promote your music, incorporate that in your content.
Gain a connection, actually communicate with fans, don’t just send a link, start a conversation let them know a little about the project you have coming out.
And most importantly, have all of your social media handles be the same on every platform, make it easier for your fans or listeners to find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/RikoWithAK
• Instagram: @RikoWithAK
• Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/TeamRiko
• Twitter: @RikoWithAK
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/MarcusDelbas
• Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rikowithak/1595010964