Richard Wright: the person, the rapper, the artist.

Moreno Valley, California, but my true home is South Central Los Angeles.

I make music however it sounds good to me, whether it be rap or some other way to convey what I want people to know.

I started rapping when I was young, like 12 or 13 with the emcee battles. Then I started taking it seriously and recording around 2005. I still entered into a few battles, but my focus was more on making songs.

My first performance was garbage to me, but people seemed to enjoy it. We were all young at the time, so just the hype of being on a stage and my folks seeing me was enough to make it classic for me.

Respect. My whole life I’ve heard people argue about artists and music as a whole. I just want to be a part of those arguments. I want somebody to say, “Eh, Rich is ok.” Then some dude jumps out of a trash can, or from a tree top just to say “What!? You sound stupid. Richard Wright’s one of the best I’ve ever heard, hands down.” [laughs] The kids are also a big part of it. Not to sound cheesy, but I love the kids, and I really do see the future when I look at them. I would love to inspire children to do great things.

I would like my audience to realize the contradictions in life. Everything’s not always so black and white, you know. I want people to feel comfortable playing conscious music one minute, then something ignorant and ratchet the next, because that’s life. I want all of my albums to be a mix of life to show the contradictions that people try so hard to get away from, or don’t realize they’re caught in. We’re all contradictory at times: it’s human.

My mother, Claudell Wright (RIP). My father, Frank Respress (RIP). One of my best friends (whom I won’t name), and my other best friend, Belvi. Some of my musical influences are: Coldplay, Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Jay Z, John Lennon and last, but definitely not least, André 3000. I could keep going, but I know you probably don’t need a Richard Wright’s “Top 100 Artists of the Century” list.

Seeing so many people “on”: meaning in the game, buzzing and really coming up. My worst fear is falling too far behind. I feel like I came up with a lot of people who are doing great things, and I’m connected in a web of people who are in the right places. It’s like not knowing Dr. Dre, but being friends with a dude who knows him. When stuff’s that close to you, it keeps you up.

What’s next is in the air right now. My main objective is to push my new album, Open Minded, to its limit, then go from there. I have four albums from different producers right now that are ready to go. I’m just trying to time things right. I’m also working on some short films and a small YouTube comedy series that should be ready to release this year. Other than that, I’m just always working on music.