Exclusive interview with Ricky Kent

Raptology: What is your legal name and age?
Ricky Kent: J. Nicholas Jones. Most of my friends and family just call me Nick. Please, just call me Nick. I’m the fun age of 27, although if I didn’t tell you, you’d think I was 3 years out of high school (I hope haha).

Raptology: How did you come up with a stage name?
Ricky Kent: It’s funny because my brother and sister helped me with it, although my sister was a little young and she doesn’t even remember it. For a long time I was going by “bLu”, but then an actual rapper came out with that name so I had to change it. My brother then gave me the modest name of “LyRikal Assassin”. Cute, I know. Around high school, I decided I actually wanted to take this seriously so again came a name change. All the rappers I were listening to at the time were just names, (Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, Rick Ross, Kanye West, etc), so I wanted that but knew Nick Jones sounded way to close to Nick Jonas (my favorite Jonas Brother haha). So I took the RIK from the name my brother gave me as the first name. So now I have Ricky but still didn’t want to use Jones cause that just sounded weird. One night my sister was just in my room listening to me babble off last names and she just goes “Nick you love Superman so much just use his”. That was the moment Ricky Kent was made. 

Raptology: Where are you from?
Ricky Kent: I was born in Pensacola, Florida. However, I don’t really remember a lot from that time. I did most of my growing up in Washington DC, so when most people ask me I almost make that distinction. I consider both cities my hometown but I’ll more than likely say DC before I say Pensacola. A lot of lessons and a lot of who I am was learned and made in DC. 

Raptology: Why did you first start making music?
Ricky Kent: I was featured in one of my brother’s songs when I was like 15. So I’d say that’s when I started. I was always writing poems/songs since like 10 but never did anything with them till around that age. I was pretty good for 15 too. I didn’t sound like a child rapping. I didn’t rap about school or grades or anything like that. I was “rapping like a grown man” according to my brother haha. 

Raptology: Who would you say inspired you the most, as an artist?
Ricky Kent: I can narrow it down to three people. My brother. He’s creative in almost every aspect you can think of. He can write, he can draw, he can sing, he can do just about anything and is very comfortable in that. I think in a way I’ll always be trying to be like him.

Kendrick Lamar. That man is the by far the greatest rapper I have ever seen/heard. His music was also never compromised by current trends. He makes timeless music and doesn’t rush anything. That man is a genius.

Donald Glover. He has the kind of career that I hope to have. He also makes music purely based on what HE wants to do. 

Raptology: Talk me through your creative process.
Ricky Kent: It’s one of three ways. I either get sent a beat, that I like and sit on it for days. I’ll keep playing it and just kinda rap gibberish to establish a kind of flow or how I’d like to come on the beat and work from there. I can just be asked to be on a song about a certain subject and just write like crazy and when it’s time to record it, I can adjust to the beat provided. Cut words, add words, put space in-between words, etc. 

OR it’s 2am and I just get the urge to just write and I’ll do that for hours. It’s spurts of inspiration. Bonus way is I’ll randomly think of a line and just write it down and try to rhyme it later. 

Raptology: Do you remember the first rhyme you wrote?
Ricky Kent: Jesus. I do haha. “The game, it may be murdered. I got range you never heard of.”
Classic Lyrical Assassin right there. 

Raptology: Where and how do you work best?
Ricky Kent: That’s a trick question because the REAL answer is WHEN so I’ll answer all three of those. The WHERE I work best is probably right there in the studio. The studio is a place where it’s understood we are there for music so the distractions are minimal. I can write at home but things can always happen that take me away from it. I also work out a lot of my cadences/flows in my car so that’s another good spot for me. I don’t really know how to answer the HOW. You can pretty much put me in any spot and you’ll get results. The WHEN however is the basis for the name of my project “up past 1am”. I don’t know why but a lot of my favorite verses/songs of mine were written after 1am when I can’t sleep. 

Raptology: Have you heard the theory that some musicians write their best music while they’re depressed or going through a bad time?
Ricky Kent: I used to believe this for sure. I don’t really agree anymore. Most if not every love song is usually under the idea of them actively being in love so I’d hope they weren’t depressed or going through a bad time then. Love is the opposite of a bad time. I do think when people do write during bad times or when they are depressed you can feel it for sure. I don’t think it makes it more or less genuine though, it’s just something else. I also don’t like it when people say “insert artist here” was better on drugs because then that same artist can use that as a crutch and if they are not careful we can lose those artists from those very same thoughts. 

Raptology: Who do people say you sound like?
Ricky Kent: Thankfully, I get told I sound like the artists I listen to. So Kendrick, J. Cole, Amine, and Donald Glover. I try to make sure I don’t sound EXACTLY like them because I would like to think I have a unique sound. At the same time though I understand that you are going to always sound like your influences to a degree. 

Raptology: What’s your best advice for handling criticism?
Ricky Kent: It was very recent actually. Another artist friend of mine said, “Never take criticism from someone you wouldn’t as for advice”.  People are always going to have something to say so you can’t take everyone’s opinion to heart. Something about that quote just jumpstarted a sense of independence in me.

Raptology: What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
Ricky Kent: Is this an interview for the FBI? 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/kill-switch-single/1529648028