Ricasso has a love for animals, but he favors ravens — no, not Lamar Jackson — more than any other creature on earth. In fact, the Southern California based rapper based his latest EP “Unkindness” around ravens, which may be seen by many as a symbol of bad luck. However, that’s not the case for Ricasso.
“Ravens are much more than just scary looking birds,” Ricasso said. “They are one of the most intelligent species…Ravens can learn to mimic languages [and] remember faces.”
“And unlike most birds, ravens can survive on their own,” he added.
The raven analogy is captured through Ricasso’s braggadocious yet sincere flows that depict real life stories, struggles and triumphs. Fighting qualms about negative judgment and his ‘stale faced’ persona, Ricasso doesn’t take the proverbial mask off, instead he justifies why he wears it.
“I feel I receive a lot of negative judgments based on my outer appearance or how I carry myself,” Ricasso said. “I am very stale faced and monotone unless I feel comfortable and I receive the perception of [being] mean or stuck up…but if you really get to know me, you see how loving and intelligent I really can be.”
The EP was entirely produced by Ricasso’s close friend and collaborator Guaco; the two already have a collaborative project titled “Guaconese” and capitalized on their foundation to create a record that strikes a chord with listeners.
It’s not just about music for Ricasso, as he also runs a soon-to-be-launched clothing line called blancc canvus and works as a stylist. The prolific creator’s determination is one thing that he knows will lead him to success in whatever industry he decides to pursue, if not both.
“Music and fashion are things that keep me up at night,” Ricasso said. “It’s something I can’t stop doing even if I tried. It’s a part of me and I don’t plan on letting go until I draw my last breath.”