Thursday, March 12, 2015

Artist Highlight: Bucky aka Royal Warlord

I reached out to Bucky through Soundcloud, email, and text:

Ryan N, best known by his stage name Bucky hails from the 757 VA area code. Growing up in Yorktown, VA and eventually moving to Richmond, VA definitely shows up in this emcees music. He comments himself: 

"I definitely think growing up in a middle class, mostly white area definitely influences the kind of stuff and topics I rap about today. Ever since moving to Richmond I have been enveloped into a whole other culture that is phenomenal and definitely makes it way into my current sound today."








Both these mixtapes are available for streaming and free download from Soundlcloud.


Q & A With Bucky



How did you get into music? When exactly did you start?

I started making music my junior of high school, when I was 16 after I did a cover of Childish Gambino's Freaks and Geeks for my school's talent show. After the performance, I had a lot of people tell me I could flow very well. So at the point I just started rapping as a hobby and I never thought I would get so dedicated to it.



Who or what inspires you musically?

I think my biggest influence is probably Childish Gambino, he is the reason I started rapping in the first place and he showed me through his music that it doesn't matter how different you are- you can do what you want. [This was up until] I heard Chance the Rapper's 10 Day and I thought it was the most incredible piece of artistry I had ever heard. That piece alone inspired me to change my technical abilities and narratives, along with other things. Don't even get me started on Acid Rap. Other influences I can think of growing up are probably Eminem, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and OutKast.



What are your goals in making music? Why is it that you do what you do?

[My goal] is just to show everyone that music is a powerful tool and it is capable of bringing light and joy to people instead of just entertainment. Even though [music] is also a great piece of entertainment; I try to keep that aspect in my music as well. Also [my goal is to show] that I am just like everyone else; I do not occupy some high and mighty level, that it may seem all these other artists [occupy]. I go through the same shit that you do, and so does everyone else. I hope to bring some sympathy within my music that people can feel for themselves and bring about a better day to them.


What is your greatest weakness as an artist? On the flip, what is your greatest strength?

My greatest weakness is that I have trouble finding my own completely authentic sound and substance which is something I strive for everyday at this point. I constantly get comparisons to other rappers that are fairly popular but this is not something that I want. It's nice but I don't want to be told that I sound like Mac Miller or whoever. I want to be told that I sound like Bucky.
I think my greatest strength as an artist is that I relate very well with my intended audience which are those around my same age. I feel like at this point in life I am starting to experience pivotal changes in living that a majority of the population goes through and I am able to vent the same feelings that everyone else has about everything.


What are you currently working on? What can we, the listeners, look forward too?

As of the end of February I just finished my third project titled You're Not Alone. It is a 12 track mixtape which took me about a half a year to finish and finalize. This time around it is a piece that actually has a consistent theme throughout the mixtape which I think will appeal to a massive audience and that is definitely apparent within society. Needless to say, anyone who is a fan of Good Vibes and Nothing's Changed will be more than satisfied with what the project has to offer. I can promise that it makes my first two projects look like a warm up before the championship game and that this is the win for my team.

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