Ricky J Interview

The Facts

Birth Place: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

His Big Break: Debut album Lose Control [2001]

How'd you get your start?
Ricky J: I was in a teenage club when I was young, just 16 or 17, and I saw some guy rapping. I wanted to be that guy!

So you just started like that?
I just started. I just saw him and started some other stuff, and that lead me to this.

Who discovered you?
I don't know. Nobody really discovered me. My manager, actually we're best friends, a guy by the name of Ricardo Daley. Him and I are good friends and I'd been bugging him for so long. I was like "Come on, come on, come on!" He finally turned me onto his producer named Kent Majess from Montreal and we just hooked up and started working.

You just got record deal like that?
Yeah. We were working, and we wanted to put out independently, but that didn't work out the way we wanted it to. Then they sent it to a friend of theirs who worked for the company and we started negotiating.

Do you have any advice for anybody who wants to get into the business? Any kind of 'tricks of the trade'?
No tricks. You just gotta try and try and try again. Do what you have to do. For me, I work in the clubs and it just helps me to craft the art onstage. Just try your best and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And if it ain't working, go back to school!

Who are your musical influences?
Aw, jeez! There's a bunch of people, like a lot of old tunes. A lot of influence from Marvin Gray kind of stuff, to Stevie Wonder, to LL Cool J. It's a wide spectrum! It's all over. I listen to everything!

Who wrote your current release No Means No?
It's all of us. All four, five of us; myself, this guy named Jeremy Brass Berryman, Kent Majess Austin, Raul RC2, Carl Henry. So everybody put in their own piece.

A lot of people have their own ideas on what the meaning behind No Means No is. What do you think is the meaning behind the song?
Nooo! I can't get into that one! We didn't write it in that kind of attempt. We wrote it to be fun, like a girl anthem. 'Cause, you know, girls are dissing guys, guys are dissing girls. I'm just in the middle going "Hey! Nobody wants me aw." It was just a fun concept. You could say "Yeah, I'm trying to kick it to a girl and she's telling me 'no' and I'm like 'Come on, come on!'" But like normal guys would do. Then Carl Henry comes in to sing the chorus and basically reassures the girl 'Okay, okay. I know, I know. You're telling me no, but I'm gonna try again.'"

I'm a showman. I love giving out what I can to people.

So it's not as negative as people think?
No. It's not negative at all. It's a joke, it's a spoof. It's not really meant to be serious. Does it sound serious?

No, not really.
See? It's not serious.

Where'd you shoot your video?
In Toronto, or was it Mississauga? We shot it at a roller rink, but I forget the name of it.

Who came up with the concept?
Brad Walsh, B-Rad. He shot me some ideas, I shot them back. We did it together. He gave me his ideas and I said "Yes, yes, yes. Okay, let's do this, let's do this." We basically came together with our ideas.

Whose idea was it to shoot the video at the roller rink?
That was his idea. Roller skating was his idea. I was like "Yeah, that sounds fun!" I wanted to keep that theme. Just keep it fun.

How would you describe your album in three words?
Really, really, good. It is! It is! I'm not trying to sound all high up on my own stuff. It is just a good album. There's no song that sounds like No Means No. There's no song like a lot of songs. A lot of people come up with songs and the next song sounds the same, and the song after sounds the same, but every single one on the album kind of blends. Everybody who hears it says "This is a really good album!" It's not just pop/rap. There's a little bit of hip-hop element. There's a bit of a mix. It's jiggy I guess.

What's your favorite song off the album?
Probably Let It Go. That's hopefully my next single, and Rick What. There's a song called Rick What and it goes like:
Rick what
I love it when you're screamin' my name
Rick what
Gettin' mad when you're seein' me paid
Rick what
Now why don't you just get on up
You see the drop in the top
So get on up!

It sounds very cool!
Yeah, it's funky! I like it! I'm gonna go buy it.

Why do you like that song over the others?
Just 'cause it's different. Most of the songs on the album have a lot of R&B content, like all the choruses are sung. There's actually only two or three songs where it's just me in the chorus with maybe just a few others.

We have a few questions from your fans.
Oh my gosh! Already?

So you're single, you're on the market?
This isn't a wedding ring, this is just my ring. I'm on the market baby. Buy me! I like sweet tarts!

How much would you go for?
I don't know! That's a good one. How much are you willing to pay? I'd go for free.

How do you like being friends with the Baldwin brother [Stephen]?
Stephen's a ball. I met him at a few parties, and we were on the same plane going to New York to master the single. We just kicked it. He's a great father too! He has two beautiful daughters and he's like calling me "Ashley, Ashley! Say hello to Ricky!" And I hear "Hello Ricky J!" Then he tells me "Hey bro, I gotta go. The cops are about ready to pull me over 'cause I'm talking on the phone." He's a fun guy!

Right now, you're touring with soulDecision.
Yup!

And how are you liking that so far?
I love it! I'm having a great time! soulDecision's been wonderful. They're a great bunch of guys. There's nothing bad to say about these guys! We were eating supper the other night, just kicking jokes and just having a good time.

Is this your first tour?
Yeah. First official real tour. I did two dates with TLC a while back when they came to Canada.

Do you find it stressful at all?
There's stress. There's always that element there. If the mic's not working, the sound's not coming out right. I'm a showman. I love giving out what I can to people. Sometimes I don't even wanna leave the stage and my manager's like "Come on, come on! Get over here!" I like it. I love touring. It's so much fun! Plus, thousands of screaming girls! How could anybody go wrong?

And right after this tour you're jumping into another one with Aaron Carter?
Yeah, four dates. It's only four dates and then I'm hosting this new show on YTV. I forget the name of it, Dance City or something like that.

You're just going through all different genres? From music to TV?
Yeah. I like everything. I'm not just going to sit still. If you put me into a school classroom, I'd be the kind jumping around in my seat, pulling jokes.

Were you one of those guys in school who was the class clown?
Maybe not in my younger years, but I grew. I'm still the class clown even though I'm not in class. I'm just a clown.

There's usually stories of celebrities who were real losers in school and then they grew to be big and famous. Were you like that at all?
I wasn't really a loser, maybe just the first year. I grew slowly, then I found myself. It's so hard to find myself you know, right here.

If you could do one thing tonight, in your show, that you never thought you could do, what would you do?
If I could, I can't do it here, but I'd love to be on those strings, those harnesses where you just come down. I wanna be like that! I wanna be the Michael Jackson of pop rap! That's what I wanna be!

I heard that you like The Jackson 5.
Yeah, I love them! I think he's a great guy, just to learn by. Maybe not in his personal life, but besides that, I try to do something different. I'm not perfect yet, I'm still a bit rough on the edges. I do my best, or at least I try to do my best.

Where do you see yourself in a year?
In a year? Hopefully totally, totally on top of the world! I don't know. I wanna be hopefully hosting some award show like MTV. You know, "Welcome back to MTV live! Right here!" I'm a clown. I'm a joker.

If you could answer one question you've never been asked before, what would it be?
Oh, I can't get into that now can I? Too personal!