“I don’t know what happened to the Frank Ocean record,” says Rich The Kid, when asked about a collaboration with the elusive R&B star that he teased in 2018. “The Frank record] is old. It was a while ago.”
Rich answers the question groggily, as he does often during an interview at the Billboard New York offices last week. Rich seems to be sapped of much of his energy following a cross-country flight to NYC and a late night at the studio, as he can barely keep his eyes open during the chat.
But with his third LP, BOSS MAN, being the topic of the hour, RTK powers through like a “boss” would. It’s a crucial time in the Queens native’s career, as he recently left Interscope Records amid creative differences, for a fresh change of scenery with Republic Records. “Just keeping better communication with everything,” he says of the newfound benefits when making the leap to Republic. “They let me work freely — there’s more creative freedom.”
Holding a pair of baby goats in a Dior suit on his splashy album cover, Rich The Kid puts on the CEO hat and enlists an army of superstars to help him power BOSS MAN. He goes hit-hunting alongside the likes of Lil Baby, DaBaby, Post Malone, and Nicki Minaj on “Not Sorry,” which he claims to be “the perfect record” for the latter artist.
Over the years, we’ve seen Rich The Kid go through a lot around the industry, but he rarely peels back the layers of his private life in his music. Instead, he often elects to flex his romancing ways, the car he’s driving, and the embarrassment of riches filling his lavish lifestyle.
Speaking at the album’s NYC listening party earlier in March, Rich says this is just part one of two coming out of BOSS MAN, and he’s also teased more collaborations on the forthcoming deluxe. Fans can expect to see a genre-blending track he’s proud of featuring Jhene Aiko. Just don’t be on the lookout for that rumored Britney Spears collaboration, as he squashed that 2019 rumor pretty quickly.
When it comes to what keeps him motivated, the 27-year-old points to his three kids serving as his main inspiration while recording in the studio. Rich welcomed his first child with fiancee Tori Brixx in 2019, as the soon-to-be one-year-old baby boy has given him a ton of sleepless nights as he’s tried to juggle his rap career and daddy duties at the house.
During December’s holiday season, Rich got down on one knee and proposed to Tori while surrounded by close friends at a restaurant in what he describes as “one the best moments” of his life. “It was happy and beautiful,” the “Plug Walk” rapper continues of his union to close out the decade. He does admit that he “was pretty nervous” when breaking out the glistening rock in what had to be the longest minute of his life before hearing a “yes” to the big question.
The Rich Forever Music boss is plotting a major Boss Man Tour, which is slated to kick off in May, but may have to be rescheduled amid the coronavirus outbreak. Either way, the music will keep pouring in. Famous Dex’s next single, “What I Like,” finds Rich hopping on the bouncy record alongside Tyga, and will release next Friday (March 27), as Dexter heads into releasing an album of his own in late April to honor his late mother.
Family is clearly a top priority for Rich right now. Before heading out, he cracks the widest smile of the afternoon thinking back to a recent family trip to Disneyland, which was “fun as s–t.” Like the Mad Tea Party ride he mentions as his daughter’s favorite, will his rap career continue to see him spin in a circle, or will he make the quantum leap to stardom that many forecasted for him back in 2017? Stream BOSS MAN below and judge for yourself — and let’s hope that Frank Ocean collaboration surfaces someday.
