Runway Richy

A self-described "balance between old UGK and modern ATL," rapper Runway Richy combined Southern flair with the more typical sonics of mid- to late-2010s trap. Using the alias "Snipe" in Southern rap group Murder Mafia, it wasn't until Richy made his solo debut that he found more mainstream success, landing features from artists like Gucci Mane and T.I. as his fan base continued to grow. Born and raised in New Orleans, Runway Richy's early life was shaped by the sounds of the city's thriving street music scene, as well as the funk-based influences of his parents. Having been introduced to hip-hop by his uncle, Richy started freestyling at the age of 11, casually building lyrical and vocal skills while remaining involved in street life. While he played a key role in rap groups Murder Mafia and Born with It under the alias Snipe, the young rapper preferred to keep one foot in the streets, resulting in a key loss of opportunity: as local contemporaries and collaborators made their name in the music industry, Richy found himself in and out of jail in a series of early-2010s altercations. After serving eight months for probation violation in 2012, the rapper decided to focus entirely on music, embarking on a solo career under a new alias, Runway Richy. His debut mixtape, Uh Oh, arrived in 2013, hosted by DJ Holiday and featuring a plethora of Southern collaborators (B.o.B., Scotty ATL, Trae tha Truth). A sophomore set arrived in 2015 with the FKi-produced Foreign Merican, which featured Atlanta talents including Young Dro and Spodee. Toeing the line between old and new, Richy's material paid homage to the sounds of the South (and key influences like UGK), while taking the scene's regional sonics in a more electronic direction. These tapes were followed by a prolific late-2010s run: mixtapes China Cafeteria (2016), China Cafeteria 2.5 (2017), and Dope Run (2018) continued to establish Richy's place in the Southern rap scene, diversifying his style while leaning further toward modern trap. His organic growth and local collaboration during this time soon caught the eyes of bigger fish: Gucci Mane joined the rapper for 2017's "Switchin Sides," followed in 2018 by 03 Greedo collaborations "Bounce Back" and "Unapologetic." After releasing collaborative project Rari's and Runways (with Ferrari Simmons) in late 2018, the rapper spent 2019 working collaboratively. After dropping a sequel tape, Rari's and Runways 2, he teamed up with Real Recognize Rio for Rio Richy. The rapper kicked off 2020 with his biggest placement to date, enlisting Southern trap pioneer T.I. for regional banger "Dumpin." ~ David Crone