Rich The Kid

Queens-reared MC Rich The Kid (born Dimitri Roger in 1992) has managed to string together a succession of platinum hits and earworm anthems since dropping his first mixtape in 2013. Still, he treats every new track with the tenacity of a young, hungry artist. “I never change the way I approach new music,” he told Apple Music, before adding, “You gotta do that shit like you’re still broke.” This professional ethos may inform Roger’s approach to hip-hop, but the rapper’s lyrics about the finer things in life reflect the excitement of someone who’s come from nothing and now has it all. His first hit, the Kendrick Lamar-assisted “New Freezer”, features a bass-heavy beat accented by plucky synths. Rich utilises his signature flow—a militant, choppy delivery popularised by SoundCloud rappers—which won him fans during his formative years. The bars glow with silver and gold, and you can practically hear the Ferrari engine in his growl when he describes heading to the dealership. Though he’s made albums with Migos and iLoveMakonnen, Rich remains strongest on his own. On 2018’s “Plug Walk”, his personality is boisterous and infectious, and the spaced-out, twinkling beat accents his voice perfectly. “Plug Walk”, which rocketed the rapper’s full-length debut, The World is Yours, to the top of the charts, paved the way for a pair of albums released in quick succession: 2019’s The World Is Yours 2 and 2020’s BOSS MAN. With a seemingly rapid-fire stream of creativity at his disposal, it’s clear that Rich The Kid has only scratched the surface of his capabilities.