Rick Graham was born and raised in Chicago, and eventually grew up in Cleveland Ohio, where he currently resides. He started to perform and create his own buzz from Facebook and other social media outlets, attracting attention from TV, Radio and local newspapers. Moving forward, Rick created L.B.R LoyaltyB4Royalty LLC., which along with its members helped create social awareness and outreach relief to the surrounding areas of Cleveland and Dayton Ohio. They’re putting smiles on family faces and encouraging awareness of a better future for children.
Rick Graham is currently promoting his 6 track album, “The Graham Show”. The album is a high-energy showcase for the rapper’s dynamic, ever-changing flow. In one phrase, Graham can go from a whisper to a growl to a scream and back again.
Rick Graham delivery can switch from rapid-fire to deliberately rhythmic to sing-song. His entertaining flow, combined with accurate punch-lines, shows his lyrical versatility. After reviewing over a dozen albums this week, all of the different albums I’ve listened to are starting to run together into one big blur.
In fact the month of December has been obnoxious with new rap releases all coming out simultaneously. Now that I’ve been hit with a torrential downpour I’m left to ask the question, “How can a rap album stand out in such an overcrowded field?” Rick Graham has a few natural advantages though. He would seem to have the formula to push up above water and come in to the shore.
So on “The Graham Show”, the music is right, the beats are tight, and the icing on the cake are the explicit narratives. The pussy pounding talk abounds on opener “For The Graham” and the groovy head nodding rhythm of the soulful, “Anytime, Any Place”, but there’s something special about Graham.
His undeniable charisma and charm is probably what makes him a favorite. So by the time he slides into the chanting bombast of “Bald Head Ho Shit”, you’re practically hooked to his slow-burn mesmerizing delivery as he spits: “I don’t want no basic bitch, cause she got to be ratchet.” The production provides plenty of focus and a strong spine.
Through the sheer warped glee of his imagination and a showy but subtle commitment to authorial craft, Rick Graham molds “Its Simple” into an arresting affair. Graham bounces syllables off each other in the expletive-laden and unprintable verses proving that the genre still has a few genuine eccentrics left.
“Money Dance” is alive and colorful, undeniably showing that Graham that can crystallize his knotty rhymes into breathtaking imagery. On it, the Ohio rapper not only narrates explicitly, but compellingly. “You Got Me Like” is another slow-burning jam, and my favorite on the track list. It blends melody, a banging beat and some smooth flows from Rick Graham.
All-round the album’s resonance and vividness is striking, with many quirks confirming Rick Graham’s uniqueness. Graham is invigorating on the songs, dropping explicit but also quality bars, with many memorable lines that jump out at you.
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – SPOTIFY
