RKZ

RKZ (pronounced Ricks) is a singer, writer and visual creative from Luton, currently based in Shoreditch, London. He began dabbling in rap music in 2008 before pursuing the arts professionally the following year. Developing his craft, RKZ became known for his singing-led live performances and eventually transitioned into a singer-songwriter. A stubborn determination to further develop and fine-tune his brand, he learnt the ropes of video, photography and design which culminated in RKZ creating his own visuals, plus music videos for artists from various industries. Music From the release of his first single in 2009 - whilst he studied Commercial Music at the University of Westminster, London - to date, RKZ has released fourteen records including five mixtapes and three EPs. No stranger to media, he has received radio play on BBC Radio 1/1Xtra, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 4, BBC Three Counties, BBC Asian Network and more. He has also performed at T In The Park, Reading + Leeds, BBC London and Manchester Mela as well as music events at The Water Rats, Ace Hotel, Boxpark and Cargo. In August 2014, RKZ released the highly-anticipated mixtape Science X Soul with Still Oceans, Think of Me and CLASH-premiered record Favourite Song as the lead singles. Following this, he released various one-off singles through Soundcloud (predominantly produced by Handbook) before his acclaimed single with the York-based producer called Visionaries. “Let me add that Nujabes and J Dilla are here. Somewhere in the afterbeat, looking over their legacy.” - Neonized, on Visionaries. Creative After shadowing visual creative S Sid Ahmed, RKZ began editing short films and vlogs with S Sid before venturing into music videos. The first was the remix of his single Gonna Be That. This opened the doors for music video productions for artists including GV, Little Simz, Cashtastic, Preeya Kalidas, Sophia Thakur, Roach Killa and more. Through various video projects, RKZ built on his photography skills and has freelanced for various clients from fashion to FMCG. He is currently part of BORN SOCIAL’s Creative Team. Writing & Philanthropy An early passion for journalism pulled RKZ into creative writing, initially through music and poetry. He expanded this, becoming a feature writer for hip-hop blog Sampleface before taking over as UK Editor. In 2012, RKZ was announced as Ambassador for CALM. The charity aims to reduce the suicide rate with men in the UK, particularly London. Suicide catalysed by depression and stress is the single biggest killer of young men aged 20-45 in the UK. He contributes to CALM’s website and monthly CALMzine as a guest writer, focusing on depression, society and youth culture. He has self-published an online series called Motivational Prose, which is dedicated to instilling a positive mentality and outlook for young people. Singer, Writer, Visual Creative.