On this day, in 2015, Riky Rick dropped his official debut album, ‘Family Values’. And it remains the late rapper’s only album. He followed it with an EP, ‘Stay Shining’, in 2017.
Guests on ‘Family Values’ included Black Motion, Zano and Riky’s affiliates Cassper Nyovest and Okmalumkoolkat. ‘Family Values’ came with mega hits like ‘Boss Zonke’, ‘Nafukwa’, ‘Sondela’ and ‘Amantombazane’.
But, as the title and artwork suggest, the album is a personal body of work in which Riky Rick used his music to reflect on his personal experiences and values, as well as his family's influence on his life. For instance, the song ‘Makaveli’ is about how Riky’s uncle was a huge Pac fan and used to bump his music in his car on the way from picking him up in school.
‘Family Values’ showcased Riky’s range and his abilities as a songwriter, rapper, singer and producer. The production ranged from boom bap to EDM-tinged (‘Come Alive’), trap and even kwaito (‘Boss Zonke’). To this day, beats such as ‘Nafukwa’ and ‘Amantombazane’ still sound like nothing out. Shouts to producers like Ganja Beatz and Leagan Breda, among a few others.
‘Family Values’ is aging like fine wine and is considered a South African Hip-Hop classic.
Apart from music videos, the album was accompanied by a stunning short film called ‘Exodus’, directed by Kyle Lewis and released a year after ‘Family Values’.
Revisit ‘Family Values’ by Riky Rick below:
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