By: Markos Papadatos, Senior Editor
Singer-songwriter and social media influencer Tayo Ricci chatted with HNA’s Markos Papadatos about his music, the digital age, and his future endeavors. He also traces his roots to Greece and Italy.
A TikTok and Instagram sensation, Tayo opened up about his catchy track “Sonic,” where he collaborated with Teddibear. “The producer sent me the track, and it had a good vocal on it. I literally recorded it right away, I vibed with it straight away, and I sent it back and the label released it,” he said.
“Sonic” is available on Apple Music by clicking here and on Spotify.
On his music and songwriting inspirations, Ricci said, “Honestly, the music I like listening to the most is the music that makes me feel good, and the music that makes me feel good and positive.”
“I always like to take the feelings of things and just make them my own. I want to create the best feel-good music possible, and then the melodies and the lyrics come,” he said.
Growing up, Ricci was influenced by such artists as Chingy, DMX, Lupe Fiasco, System of a Down, Post Malone, Drake, Eminem, and Lil Wayne. “I listened to a lot of rappers actually,” he said.
“Each day I am motivated by my fear of dying so I treat this world like it’s my playground. You only live once,” he said.
On being an artist in the digital age, Ricci said, “It’s pretty cool. It gets overwhelming sometimes because the work you do is how much you want to put in. Obviously, I want to be successful so I am always grinding. I am always making more videos and I am always editing and making more music. I am bringing the brand together constantly.”
Regarding his future plans, he revealed, “I would like to keep doing what I am doing and to keep killing it with the music. I would like to collab with some good artists.”
Speaking of collabs, he shared that he would love to someday collaborate with the acclaimed electronic music duo Loud Luxury. “Hopefully, we can make that work. That would be amazing,” he said.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he responded, “Tunnel Vision.”
If he were to have any superpowers, he noted they would be “teleportation and being able to copy and paste things.” “With teleportation, I won’t have to go through customs or wait through traffic,” he said. “I could probably be in a lot of places at once.”
“Also, I wish I could copy and paste items wherever I want them,” he added. “Let’s say I like a certain house, then I could copy and paste it in the middle of a desert.”
On staying in top-notch physical shape, he shared that “it’s all in the diet.” “I’m not vegan but I cut out carbs and I am on a calorie-deficit diet,” he said.
For young and aspiring artists and content creators, he said, “Don’t overthink it. Just make it and post it.”
Ricci revealed that he was born in Australia; moreover, his mother is Greek and his father is Italian. “The pandemic was honestly the best time of my life. I moved to Los Angeles during the pandemic, and I met people that inspired me to start TikTok, and then, my whole life changed,” he said.
For Ricci, the word success is “forever-changing.” “Success is having a well-balanced lifestyle,” he said. “Success is being content in all areas of your life. Having a hit song and sharing it with people that I love is really cool.”
If he were to do any track and field event, he would run the 100 meter hurdles. “I like running and jumping,” he admitted. Ricci listed the “breaststroke” as his personal favorite stroke in swimming.
For his fans and supporters, Ricci said, “I hope you are following me for the good vibes that I bring. That’s all I want to do, is bring positivity. If I can show up on your phone for 10 seconds a day and make you smile, then that makes me happy.”
To learn more about Tayo Ricci, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
