Interview: Boston Based Rapper Rich Joyce Discusses His New Video "Grandmas Crib" and His Creative Process
We connected with Boston rap artist Rich Joyce for an exclusive interview to discuss his new video “Grandmas Crib”, the Hip-Hop music scene in Boston, his creative process for developing new music and much more.
After reading our Q&A with Rich Joyce, be sure to stream “Grandmas Crib” on Spotify and follow him on IG and Twitter.
Congratulations on the release of your single and video "Grandmas Crib". Tell us what motivated you to create the song originally and why did you choose to shoot visuals for it?
First and foremost, thank you for the congrats and thank you for this opportunity! The motivation behind this record was just to pay homage to my grandparents and to do something special for them while they’re still here to smell their flowers. I also wanted to get in touch with the roots of my youth years and create something that almost anyone can relate to. I decided to create the visual because I wanted people to see and FEEL the song on a deeper level while also getting a deeper look into who I am and how family oriented I am. This visual is also special because it was shot on Mother’s Day and also less than a week before my youngest brother Nicholas Joyce passed away in a fatal car accident. This is the last visual my family has to remember him by and it was no coincidence of the timing of this visual as well as his appearance in it.
Tell us about the Hip-Hop scene for local talent such as yourself in Boston. Would you say that locals are supportive of dope artists in the city?
The Hip-Hop scene in Boston and all of Mass is definitely growing rapidly, I’d say personally. We have artist that are pushing us forward at the forefront of the scene and there are artist who are resiliently making their way up the mountain as well. We aren’t one of the bigger markets such as New York or Atlanta when it comes to Hip-Hop but the city of Boston has certainly come a LONG way as far as support of their own. The casual listeners here will definitely support you as long as you are putting forth DOPE music and DOPE content.
Describe your creative process when it comes to developing new music. What do you look for beats? Do you write down rhymes at all?
When creating new material or music I need to have both motivation and inspiration. I feel like those two things go hand in hand when putting together your best work and it’s difficult to create when you have one without the other. As far as production, I always look for beats that hold a certain type of sound that compliments my style. I generally look for production that has a chill but soulful laid back type of vibe because I feel that’s when I’m at my best creatively. I generally write down all my rhymes because I’m a strong writer and that’s how i put forth my best work. With that being said, everything isn’t always written down but I pay studio time by the hour so I don’t believe in wasting time or money. I am also an avid preacher of always being PREPARED.
If you had the gauntlet like Thanos in Infinity War, and could snap your fingers and change one thing about Boston Hip-Hop, what would it be?
I’m going to keep this answer as simple as possible. If I could change one thing about Boston Hip-Hop, it would be the support factor. Even though we have come a long way, there’s always room for more. So Boston! Just keep supporting what you all feel is truthfully DOPE!
Finish this sentence... "In 2019, Rich Joyce will be...”
In 2019, I will still be one of the realest and most authentic artist Hip-Hop has to offer as far as substance as personality. I will also be one of the biggest content creators and most hard working artist in the state of Mass!
Would you say that there is a Boston sound?
Outside of certain terms we may use, I don’t think there is a consensus when it comes to a Boston sound. I think we have a diverse set of sounds, flows, styles and cadences. Even though we’re on the east coast, I think Hip-Hop music has grown to a point where no matter what region you’re from, there’s no real distinctive sound. You may find a west coast artist that is heavily influenced by an east coast sound or an east coast artist that is mainly influenced by the south. That’s the beauty of this culture and how far we’ve come in Hip Hop.