Virtuoso

There’s a Riiottt brewing

It’s not often I find myself struck with an artist, you’d excuse my pessimism but these days it seems we’re presented with the same old regurgitated talent and expected to class it as something amazing (a la Iggy Azalea – yup I said it). After spending an unnecessary amount of time trawling through the ‘kawaii’ hashtag on Instagram, I came across a photo of a strikingly beautiful woman with pixie ears and a whole load of pink – I had to know more.

This wonderful Instagram find came in the form of Riiottt, a musician and model currently residing in the star struck planes of Los Angeles. For the sake of being nosey and because I just love talent, I got to speaking with Riiottt and we had a pretty good chat.

Riiottt is different, her sound isn’t ‘box-able’ and her aesthetics aren’t so easily boxed either, so much so she finds it difficult to describe herself “sometimes I literally look in the mirror and ask myself the same question haha.” But if she had to describe herself she’d be “just a fairy that decided to unlock a few brain doors…that’s how I got here to planet Earth.”

Riiottt’s sound is a mash-up of everything you could possibly think of. Tracks like her version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’-‘Heads Will Roll’ has a trap sound that meets comfortably with electro, whilst tracks like ‘Call Me’ have a punk edge. As for her look, it’s edgy yet controlled and alluring – it’s punk, yet cute which is probably why you’d find her modelling on occasion, “Just because I can. I’m pretty well rounded, but I think everyone can do it and everything they’ve ever dreamt of doing, it just takes practice.”

One of the most defining moments in Riiottt’s career so far was her move from her native concrete jungle, New York City down to the sunny shores of Los Angeles; “it changed my life, it saved my life and it birthed my career.” She lamented on her time in New York, “I love New York, it’s home and it’s cosy during winter and a party during the summer but like…that’s just it” she said, “NY isn’t for me. I needed to leave; I was going nowhere musically, people fucked with my style but didn’t wanna take it in. I feel like they were either scared, confused or straight up hating. LA … I was just meant to be here I always knew I needed to leave NY, I needed to be with the sun and the sand. Also there’s so much opportunity for me here. Already I see the progress and blessings – I’ve grown so much.”

With me being nosey and knowing everything that’s going on in the USA politically, I just had to ask who she wants to see win the Presidential election, “Sanders” she says with a smile on her face. I feel the ‘Bern’ too!

After only being in LA since January, it’s clear that nothing holds Riiottt back. As a black woman, she has no difficulty getting ahead “regardless of anything, I have drive and no one can stop me.”

The future looks bright for Riiottt, she sees nothing but “success and blessings” and has a whole leap of new music coming our way, but for now check out her newest track “Park Kids” here.