Rikanatti is part of Cashis' management team Bogish Boy Management. But he's also signed to Shady Records as a producer. DaShadySpot got the chance to talk to him about Bogish Boy, Cashis, his production, Shady, and more.
What’s up, Rikanatti?
I'm good just workin hard comin with that classic material.
Ok. So, you’re Cashis’ manager, but you’re also signed to Shady Records as a producer, right?
Actually I'm apart of Ca$his management team Bogish Boy Management. And yes I'm signed to a 8 song deal with Shady. But after this new Loose Cannon album I will have placed many more than 8 tracks. So far I produced "Talkin All That" mixed by Eminem, "Everything Is Shady", "That Nigga A Gangsta" mixed by Eminem, "Just Like Me" mixed by Eminem and co-produced by Keno from Blocc Boyz (Thatz my production company) and I co-produced "Miss Jenkins" along with Eminem and Mike Alonsondo also mixed by Eminem.
Do you have any other artists under Bogish Boy Management?
Right now me and Ca$his are developing Supreme Lines, and Dj Arkane is under BBG management. We are looking for more artists but the focus right now is maken sure Ca$his blows up and that will open doors for everything else.
Please tell us a little more about who you are and where you are from.
I'm origanally from Chi Town. I luv Chicagp and I always will. I visit and yes I still stay in tha hood when I go to tha city. Most of my family is there but I moved to Cali and have been here ever since. I lived in Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks but mostly In OC. I went to school out there and got most of my swag from OC. Cashis lived mostly in 714 North County But I lived mostly in South County I rep that 949. I luv it here and I will always have a spot in OC. I'm all about gettin that guap. I am a self motivated person. I have a goal of being the best in this game and 1 day I will acheive my goal. I'm reppin BBG and Blocc Boyz to tha fullest. I fuccs with everyone who fuccs wit me. But if u got problems with tha BBG'z know I'm not fuccin with u. Loyalty is the most important thing. I pride myself on that. Cashis and Shady have given me an opportunity to support my family and I recognize that and respect it. I will never bite tha hand that feeds me. I try not to get mixed up in who likes who in tha industry. I keep it cool as long as u cool wit me and my brothers. Thats why me and Cashis have such a good chemistry together. He knows what I stand for. He is tha gangsta. I'm tha nice guy, I try to give people the benefit of tha doubt but that doesn't always work so I pack that 40 cal and I will ride 4 mine and 4 my loved 1's. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not lookin 4 problems, but I solve them with a quickness ya dig.
When did you first start producing?
I 1st started in 1998. I bought my 1st mpc and never looked bacc.
That's my favorite piece of equipment to work on. I will never stopp usin it. I fuccs with reason and other programs but I always use tha mpc.
What’s the process like when you make a beat? What do you start with?
It's different everytime. I always start with a blunt. Not because I have to have it to make a tracc but because it mentally relaxes me and I hear music differently after tha blunt. If I'm sampling I will sample maybe 5 to 10 records and go thru each of them till I find tha 1 I wanna start with. I never just do 1 beat at a time. I work on 5 or 10 at a time. I don't turn my mpc off for weeks at a time. Then I go bacc and listen to what I have and if I like it after 2 days it's a keeper if not I erase it and re-sample later on. If u give it time u will always hear things differently. If it's an original beat, 9 times outta 10 I start with the melody 1st then I build tha drums around that. Then every once in a while I will start tha drums 1st just to get a different sound.
So, what got you into producing?
Cashis got me producing. I got him to start rappin in highschool. He was more into bangin and whoopin niggaz ass. I use to rap. I saw it as a easy way to get more hoes and I like clownin niggaz so rap is the perfect thing. We formed a group called tha Renegadez. We never had access to beats and I always used to beat box for Cashis when he freestyled so he was like fucc it make beats. We went to his cousins studio in pasadena and I made my 1st beat. He always had a strong belief in me even before I did. I always believed in his ability to spit. He is 1 of tha coldest with tha pen but his freestyle game was unmatched. I used 2 bet my pink slip on my car all tha time against rappers.. Cashis never lost a battle.
What producers do you look up to today?
My favorites are Dr. Dre, Eminem and Jay Dilla. Those are the producers I look up 2. Dre is the most relevant producer of our time. His engineering skills surpass anyone elses and to me that's what puts him in a class of his own. Soniclly he can't b touched. Dre sets trends and is a perfectionist. Em has tha best drum patterns in tha game. He is super creative. Em is a spitter he knows what rappers want to spit to so it gives him an edge. To me he turns songs into pictures, he adds sound effects to beats that brings it to life. Jay Dilla was the best hands down with sampling. The way he chops samples is incredible. He had a swing to his beats. He gave birth to alot of producers. If u sample like I do and don't give it up to dilla ur a clown. It's important to know who started what trends. Dilla is to sampling what Dr Dre is to Gangsta Rap. I really fuccs with Hi-Teck, Jake 1, Rick Roc, Timberland, Neptunes and last but not least Sha Money.
Do you rap at all, or do you just stick to producing?
I use to rap. I was in a group called the Renegadez along with Cashis. I got plenty of songs online still. I was good enough to get offered a single deal with Cashis at Def Jam. The deal fell through but I atleast made it to that level. I'm focusing on producing right now. I wanna be the best. I make atleast 2 beats everyday. I got alot of material. But as far as rappin I still got it in me. I actually have gotten alot better. I'm around Cashis all day everyday. When ur around the best u pic up certain things. I will serve alot of rappers out there. But right now it's beats for me.
What’s up, Rikanatti?
I'm good just workin hard comin with that classic material.
Ok. So, you’re Cashis’ manager, but you’re also signed to Shady Records as a producer, right?
Actually I'm apart of Ca$his management team Bogish Boy Management. And yes I'm signed to a 8 song deal with Shady. But after this new Loose Cannon album I will have placed many more than 8 tracks. So far I produced "Talkin All That" mixed by Eminem, "Everything Is Shady", "That Nigga A Gangsta" mixed by Eminem, "Just Like Me" mixed by Eminem and co-produced by Keno from Blocc Boyz (Thatz my production company) and I co-produced "Miss Jenkins" along with Eminem and Mike Alonsondo also mixed by Eminem.
Do you have any other artists under Bogish Boy Management?
Right now me and Ca$his are developing Supreme Lines, and Dj Arkane is under BBG management. We are looking for more artists but the focus right now is maken sure Ca$his blows up and that will open doors for everything else.
Please tell us a little more about who you are and where you are from.
I'm origanally from Chi Town. I luv Chicagp and I always will. I visit and yes I still stay in tha hood when I go to tha city. Most of my family is there but I moved to Cali and have been here ever since. I lived in Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks but mostly In OC. I went to school out there and got most of my swag from OC. Cashis lived mostly in 714 North County But I lived mostly in South County I rep that 949. I luv it here and I will always have a spot in OC. I'm all about gettin that guap. I am a self motivated person. I have a goal of being the best in this game and 1 day I will acheive my goal. I'm reppin BBG and Blocc Boyz to tha fullest. I fuccs with everyone who fuccs wit me. But if u got problems with tha BBG'z know I'm not fuccin with u. Loyalty is the most important thing. I pride myself on that. Cashis and Shady have given me an opportunity to support my family and I recognize that and respect it. I will never bite tha hand that feeds me. I try not to get mixed up in who likes who in tha industry. I keep it cool as long as u cool wit me and my brothers. Thats why me and Cashis have such a good chemistry together. He knows what I stand for. He is tha gangsta. I'm tha nice guy, I try to give people the benefit of tha doubt but that doesn't always work so I pack that 40 cal and I will ride 4 mine and 4 my loved 1's. Don’t get me wrong, I'm not lookin 4 problems, but I solve them with a quickness ya dig.
When did you first start producing?
I 1st started in 1998. I bought my 1st mpc and never looked bacc.
That's my favorite piece of equipment to work on. I will never stopp usin it. I fuccs with reason and other programs but I always use tha mpc.
What’s the process like when you make a beat? What do you start with?
It's different everytime. I always start with a blunt. Not because I have to have it to make a tracc but because it mentally relaxes me and I hear music differently after tha blunt. If I'm sampling I will sample maybe 5 to 10 records and go thru each of them till I find tha 1 I wanna start with. I never just do 1 beat at a time. I work on 5 or 10 at a time. I don't turn my mpc off for weeks at a time. Then I go bacc and listen to what I have and if I like it after 2 days it's a keeper if not I erase it and re-sample later on. If u give it time u will always hear things differently. If it's an original beat, 9 times outta 10 I start with the melody 1st then I build tha drums around that. Then every once in a while I will start tha drums 1st just to get a different sound.
So, what got you into producing?
Cashis got me producing. I got him to start rappin in highschool. He was more into bangin and whoopin niggaz ass. I use to rap. I saw it as a easy way to get more hoes and I like clownin niggaz so rap is the perfect thing. We formed a group called tha Renegadez. We never had access to beats and I always used to beat box for Cashis when he freestyled so he was like fucc it make beats. We went to his cousins studio in pasadena and I made my 1st beat. He always had a strong belief in me even before I did. I always believed in his ability to spit. He is 1 of tha coldest with tha pen but his freestyle game was unmatched. I used 2 bet my pink slip on my car all tha time against rappers.. Cashis never lost a battle.
What producers do you look up to today?
My favorites are Dr. Dre, Eminem and Jay Dilla. Those are the producers I look up 2. Dre is the most relevant producer of our time. His engineering skills surpass anyone elses and to me that's what puts him in a class of his own. Soniclly he can't b touched. Dre sets trends and is a perfectionist. Em has tha best drum patterns in tha game. He is super creative. Em is a spitter he knows what rappers want to spit to so it gives him an edge. To me he turns songs into pictures, he adds sound effects to beats that brings it to life. Jay Dilla was the best hands down with sampling. The way he chops samples is incredible. He had a swing to his beats. He gave birth to alot of producers. If u sample like I do and don't give it up to dilla ur a clown. It's important to know who started what trends. Dilla is to sampling what Dr Dre is to Gangsta Rap. I really fuccs with Hi-Teck, Jake 1, Rick Roc, Timberland, Neptunes and last but not least Sha Money.
Do you rap at all, or do you just stick to producing?
I use to rap. I was in a group called the Renegadez along with Cashis. I got plenty of songs online still. I was good enough to get offered a single deal with Cashis at Def Jam. The deal fell through but I atleast made it to that level. I'm focusing on producing right now. I wanna be the best. I make atleast 2 beats everyday. I got alot of material. But as far as rappin I still got it in me. I actually have gotten alot better. I'm around Cashis all day everyday. When ur around the best u pic up certain things. I will serve alot of rappers out there. But right now it's beats for me.
