The Break Presents: Rilgood

Hailing from Brooklyn by way of Nigeria, Rilgood has been looking to set a new standard in the game with the release of his latest mixtape, Great Expectations.

Standout: "GUN" ft. B. Smith

Also check out: "Chinese Chess"

And: "Flying Pig Theory"

Name: Rilgood

Age: Twenty-Something

Where I'm from: Originally born in Nigeria, but I moved to Brooklyn when I was seven years old and I have been Brooklyn ever since.

I've been rapping since: 1993. Not in the sense of recording, but I remember the culture shock when I came here and music had a huge effect on me. When I discovered hip-hop, Wu-Tang was an early influence that pushed me. The second I saw them, I began rapping.

My style and skills have been compared to: Style wise, I get compared to Kanye or Theophilus London. I have always worn a lot of European pieces and was always ahead with fashion. In regards to my voice, some say I sound like Jay-Z. I don't really get compared to many in regards to my skills because I have such a unique perspective.

My standout records have been: Going on tour with Kevin Saunderson was big for me and my movement. We went all over Europe. It was cool to travel around and see the impact music has on some people. To see the fans' reaction to my music let me know I was on to something. Another big moment I had was when I made the song “Deal With God.” off my mixtape JFK.

I'm gonna change the game by: Bringing the cool people back. When I mean cool, I don’t mean cool like the Fonz, I mean like decent human beings. People that aren’t doing all that fuck shit to get over on people. I want to be an example to kids of someone who took his time, wasn’t riding anyone coattails, and just built his movement brick by brick until things fell into place. I will do that in a cool way though, not like I'm some starving rapper and I will be handing out my CD's forever. I want to show people you can take your time with the music and even though pressure may be on, you know how to not let them see you sweat. That's how you get longevity. I want people through my movement to love to learn to work. You cant escape work.

I'd like to work with: I would love to work with Future. John Legend who I feel is the best musician by far in the past twenty years. His music is always current, but its timeless also, which is hard to do. He knows how to transcend time by his choice of words in his songs. Imogen Heap who is a big English artist, who I feel has had a huge influence in rap the past 3 years. A lot of artists who are into “cloud rap” sample her music.

My goal in hip hop is: To open the ears of the more traditional hip-hop fans. Open more minds within hip-hop.

I'm gonna be the next: Mogul in hip-hop. I am going to work very hard at my craft and slowly but surely I will get there. I want to permeate the culture, and in order for that to happen I have to study and work hard and continue to grow as a well rounded artist.

To checkout more of my music: Follow me on Twitter @Rilgood