Ricky Millionz cooking up a music career

From roadside hustling to building his own studios to propel his musical passion, aspiring singjay and entrepreneur, Ricky Millionz said he's ready to re-enter the musical race.

Ricky Millionz, who hails from Trelawny but now resides in Kingston, said he first gained popularity from his viral jerk chicken business.

"[Mi] start from nutten and tek on di street and start duh some jerk neck and back and wi mek whole heap a thousands of dollar from dat. Mi move from dehso to di great chicken and chips and dat was di bomb yuh nuh, until wi start mek di millions outta dat and mi cudda get fi put all a personal recording studio together [because] really and truly, my true love is music," the artiste told THE STAR.

As he sits comfortably in the studio in a dazzling all-black outfit and matching shoe flickering with glitters, he said he's hungry for the music.

"Mi really waah fi launch out inna music but because addi whole heap a delays wid me towards the music and the food ting a gwaan mek di likkle money, mi a gwaan pressure di food ting. But really, a music mi waah duh, mi bawn fi duh dis," he laughed. Ricky Millionz said prior to his fame, he grew up in the church where he led the choir and was the man to close all his church rallies and concerts.

CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS

"Singing was like a natural talent fi me; suh going to the spring to ketch water, every weh mi a guh yuh cudda hear my voice before yuh si mi suh it's like a natural, in-born thing," he said, adding that gospel music and the Christian teachings remain integral in his life.

"All my songs right now are about positivity and love, culture or some words of encouragement. Suh mi nuh drop off too far from di gospel, mi can always rally-back," he smiled.

He was previously known as 'Ricky Shepherd' and said that upon relocating to Kingston, he garnered some of his musical expertise from the legendary producer and composer, Mikey Bennett, who taught him how to manage his vocal range and practise songwriting techniques. Ricky Millionz then rebranded himself because "a millions mi a pre".

He expressed confidence that a major break is all he needs.

"A whole heap a man have some hit chune but naah get no air play, it only a hit inna dem pocket pon dem thumb drive and dem phone. It naah hit out deh. But yuh see if dem get fi play, memba dem chune deh ago hit because mi hear chune out deh weh nuh bad like nuff addi chune dem weh we have," said the artiste, who's known for tracks such as Walking ATM and Success story. The latter speaks about his journey "from humble beginnings to being able to build a house, own businesses, tek care a mi youth and have some nice vehicle a drive".

The businessman, who's affectionately called 'Sheppy', also owns and operates a restaurant and wholesale, but still supports his "drive-thru customers" by selling his chicken and chips specials, which he coined as Roadside Fry Chicken, on Giltress Street, Rollington Town, Kingston, on weekends.

However, with plans to take his career up a notch, he is creating his own recording label - Millionz Record - and is sure that with his organic sound and talent, he has no competition.

"My music is different from the new youth dem kinda music enuh because my music ago live on forever like fi Bob Marley because Europe always want our music. Reggae music cyaah die out, it ago stay forever because [classic] reggae songs, yuh can listen dem now and dem still current to weh a gwaan," he said, promising that after landing that one hit, he'll be an unstoppable force.