Find Out Why Richie Evans Is Highly Favored
It had been a year since I caught up with Richie Evans and he has continued to grow more than ever! With a new single coming this Friday and a new album in January, it was about time we reconnected and I’m glad we got to. The future looks bright for Phoenix’s own. Check out our full conversation below!
What has been going on in your life the past year?
Everything has been good. The last time we ended up speaking, I think I was just dropping the record with me and Vedo, For You. It was a good stepping stone for us. I think we got up to number 48 on the urban charts. We put in a lot of work, we jumped on the road, we finally completed the EP that's coming out in January. Shout out to everybody who helped put the EP together, Highly Favored, which will be out January 20th.
What is the music scene like in your hometown of Phoenix, AZ?
I would say right now I think we're in the best position that we've ever been in, you know what I mean? I think that the music scene, and a lot of other artists, not just such as myself, have kind of collectively came together. Things like that really help kind of give us a little bit of national attention. On top of that, of course, our Phoenix Suns went to the championship last year, we lost, but at least we got there. So that was that was a good look. It's been a lot of talk about the Super Bowl, which is in Phoenix this year, as well. I think that a lot of musicians, and just the state in general, is thriving. And I think that we're all just, you know, trying to make it on a national level. Phoenix is really booming right now.
Early in your career, you worked a little bit with The Game. What was the best thing you learned from working with him?
The first thing would just be the work ethic, you know, what I mean? I think that I had a real opportunity to be in the studio with him when he created some of these albums. I was able to give some input, and learn from different types of things. So, the biggest thing I will say, for sure, is just the work ethic and the grind. Secondly, I would say, just understanding that this business is definitely a marathon. And I think that success takes time, you got to put your work in, you know what I mean? It's not going to happen overnight, but as long as you stay consistent, believe in yourself and put the work in, I'm saying magical things happen.
You have a new track coming out on Friday, November 4th, with Jay Rock and East Side K-Boy called Pressure - what can you tell me about this track?
Pressure is just self explanatory man. When you get three artists, consistent sprinters, such as myself, we think that we just kind of raised the bar a little bit on on music, you know what I mean? I think Jay Rock is fresh off a couple of Grammys, multi-platinum for that Win record, you know what I'm saying? So, of course there was a lot of inspiration and motivation in that room when we created that record for sure.
In addition to making music, you have your own record label as well - what inspired you to create the label?
I think that it was very important for me to open up doors for other people. The Game opened the door for me, you know what I mean? It helped me get an understanding of how these things this is going. I felt like I'm obligated to do the same. We got our eye on a couple artists right now; we're gonna take maybe one or two of them out on the road this year. We're going to introduce them Super Bowl weekend in Phoenix when all the spotlight and national attention is here. We really got some some great things going on music wise, and artists wise. It's gonna be a brand that's going to be reckoned with for the next 20 years.
What do you think is the greatest lesson you've learned from owning your own label?
I would have to say decision making. Sometimes when you sign in these major labels and things like that, they take away some of your creativity, they take away a lot of the authenticity of who you are or what your music is, you know what I mean? I put myself in an executive position to never dim the light or take away from any creative. The goal is to thrive that and not and not take away. So, you know, for me, it's just making great business decisions.
You have a new EP coming in January - tell me all about it!
We got the EP dropping called Highly Favored. We got For You with Vedo on there. Of course, Pressure is going to be on there. Got a record with with Rick Ross on there. We've been we've been putting in some work. I think it's just a great, great body of work. I think it's a great representation of who I am. I can't wait for January to come so everybody can hear me, man, because it's definitely a great body of work and something to look out for.
Do you have any live performances coming up that you're looking forward to?
I do actually! We're going on tour, actually, quietly, we're supposed to be going on tour with Jay Rock from TDE. They're putting all the logistics together right now as we speak. I think that that's going to be huge. Not just for myself, but for my brand. For a kid from Phoenix to really step out there and get some nationwide recognition in front of some new fans and new faces, you know what I mean? So make sure that everybody out there stay tuned to that. Make sure you tap into Spotify, Instagram, the radio, call up your local stations and get some of these records in a rotation because we're definitely creating a good buzz out here.
What other artists have you been really enjoying lately?
Kendrick is such a great talent. Simba has been out there, you know, he from the bay. He's really been out there putting in some work. I know Pusha T dropped the album. So this has been a been a collective of artists that I've been kind of just, you know, listening to the music and really relating to on a on a musical level.
What are your goals for the next year?
Going into the next year, like I said, we're gonna drop the EP the first quarter. I really want to put some prestigious numbers up right there, and we're gonna go on this tour, then we're going to circle back and drop an official album in the summer. And then from that particular time, I think that we're going to follow up and start introducing some of the artists and dropping some of their music and doing some other wonderful things. So, you know, 2023 is definitely going to be a milestone and going to be a very, very productive year, not just for myself, but for TEA as well.
Shout out to Richie for taking the time to chat with me again - fingers crossed we can have another great conversation a year from now! Wishing him nothing but the best in this tremendous year of making big moves. Be sure to pre-save his upcoming single, Pressure, here!