R.A.P. Ferreira facts for kids

Quick facts for kids R.A.P. Ferreira
Ferreira performing in San Antonio, Texas in November 2018
Background information
Birth name	Rory Allen Philip Ferreira
Also known as	Milo Scallops Hotel Black Orpheus
Born	(1992-02-03) February 3, 1992 (age 33) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Origin	Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop alternative hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper producer poet
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2010-present
Labels	Ruby Yacht Hellfyre Club
Associated acts	Open Mike Eagle Busdriver Safari Al Nom de Rap Red Wall Nostrum Grocers Pink Navel Kenny Segal Ruby Yacht

Rory Allen Philip Ferreira (born February 3, 1992), known by his stage name R.A.P. Ferreira, is an American rapper and producer. He used to go by the names Milo and Scallops Hotel. He is from Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Ferreira became quite popular and gained many dedicated fans. This happened after he released his first two projects, I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here and Milo Takes Baths. Other rappers like Busdriver and Open Mike Eagle noticed his talent. He later went on his first music tour with them. He also signed with their record label, Hellfyre Club.

His first official album, A Toothpaste Suburb, came out in September 2014. After facing some challenges with how the album was released, Ferreira decided to start his own record label. He named it Ruby Yacht (RBYT). He runs this label from his record store, Soulfolks Records, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Rory Allen Philip Ferreira was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 3, 1992. His parents separated shortly after he was born. His mother moved to Saco, Maine, where he spent most of his childhood.

His uncle, a rapper who competed in rap battles named NIZM, introduced him to hip hop music. He showed Rory music by the famous rapper Nas. As a teenager, Ferreira moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, with his father.

He enjoyed theater in school and practiced hip hop a lot in his free time. His father was often at work, so Ferreira spent time on online forums to connect with others. By the time he started college, he had attended 13 different schools.

Ferreira first started rapping as part of a hip-hop group called Nom de Rap. This group was from Kenosha, Wisconsin. It also included rappers Nicholas J and AD the Architect. After high school, he studied philosophy at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Ferreira has shared different stories about how he chose the stage name Milo. Sometimes, he said he picked the name at age 16. This was a reference to the main character in the book The Phantom Tollbooth. In another interview, he said Milo stands for "maybe i like owls." This was because his first rap name was "wise owl, himself."

Musical Journey

In 2010, the group Nom de Rap released their first mixtape together, called Greatest Hits Vol. 1.

Solo Mixtapes and Early Success

Ferreira released his first solo mixtape, I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here, in 2011. He used the name Milo for this project. He recorded it in his bedroom with equipment he collected over time. He described the sound quality as "rubbish." The mixtape's title was a tribute to Del the Funky Homosapien's album I Wish My Brother George Was Here. It also honored Ferreira's friend, Robert Espinosa, who had passed away. The mixtape even caught the attention of Forbes magazine.

Milo Takes Baths came out on February 2, 2012. This project was released just three months after his first mixtape. It was much more polished and refined. Ferreira spent more time making it. He also tried to move away from the "nerdcore" style he had become known for. Forbes magazine praised this EP as well.

In January 2013, Ferreira released two more EPs: Things That Happen at Day and Things That Happen at Night. One of his songs, "Kenosha, WI," had already been published in a journal in 2012.

Joining Hellfyre Club

After these releases, rapper Nocando noticed Ferreira. Nocando's label, Hellfyre Club, included Ferreira's role models, Busdriver and Open Mike Eagle. Ferreira had been talking to Busdriver and Eagle since 2012. They told Nocando about him when Ferreira was thinking about quitting rap.

He later signed with Hellfyre Club. This led to his first tour, where he visited 25 cities. The Cavalcade mixtape followed in July 2013. In November 2013, he appeared on Hellfyre Club's album Dorner vs. Tookie. He also released Poplar Grove (or How to Rap with a Hammer) under the name Scallops Hotel that same month.

In June 2014, Ferreira moved to Los Angeles. He went with his friends Nedarb Nagrom and Safari Al. He wanted to be closer to his label and music group, Hellfyre Club. When he arrived, they started the "Moving to LA" tour. It began in St. Louis and ended in Sacramento.

Starting Ruby Yacht

His first official studio album, A Toothpaste Suburb, was released through Hellfyre Club on September 23, 2014. Ferreira left Hellfyre Club soon after. He was not happy with how his album was released. He also said he didn't get paid from the pre-orders.

After leaving Hellfyre Club, Ferreira could have tried to get a deal with a big record label. Instead, he decided to start his own label, Ruby Yacht. The name comes from a Persian word for a collection of poems, "rubaiyat." He later explained, "I don’t have another option. No one wants to invest money in the art that I’m making, no one out here, except listeners."

After leaving Hellfyre Club, Ferreira stayed in Los Angeles. He moved from his apartment to a storage shed with his friend Safari Al. They spent seven days recording (Boyle) and Piles. This EP was released on December 17, 2015, under the name Red Wall. They used the money from this EP to move to Oakland. Then, they used more sales to move back to Milwaukee. This was to start working on his second album, So the Flies Don't Come. Milwaukee was cheaper, and Los Angeles had "broken his spirit."

So The Flies Don't Come was released on September 25, 2015. Kenny Segal produced the entire album. After this album, Ferreira went on his first tour as the main performer. The album was listed among the best of the year by magazines like Rolling Stone and Spin.

In 2017, Ferreira announced his third album, Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!. Rolling Stone called it one of the most anticipated albums of 2017. It was released on August 11, 2017, through his Ruby Yacht label. Pitchfork ranked it among the top rap albums of 2017.

His fourth album, Budding Ornithologists Are Weary of Tired Analogies, came out on September 21, 2018. On October 1, 2018, Ferreira announced this would be his last rap album as Milo. That year, he also released an album with rapper Elucid. It was called Nostrum Grocers, under the group name Nostrum Grocers.

Becoming R.A.P. Ferreira

On May 31, 2019, he released the song "Respectdue" under his new stage name, R.A.P. Ferreira. His first album as R.A.P. Ferreira, Purple Moonlight Pages, was released on March 6, 2020. Pitchfork praised the album, giving it a high rating. Ferreira planned to tour for this album, but the tour was canceled on March 13, 2020. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His team shared a message: "take care of each other, all we got is us."

Ruby Yacht Record Label

Ferreira started his own record label, Ruby Yacht (RBYT), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The name comes from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a collection of poems. It is also named after Ferreira's grandmother. He owns and funds the label himself.

Ruby Yacht used to operate from Ferreira's record store, Soulfolks Records. This store opened in April 2018 in Biddeford, Maine. The store sells cassettes, vinyl records, and CDs. It mainly focuses on independent rap music. It was also the only record store in Biddeford, Maine.

Two other artists are signed to Ruby Yacht: Ferreira's childhood friend and musician Safari Al, and producer Kenny Segal. Ferreira has not signed many other artists. This is partly because indie rap often doesn't have many album deals. It's also due to his personal beliefs about how he wants to run his label.

Personal Life

Ferreira is mostly a vegetarian, but he sometimes eats meat. He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 2014, he moved to Los Angeles with his friends Safari Al and Nedarb Nagrom. This was to be closer to his label at the time, Hellfyre Club. After the label had problems, he moved to Boyle Heights. Later, he lived in a storage shed in Echo Park.

Ferreira moved back to Wisconsin before deciding to live in Maine. He made this move after his first tour as a headliner. He said about moving to Maine, "It's far away from everything. I'm a bit of a wild person. I like to be free, run around, holler. I don't like people looking at me. I need space." He also mentioned in an interview that his marriage and his wife's pregnancy were big reasons for the move to Maine.

Ferreira studied philosophy at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. This is a liberal arts school. He left college after moving to Los Angeles. He told LA Weekly in 2013 that he felt "trapped in college."

Ferreira got married in 2016. In July 2017, he announced on social media that he had a son born in December 2016. He later confirmed this in an interview. Ferreira went through a divorce that was finalized in 2021. He also confirmed this on his social media.

Discography

Studio albums as Milo

• A Toothpaste Suburb (2014)
• So the Flies Don't Come (2015)
• Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?! (2017)
• Budding Ornithologists Are Weary of Tired Analogies (2018)

Studio albums as R.A.P. Ferreira

• Purple Moonlight Pages (2020)
• the Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures (2021)
• 5 to the Eye with Stars (2022)
• OUTSTANDING UNDERSTANDING (2024)

Collaborative studio albums

• Nostrum Grocers (2018) (with Elucid, as Nostrum Grocers)
• Bob's Son: R.A.P. Ferreira in the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel (2021) (as R.A.P. Ferreira & Scallops Hotel)
• WHAT THEM DOGS DON'T KNOW THEY KNOW (2023) (with AJ Suede, as G's Us)
• the First Fist to Make Contact When We Dap (2024) (as R.A.P. Ferreira & Fumitake Tamura)

Mixtapes

• Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (2010) (with Nicholas J and AD the Architect, as Nom de Rap)
• I Wish My Brother Rob Was Here (2011)
• Milo Takes Baths (2012)
• Cavalcade (2013)
• Plain Speaking (2015) (as Scallops Hotel)
• Too Much of Life Is Mood (2016) (as Scallops Hotel)
• Over the Carnage Rose a Voice Prophetic (2017) (as Scallops Hotel)
• Sovereign Nose of (Y)our Arrogant Face (2018) (as Scallops Hotel)
• The Truly Ancient and Original Lefthanded Styles of the Hoodwinkers and Penny Pinchers (2019)
• Safari Al Fortnites at the Scallops Hotel: The First Orange Tree Has Been Planted in my Room (2020) (with Safari Al, as Scallops Hotel)
• Lilac Diesel (2023)
• KEF 33 (Scallops Hotel Hosts a Reading of the Purple Moonlight Pages) (2023)
• Asiatique Black Wizard Lily Funk (2023)

EPs

• Things That Happen at Day (2013)
• Things That Happen at Night (2013)
• Poplar Grove (or How to Rap with a Hammer) (2013) (as Scallops Hotel)
• Boyle and Piles (2014) (with Safari Al, as Red Wall)

Singles

• "Organon" (2012)
• "A Persnickity Goblin's Hard Sigh" (2012)
• "Concerning the Dream Tigers I Have Seen (for Borges)" (2012)
• "The Elotes Man" (2013)
• "A Binary Abacus" (2013)
• "Shinsplints wind Breakr Pants" (2018)
• "Galahad in Goosedown (Fiat Iustitia Et Pereat Mundus)" (2018)
• "Respectdue" (2019) (as R.A.P. Ferreira)
• "Doldrums" (2020) (as R.A.P. Ferreira)

Guest appearances

• Nicholas J - "Sound Advice" from Demolition Mixtape (2010)
• Open Mike Eagle - "Boss Fight" from Rent Party Extension (2012)
• Mantras - "Villain" from Easy, Hogarth (2013)
• Nedarb Nagrom - "Weirdos" from Warm Lettuce (2013)
• The Wilde - "Greatest Fear" from Urban Alien Nation (2013)
• Tera Melos - "Snake Lake (Busdriver Remix)" from X'ed Out Remixes (2013)
• Anderson Paak - "Heart of Gold (Chain)" from Cover Art (2013)
• Kool A.D. - "Pass the Milk" from Not O.K. (2013)
• Iglooghost - "Frenchopen" from Treetunnels (2014)
• WC Tank - "Reconsidering" from almost forever (2014)
• Busdriver - "King Cookie Faced (for Hellfyre) (Greyhat Remix)" (2014)
• Open Mike Eagle - "Trickeration" from A Special Episode Of (2015)
• Prefuse 73 - "140 Jabs Interlude" from Rivington Não Rio (2015)
• Kiings - "Garden" from Wwydf (2015)
• Botany - "Au Revoir" and "No Translator" from Dimming Awe, the Light Is Raw (2015)
• Busdriver - "Worlds to Run" from Thumbs (2015)
• Elos - "Not the Best" from Limit Break (2016)
• Willie Green - "The Mental Wizard" from Doc Savage (2016)
• Q The Sun - "On the Way to Something Else" (2016)
• R. Bravery - "One-Hundred Black Kites" from Hamaon (2016) (as Scallops Hotel)
• Blu & Fate - "Oblivia" from Open Your Optics to Optimism (2016)
• Sixo - "Random Awakening" from The Odds of Free Will (2017)
• Armand Hammer - "Dead Cars" from Shrines (2020)
• Open Mike Eagle - "Multi-Game Arcade Cabinet" from Component System with the Auto Reverse (2022)
• Celestaphone - "Gravid Patch" from Paper Cut From the Obit (2023)

Compilation appearances

• "All Pastel Everything" and "Manchester" from Dorner vs. Tookie (2013)
• "You Are Safe Now" from Mandala Vol. 1, Polysonic Flows (2014)
• "1 of Mine" and "Building Gray" from Catcher of the Fade (2015)
• "Milo Speaks" from Arte Para Todos 2016 (2016)