Rich Kidd facts for kids

Ritchie Acheampong (born April 28, 1987), who is better known by his stage name Rich Kidd, is a Canadian hip hop artist, record producer, and film director from Toronto, Ontario. He is a talented musician who has been nominated twice for the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. The Juno Awards are Canada's biggest music awards.

His first nomination was in 2013 for his album The Closers. He received his second nomination in 2014 for In My Opinion. In 2013, he also started a group called Naturally Born Strangers with artists Tona and Adam Bomb. This group won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2015 for their album, The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers.

Early Life and Education

Ritchie Acheampong was born in Toronto, Ontario. His parents had moved to Canada from Ghana. His mother, Elizabeth, worked in a warehouse, and his father, Morgan, was a taxi driver. When Ritchie was three years old, his family moved to the nearby city of Mississauga.

After his parents separated, he and his mother lived in a housing area in Erin Mills, a neighborhood in Mississauga. He went to Loyola Catholic Secondary School. He also attended The Remix Project, a special program for young people to learn about music, art, and business.

Music Career

Getting Started

Rich Kidd started making music when he was a teenager. His first official work as a producer was at age 19 for the song "Get Right Song" by rap group Frank n Dank. In 2007, he started a mixtape series called We on Some Rich Kidd .... A mixtape is a collection of songs, similar to an album. This series grew to seven volumes and featured almost 100 different artists.

Also in 2007, he produced four songs for the famous rapper Drake on his mixtape Comeback Season. This helped Rich Kidd become more well-known in the music world.

Gaining Recognition

In 2009, Rich Kidd's career continued to grow. Rappers Busta Rhymes and Billy Danze from the group MOP used one of his beats for their song "Undescribable". That same year, he produced the hit single "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" for the artist K-os. The song also featured Nelly Furtado and Saukrates.

In 2010, Rich Kidd performed at the Manifesto festival, a major Canadian hip hop event. He also produced the song "Listen" for the rapper Shad's album TSOL, which won a Juno Award. Rich Kidd himself was nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2010 Stylus Awards.

Becoming a Solo Artist and Director

Rich Kidd is not just a producer; he is also a director and a solo artist. He directed a short film called Trespassing, which was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. He then released his first solo single, "Take It Slow". The Toronto Star newspaper named him one of the top five local rappers.

In 2012, Rich Kidd released an album of his beats called Kiddstrumentals. He also teamed up with Vancouver rapper SonReal to create the album The Closers. This album earned him a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year.

In April 2013, he released his solo album In My Opinion. It included popular singles like "SYKE" and "I'd Be Lying". This album was also nominated for a Juno Award in 2014.

Other Projects

Besides making music, Rich Kidd has been involved in other creative projects. In 2014, he hosted documentaries for Vice Media about music in different parts of Canada.

In 2017, he acted in the movie F... City, a comedy that was loosely based on events involving a Toronto politician.

Rich Kidd is also dedicated to helping his community. He works with different groups and programs to mentor young people. He is a leader for the Recording Arts program at The Remix Project, the same school he attended as a teen.

Discography

Albums

• The Closers (2012) (with SonReal)
• In My Opinion (2013)
• The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers (2013) (with Adam Bomb and Tona)

Mixtapes

• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 1 (2007)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 2: Piecing Together the Game (2008)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 3: From the Bottom of the Can (2009)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 4: The Boiling Point (2010)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 5: Born to Win (2011)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 6: City on My Back (2012)
• Kiddstrumentals V.1 (2012)
• The Closers (with SonReal) (2012)
• We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 7: The People's Champ (2013)
• Kiddstrumentals V.2 (2013)

Singles

• "Take It Slow" (2010)
• "MJ Year" (2010)
• "Don't Sleep on Me" (2011)
• "Back in the Day" (2012)
• "SYKE" (2013)
• "Can I Get A [Bom Bom]" (2013)
• "I'd Be Lying" (2013)

Awards and Nominations

Awards

• Juno Awards 2011 – Rap Recording of the Year (Shad's TSOL produced by Rich Kidd)
• Stylus Awards 2011 – Artist Mixtape of the Year Award for We On Some Rich Kidd ... Volume 4: The Boiling Point
• Toronto Independent Music Awards 2010 – Best Live Urban Award
• Juno Awards 2015 – Rap Recording of the Year for The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers
• Sirius XM Indie Awards 2015 - RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR for Naturally Born Strangers (Legends League)

Nominations

Juno Awards 2013

• Rap Recording of the Year Nomination for Rich Kidd and SonReal's The Closers
• Rap Recording of the Year for JD Era's No Handouts
• Rap Recording of the Year for Maestro Fresh Wes's Black Tuxedo

Stylus Awards 2011

• Hip Hop Single of the Year (2x)
• R&B Single of the Year
• Producer of the Year

Stylus Awards 2012

• Artist Mixtape of the Year - We on Some Rich Kidd ... Vol. 5: Born to Win

Muchmusic Video Awards 2010

• Hip Hop Video of the Year – K-os' "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" (produced by Rich Kidd)
• Director of the Year – Director X for K-os' "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" (produced by Rich Kidd)

Muchmusic Video Awards 2013

• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with SonReal' "Hometown"

IHeartRadio Muchmusic Video Awards 2015

• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with Naturally Born Strangers "No One Knows My Struggle"

IHeartRadio Muchmusic Video Awards 2016

• Best Post Production – with Naturally Born Strangers "Jameson Ave"

IHeartRadio Muchmusic Video Awards 2017

• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with Tassnata' "Let's Go"