Rich Kidd facts for kids

Ritchie Acheampong (born April 28, 1987), known as Rich Kidd, is a Canadian hip hop artist. He is a talented record producer, rapper, and film director from Toronto, Ontario.

Rich Kidd has been nominated for the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year twice as a solo artist. He received nominations in 2013 for his album The Closers and in 2014 for In My Opinion.

In 2013, he started a music group called Naturally Born Strangers with Tona and Adam Bomb. Their first album, The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers, won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2015.

Rich Kidd's Early Life

Ritchie Acheampong was born in Toronto, Ontario. His parents were immigrants from Ghana. When he was three years old, his family moved to Mississauga.

He graduated from Loyola Catholic Secondary School. He also completed a program at The Remix Project. This program helps young people learn about music, art, and business.

Rich Kidd's Music Career

Starting His Music Journey

Rich Kidd began making music as a teenager. He got his first chance to produce music when he was 19. This was for the rap artists Frank n Dank on their song "Get Right Song."

In 2007, he produced four songs for Drake's Comeback Season mixtape. This was an early step in his career.

Music from 2009 to Today

In 2009, famous rappers Busta Rhymes and Billy Danze used a song produced by Rich Kidd. The song was called "Undescribable." That same year, K-os released a song called "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman." Rich Kidd produced this song, which featured Nelly Furtado.

In 2010, Rich Kidd performed at the Manifesto Hip Hop festival in Canada. He also helped produce a song called "Listen" on Shad's album TSOL. This album later won a Juno Award.

Rich Kidd was nominated for Producer of the Year in 2010. The next year, he received five nominations, winning an award for Artist Mixtape of the Year.

Directing and Touring

Rich Kidd also started directing films. His first short film, Trespassing, was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. His first solo song was "Take It Slow."

Soon after, the Toronto Star newspaper named him one of the top 5 local MCs. He then began touring in the UK and Australia.

Working with Big Names

In 2011, Kendrick Lamar said he wanted to work with Rich Kidd. They even recorded some music together that has not been released.

Jay-Z's engineer, Young Guru, has also praised Rich Kidd. He said Rich Kidd is one of his favorite producers.

New Albums and Recognition

In 2012, Rich Kidd released an instrumental mixtape called Kiddstrumentals. He also released his first studio album, The Closers, with Vancouver rapper SonReal. This album earned him a Juno Award nomination.

In April 2013, Rich Kidd released his solo album In My Opinion. This album featured popular songs like "SYKE" and "Can I Get A [Bom Bom]." It was nominated for a Juno Award in 2014.

The CBC called Rich Kidd "your favourite Canadian rapper's favourite rapper" in 2013.

Documentaries and Awards

In 2014, Rich Kidd hosted documentaries for Noisey and Vice Media. These included "Rich Kidd in Iqaluit" and "First Out Here: Indigenous Hip Hop in Canada." These shows still play on Viceland, Vice's TV channel.

In 2015, Rich Kidd and his group, Naturally Born Strangers, won a Juno Award. They won for Best Rap Recording. They also won the Sirius XM Indie award for Best Hip Hop/Rap Group.

Acting and Community Work

In 2017, Rich Kidd acted in the movie Filth City. He starred alongside Melinda Shankar.

Rich Kidd is also very involved in helping his community through art. He works with different groups and mentorship programs. He is currently the leader of the Recording Arts program at The Remix Project.

Rich Kidd's Music

Albums

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

Mixtapes

• Kiddstrumentals V.1 (2012)
• The Closers (with SonReal) (2012)
• 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 Rich Kidd Has Won

• Juno Awards 2011 – Rap Recording of the Year (Shad's TSOL produced by Rich Kidd)
• 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)

Awards Rich Kidd Was Nominated For

• 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
• Hip Hop Single of the Year (2x)
• R&B Single of the Year
• Producer of the Year
• 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)
• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with SonReal' "Hometown"
• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with Naturally Born Strangers "No One Knows My Struggle"
• Best Post Production – with Naturally Born Strangers "Jameson Ave"
• Hip Hop Video of the Year – with Tassnata' "Let's Go"