M.I.A.'s Prodigy: Rye Rye

About this video
M.I.A.'s new discovery, Rye Rye hangs with us backstage before her performance at Cinespace. She talks about how M.I.A. has influenced her as an artist, and we learn about her unique sound. We also talk about her single “Bang,” which has created a lot of buzz. Hosted by Michelle Marie.
Chapters (7)
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Key Moments (5)
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Full Transcript
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Welcome to younghollywood. com. What's up Young Hollywood? It's Michelle Marie. I am here backstage at Space with Ry Ry right over here, who is here from Baltimore, about to perform on stage. Huge night for you here in LA. What can we expect from you on stage?
A lot of dancing, a lot of energy. Hype, crazy beats. A lot of bang bang.
Yeah. I have to say I love that single bang. It's doing so well right now. They Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. What without him? How do you feel about it so far and the success and how it's just really, you know, getting up us?
I'm not like letting it get to my head and nothing but I'm very excited. Like I like performing like cuz I get to dance and that's what I love to do.
Your sound is so unique. Tell me about how you actually, you know, created the sound and where it came from.
Baltimore club music been around for years since I was a little girl and like music that I can dance to that got a lot of bass. Like that's what I look for in songs, a lot of bass and different sounds. One day I met Black Star. When it got put on the internet, it like created a story for itself.
So, how did you actually meet Black Star in the very beginning?
He knew my sister and he was like one of the hottest producers in Baltimore at the time. I had just started writing like I took that first verse and made a whole song out of it and then I called his phone and he answered and I like rapped the song on his answering machine.
Now, MIA is like your sister, big influence in your life. What is it like, you know, just having a relationship with her?
She's fun to work with.
Sometimes it's hard on you?
Yeah, but the majority of the time it's like we had fun. She's just hard in the studio. They like break it. They like it, they like it, they like it, they like it, they like it, they like it. I like to keep on pushing, I like to keep on strong and sick, cuz she got a lot of bang in the room. I follow in the picture from the music.
She's definitely making her name, you know, out here in the industry and right now it's her time. And to have you underneath her is huge. Where how did you guys actually meet in the very beginning and how did she hear of your music?
Black Star, he called me. He was like, I'm some of this video wanna meet you. And when I went to the studio, it was MIA and Dip and she just was like, oh my god, I've been looking for you for like the longest time. And I was looking at her like, who is this lady? Like, we recorded a song and then we like exchanged information and we talked. She called me to open up a show for and from then on like they asked me to do the whole entire tour.
I have to say something about your style. Can you show us your outfit? Tell me what you got going on here.
This is a jacket. This is not just any jacket. This is not any jacket, but it's like a padded jacket. It's so big. And it's like the shorts they match it or whatever. And it's just like a little color tie-dye shirt. And the biker shorts, I like that.
Friend. And the shorts. Not forget the shoes. I know that MIA also helped you with your style. She helped style you on the tour. So what kind of things did she tell you that are important?
It's cool to wear stuff that other people wouldn't wear and like put it all together. It's all about how you wear it. If you wear it with confidence, then nobody can tell you nothing.
What's up? This is girl Ry Ry straight from Baltimore. And I'm here with Young Hollywood.
Timestamps are approximate — click one to jump the player.
PEOPLE MENTIONED
- Rye Rye
Featured artist being interviewed
- M.I.A.
Rye Rye's mentor and influence
- Michelle Marie
Host of the interview
- Black Star
Producer who connected Rye Rye to M.I.A.
- Dip
Present when Rye Rye first met M.I.A.




