Kassim Vonricco Washington (born March 20, 1980),
best known by his stage name Ricco Barrino, is an American
R&B singer and songwriter from
High Point, North Carolina. He is also the brother of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'' winner
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...
and nephew of
The Barrino Brothers. In 2006, he released his debut single "Bubble Gum".
In 2009, Barrino secured a recording contract with American rapper
T.I.'s
Grand Hustle Records
Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...
. He has been featured on songs from several high-profile recording artists, including
T.I.'s "Porn Star" from ''
Paper Trail
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...
'' (2008),
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years late ...
's "5th Dimension" from ''
The Adventures of Bobby Ray
''B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray'' is the debut studio album by American rapper B.o.B, released on April 27, 2010, by Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place during 200 ...
'' (2010) and
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's "Gone", from their reunion album ''
Uni-5: The World's Enemy'' (2010).
Musical career
In 2006, after hearing an
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
song while at a
strip club
A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or Bar (establishment), bar style, and can also ...
, Ricco Barrino was inspired to write a song titled "Bubble Gum", which became a local hit.
The song, which was officially released as Barrino's debut single by North Carolina-based
independent hip hop label Othaz Records, caught the attention of
Grand Hustle
Grand Hustle Records (formerly Grand Hustle Entertainment), also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the lab ...
co-founder Jason Geter and
Atlantic records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
.
In 2006, he made an appearance on his sister
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...
's second album, ''
Fantasia
Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'', on the song "Bore Me (Yawn)". In 2008, Grand Hustle label-boss
T.I., featured Barrino on a song titled "Porn Star", which was included on his multi-platinum sixth album ''
Paper Trail
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...
''. In 2009, Barrino obtained his first chart placement, with the single "
Futuristic Love (Elroy)
"Futuristic Love (Elroy)" is a song by American hip hop music, hip hop recording artist Yung L.A. It was released as a single (music), single on April 7, 2009, by Grand Hustle Records and Interscope Records. The song, which was produced by Grand ...
", which Barrino appeared on alongside Grand Hustle newcomer
Yung L.A.
Leland Sanford Austin (born March 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Yung L.A. or Da Boi Lay, is an American Hip hop music, hip hop recording artist from Atlanta, Georgia. He is perhaps best known for his debut single "Ain't I", which pea ...
The single reached number 55 on US ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. In 2010, he made appearances on his sister's reality show ''
Fantasia for Real''.
On January 12, 2012, Ricco Barrino released a
mixtape
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
titled ''Twenty 12 Play''.
The mixtape's title is a play on fellow American singer
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses.
During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...
's 1993 album ''
12 Play'', which Barrino considers a huge influence on his music.
He released another mixtape, titled ''Musical Evolution'', on March 28, 2013, which was made available via the
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
.
On March 21, 2014, Barrino released his debut
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (EP), titled ''From the Club to the Crib''.
The EP, which spawned the single "Drift", includes production from Grand Hustle in-house producer Keith Mack. In 2015, Barrino garnered more recognition when he was featured on the single "California" by American rapper Colonel Loud, which was considered a
radio hit, among many including
HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
, HotNewHipHop,
AllHipHop
AllHipHop is a hip hop news website founded by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur in 1998.
History
The website was founded in 1998 by Greg Watkins and Chuck Creekmur. In 1997, Watkins registered the allhiphop.com domain to promote the artists on ...
, ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' and more.
/ref> On June 3, 2016, Barrino released an EP titled ''Vibes'', in collaboration with frequent collaborator Tigo B.
Discography
EPs
Mixtapes
Singles
As featured artist
Guest appearances
Music videos
As featured artist
References
External links
Ricco Barrino: The Official Site Music of Grand Hustle Recording Artist Ricco Barrino. Web. 18 October 2010.
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*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrino, Ricco
Living people
American soul singers
Singer-songwriters from North Carolina
People from High Point, North Carolina
American hip hop singers
American male singer-songwriters
21st-century African-American male singers
American contemporary R&B singers
Fantasia Barrino
African-American songwriters
Grand Hustle Records artists
1980 births