THE LAST HOPE Featuring Rich Flee

In this episode of A BRIGHTER BREE we speak with RICH FLEE about his current album titled THE LAST HOPE. We speak candidly about the current hustles he has to make in order to survive until the dream becomes a reality.  We also talk about recognizing your supporters and making THEM your focus instead of those who aren't incline to support you while you're on the journey.  Are you guilty of focusing on the ones who don't support you rather than the ones who do?

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Transcript

Intro Bree:  Y'all we have reached episode eight of A Brighter Bree Podcast. OK episode eight that's a big deal OK we have survived the infamous episode seven pod fade OK so bring in all the celebratory noises bringing the drums the horns the bells bring ‘em all in OK because we are celebrating this episode and this week we have model and music artist Rich Flee

*OUTSIDE by Rich Flee plays*

 I feel like I need somebody but promise you stay by my side I know you can't do no wrong and when I'm with your first right I just wanna know you better so tell me what you want now

Bree: I am so excited about this episode so y'all ready to catch up 

Bree:  Guys thank you so much for coming back to another episode of A Brighter Bree. I'm so excited about this next guest. Our next guest is a fellow music artist give it up for Mr. Rich Flee!  Hey Rich!

Rich Flee:  Whats going on?

Bree:  how you doing?

Rich Flee:  I’m livin’ the dream… I’m livin’ the dream.

Bree:  alright I hear that OK hold up before we get into it I just want to address like two elephants in the room one this bandana I'm wearing right now y'all I need to get my hair done so I don't even want to see no comments or anything about it OK. And [I got this hat on] two the other elephant in the room if you watched A Brighter Bree you've probably seen me interview a few actors you know and you're like why she got that music artist on there… she's supposed to be interviewing actors. No, this is a platform for all black creatives that's one. And another thing is not a lot of people know this about me but umm I actually my first love was music so I'm a band geek I was a drum major all the things you know [I ain’t know dat] yeah and the and when I fell in love with music I was in 5th grade so about 11-12 years old I heard my teacher play a saxophone and it was it for me after that so I say that to say you don't know how much this means to me like having you a fellow music artist on my platform so thank you so much Rich let me get that out of the way and I wanted to segue into asking you when did you fall in love with music?

Rich Flee:  yeah my music journey really started just from listening to music I never really had any aspirations of like wanting to be an artist younger I remember in middle school I had ended up joining this chorus just because there was this girl that liked so I just end up in this class end up singing I'm in middle school I'm like what am I doing 

Bree:  always the lover boy, go head.

Rich Flee: always the lover boy yeah so end up doing that whatever that was cool but just as a kid I always listen to music I always have music in my ears in school like I just needed music to get through my day and umm it really wasn't until after high school I decided to chase like music and like be an artist I never had like I never grew up wanting to be an artist to be famous but like after high school I go in the studio and I sent it to a few of my friends and they're like yo bro like I think you should keep going with it like just keep trying it and just see what happens and the rest is history you know we here now we started started my first studio session was in 2018 so I've been doing it for about 5-5 years almost six years 

Bree:  ohh wow I love to hear that I love I love the genuineness of your story because some people they'll be like Oh yeah since three years old I'm always known what I wanted to do [yeah yeah] but that's even my story like I didn't know until later in life that I wanted to do acting so like I'm glad to hear I'm not alone you talked about it happening from middle school and then after high school I already did my research so I know right now you're in Atlanta area right?

Rich Flee: Correct.

Bree: but you grew up in the DMV area right?

Rich Flee:  I did I grew up in Baltimore W Baltimore was where I stayed at till like about five years old and then ended up moving out here and I've been here since it's been here for years so I'm I'm from Atlanta too.

Bree: Oh hold on so you're you're primal years was in Atlanta?

Rich Flee: So yeah my prime years was in Atlanta but like DMV is just always in me like that will always be [I got you] feel me like that's just always like where I come my aura comes from and just like my swag so like … I’m always gonna show love to the DMV

Bree: Yes do you go back often like to visit your family and stuff?

Rich flee:  Yeah for sure. So I go back and visit at least once a year.

Bree:  OK OK now I want to ask you are you currently signed to a record label or are you shopping around right now what's going on with that?

Rich Flee: So right now I am I'm working with a Mecca Made Entertainment I am signed to a Independent Record label right now. My cousin Stige AKA Stige The Gifted… he runs the label and he signed me back in 2021 it was in may 2021 you know we just figured out that would be the best thing to really get us going and have everything professional and all move as a unit so me and my cousin Wavier… my cousin Stige The Gifted… we all just came together and we all on the label and we have affiliates as well as well and right now that's who I’m wit and that’s Mecca Made for Life.  That’s who I’m rocking right now. 

Bree:  OK and you're rocking it well I I listen to the album and I ain't gonna front when you said you'd be willing to come on the podcast I'm like OK yeah I get a music artist on the podcast I'm like OK some new rapper whatever I ain’t gonna front I’mm be real but I listened to the album which is called The Last Hope and I got it right right OK you were you were frozen I don't know if it was the screen or you [you did, you did] and I was I was very impressed Rich Flee. I was like OK like this I'm not just saying that because you agreed to be on the podcast I was like this is like when I I’m an R&B girl all day I ain't gonna lie but when I do listen to hip hop I listen to like Drake and J. Cole and that your album gave me that feel so you were like right into the category that I'm drawn to when I listen to hip hop so I was just like wow he's really good and I even [‘preciate that] you're welcome and I even I saw somebody comment it recently or you posted on TikTok so I was like oh y'all need to follow him because he's going to be famous one day and I really do believe that for you so like I have so many questions right now for one [ask me all] since I already said that like what keeps you motivated to keep going I mean I know you're already signed now but is that what gives you hope or like are there down times or…

Rich Flee:  For sure I have down times I have bad days I won't even say bad days bad moments cause you know every day is a blessing so I have my moments I have times where I don't want to be bothered like anybody else I have times where I just need to you know get myself together but uh I mean the whole journey is a process you know the whole journey is a process and what keeps me going is just knowing that I have a chance to change my family's life you know more importantly than changing my life and just knowing that not doing this for reason you know there's a purpose to this it's not just to be famous but you know I make music to really give people hope give people that feeling bring that love back bring that feel good music back because I feel like that's what we missing right now and that's my motivation to to have my name in the in the books of music for sure 

Bree:  oh… such a good answer I'm sorry you talk about giving feel good music in giving people hope like what artist did you listen to or who do you think influenced you like with your music?

Rich Flee: My influences with my music is just like you know just my my inspiration I would definitely have to give credit to Drake of course like that was one of my favorite artist

Bree: I hear it I hear it all in that album go ahead sorry 

Rich Flee:  yeah you know and it's like Drake… umm PNB rock for sure like that was one of my favorite artists coming up yeah yeah Rest in Peace PNB.  I always say my top three PNB rock Drake and Young Thug those three like inspire me like wit my music and just like my sound just trying things and just wanting to be different you know using my voice as an instrument so I gotta give credit to those three for sure.

Bree:  OK well yeah you definitely have a different sound I also let's let's talk let's keep it real let's talk about how we met we met doing production you know [Wild’N Out] yes, matter of fact I'm wearing the gear right now 

Rich Flee:  Oh you wearing yo merch? I shoulda… I got like 5 I got 10 hoodies I got hoodies.

Bree: every season it's a collection 

Rich Flee:  I got hoodies for days 

Bree:  hello OK so yeah I met you while we were both doing production work so again that is what this platform is about is like OK we all have this dream whether to be a music artist or actor or director or whatever have you not but in the meantime it's like what are we doing in order to survive so like I said I've met you during production then.  But we know quite recently we have the strikes going on and that's really affecting everyone So what were you doing like before I met you doing production and what are you doing in the meantime is it strictly focused on music right now or do you have other things that are part of your grind in order to like make income?

Rich Flee:  Yeah so I started actually in production … what are we in… 20/2021 so I've been in production for about two years yeah I was in production for 2 years everything was smooth ended up with my first Wild N’ Out season and then they brought me back to my second season my first season I didn't know what was going… I didn't know what to expect but my second season I kind of got a feel for it and I was like oh I know what I'm doing

Bree: Is that when I met you the second season?

Rich Flee:  Yep second season is when I met you [OK alright go ahead go ahead] second season is when I met you working in working in the wardrobe was just fun just being behind the scenes and everything it was very motivation just seeing all the cast members and celebrities that we just got to see like people don't get to see that every day so I really took that I didn't take that for granted like I I could I would get a picture with somebody you know I mean like just those moments you just can't take for granted but yeah you know he's working in that and then we hit the strike so I've just been working a little small gigs other jobs trying to you know just get by and stuff like that but music is my main focus right now for sure but definitely working and just doing other side hustles to bring in income for that for sure.

Bree:  What type of side hustles if you don't mind me asking?

Rich Flee:  Yeah shoot I was just I this is hilarious … this is a story for you this is funny alright so I was just working at this restaurant right I ain’t gonna put the name out there but I was just working at the restaurant as a server and this happened recently like as of like yesterday [oh wow] I quit 

Bree:  Ok

Rich Flee:  And I quit because mentally I felt like it wasn't I was just getting drained and it was taking like a lot of my creative creativeness away.. you know just working and just the hours like not necessarily even hours just the pay wasn't just enough for me and just wasn’t what I wanted to do so it was like alright I'm going to go ahead and you know figure some other job like I'm never gonna stress about money I know God got me I got faith and all that so like I'm never like gonna be like trying to hope please give me money I need money I'm a hustler [hello] if its DoorDash if it's go Amazon warehouse if it's go lay low if I gotta lay low for six months to go grind and like be out the way and work wherever that's what I'm on so yeah right now I'm just going to find something lay low grind stack up in six months everybody be asking ‘Dang you went crazy he was grinding” and like yeah I was grinding you know I was I was posting every day on TikTok I was doing this I was working behind the scenes like people don't even know that you know so I'm a hustler so I'm gonna get it by any means you know so that's what I'm on right now just just want find another job and just you know some part time just to hold me down I can't do the full time right now because I just gotta I gotta grind.

Bree:  No I definitely agree with that like if you're trying to do something creative for two reasons I think part time is the way to go because you need enough time to make that your main focus you know and like you said sometimes you get in certain environments you take on certain jobs and it really does drain you mentally creatively you know so I'm glad you recognized that and was like OK I gotta jump ship this ain't for me 

Rich Flee:  Like that's like one thing about me I don't hesitate and I mean especially at this time of my life like it's no time to waste it's no time to be like 1 foot in one foot so it's like I’m either all in on this or not. You know like now it's like every day counts every second counts as a routine when I wake up like every day counts you know what I mean so yeah I'm not sticking around sticking around I don't like something like something but like Wild N’ Out it actually helped with my creative space and inspired me and motivated me you feel me like [Same]  being on production that helped me I would say for Wild N’ Out specifically helped me a lot I can't speak for other shows cause other shows are just crazy but Wild N’ Out definitely motivated me and helped me in my creativeness.

Bree: No same that's why whenever I get a chance I try to go back because I really get inspired as well you mentioned like sometimes when you're on set you was like if you see somebody you asked for a picture whatever like that I sometimes I struggle with that [yeah] what do you how do you get over it like not you know not being shy and like going approaching that person who's like quote UN quote a celebrity to ask for a picture?

Rich Flee:  I'm not gonna lie to you and be like I just come up to people and just I have definitely been nervous to like ask somebody you know cause like I don't want to like be like come off as like you know 

Bree: thirsty

Rich Flee: right yeah yeah I'm an artist so it's like yeah trying to network I'm trying to work I'm trying to meet people I introduce myself hey I’m an artist I just want to introduce myself I know about you whoopdee whoop and I just I just gotta go I can't think about it… that that's that's me like because I do think too much sometimes so like with that I just like I'm going I'm just going to ask to take a picture if they say no they say no if they messing with me um they go on they gonna you know have a picture with me and stuff like that so it's just going and just doing it I just gotta do it and just get it out of my head like I don't know you know I'm saying because it's definitely nerve wrecking sometimes for sure.

Bree:  no absolutely absolutely I was gonna say well first of all I already mentioned it one time THE LAST HOPE, is that your only album is there another album that I should look for?

Rich Flee:  So the last hope is like the main project that I've dropped as an artist I did first came out with music I did drop an EP Hopeless Romantic a few songs on there… had to take it down because I had a few songs on a project that I wanted to put on the new project and with the label with this project it was released through the label so if you have to you know reorganize things stuff like that so like my only project that's out right now is my first album The Last Hope and like you said I love that album like

Bree: It's amazing

Rich Flee:  It’s hits on there

Bree: it's really good it really has hits.  Top Five that's my joint [Top Five yes] that's my joint like I'm like not saying that cause you on here.  I'm like OK I'm gonna be playing this all the time I'm gonna be putting other people on to it.  Matter fact I'm putting y'all on to it right now make sure y'all get The Last Hope it's really good and you better give me credit and be like A Brighter Bree put me on to this [let ‘em know let ‘em now]

Bree:  Now as I listen to The Last Hope like I said it reminded me of what I'm what I gravitate towards anyway which is like Drake and J. Cole and I teased you earlier and said oh you're such a lover boy so like do you consider yourself like a hopeless romantic in that like like keep it real don't be trying to be all hard you know I'm saying because I feel like I really love I mean you give the nastiness and the album too now so if y'all like that it's in there but 

Rich Flee:  yeah I'm on my grown I'm on my grown ish [I love it] so like I mean one like my audience is female so it's like that's what I'm catering to like 

Bree: no no no no I don't agree with you.

Rich Flee:  Why?

Bree:  I think you got some males in there too because it's it's one like you who like 

Rich Flee:  no no for sure but I think my my like my my target audience is female [OK ] my target audience is definitely like girls like that that's I just I always been a lover boy I just always been like a ladies man growing up I don't know it's just always been a thing for me my mom raised me right how to treat women right so I just I've always been that way like just you know not even gonna be cocky and like you know I'm saying but like I was getting girls since I was young you feel me [OK] so it's like so it's just like that it's just like that's what my inspiration comes from just you know stories just meeting girls with you know dating or whatever my life like all my music comes from like just my my life you feel me like not 

Bree:  Your relationships… experiences 

Rich: my experiences everything you know I'm saying so yeah I'm a lover boy III was a hope I'm a hopeless romantic but like I learned my lesson being a hopeless romantic too it comes with pros and cons you know what I mean yeah you know because it's like you got that big heart and some people take advantage of that so yeah very very very careful with who I give my heart out to who I you know share my feelings with.

Bree: yeah that's that's good advice too 

Rich Flee:  Rich Rich Flee the lover boy… yeah that’s who I am 

Bree:  I love it I love it thank you for owning it 

Rich Flee:  I’m owning it I'm owning it 

Bree:  like I said you I already warned you ahead of time I'm on the free zoom so we you know got got short time on here but I like I said I wanted everybody to know about your album The Last Hope if you haven’t already go listen to it make sure that you not only download it buy it y'all buy it we have to support our artists out here we have to support our creators and just listening to it it's just not enough you know and I was going to say to you like everybody always says because I've heard this before “Aye don't forget me when you a when you make it … when you blow up!” …. what what does that mean to you when you hear people say that?

Rich Flee: it depends like one it depends on the person who they are and it's like you know you got people that say that and it's like they might have really never supported you or whatever and it's just like bro you didn't do nothing but like the people that support me and the people that like genuinely want the best for me I'm not gonna forget them I you could go on my Instagram right now and go through my followers or whatever like I could tell you who supports me and who doesn’t like I pay attention to my followers [yeah] ya feel me.  I mean like I know this person has seen my stuff before I know this person has never commented on any of my stuff I pay attention I pay attention you know what I mean so and I feel like that's what you should do you should and it's like don't cater to people that don't support you cater to the people that are supporting you worry about them you know because everybody gets caught up who doesn’t support … Forget them you know I'm saying the people that are supporting you give them whatever they want feed the music to them and people are gonna get on the bandwagon when it's cool you know I'm saying like everybody's gonna join when it's cool when it's to support me that's why I'm not worried about it like it's going to all come together which I want I want people to support me so I'm not gonna be like oh Nah Y’all can't mess with me now that I'm up now like no support me now go ahead I want you to finally come join and see what you've been missing out and catch up so 

Bree:  I love that and I love that you know that so early on you know that's why I said I know it's going to happen for you you're young talented handsome OK so girls don't be sliding in his DM too much OK when do you plan on shooting your next video or anything like that or are you do you have a next song in mind to release that like a OK let me hear!

Rich Flee: I got a special drop coming so don't have a date [OK] but I will be releasing a song before the year ends for sure and it's the song is like it's hot it's 

Bree: a new song? one that's not on [one that’s not on the album] the oh OK OK

Rich Flee: So I do wanna still get videos out for that album but OK I just want to give the people like something new to hear and just like new Rich Flee like [yeah] you know what I'm saying just some new Rich Flee more mature like so we definitely are working on something right now with the team getting the single ready before the year ends and we're gonna push that and we're gonna you know have a video for that eventually soon but new music is on the way and I'm excited I'm very excited I love dropping music I'm wanna I'm gonna be dropping a lot more next year for sure but I got one single coming and it's hot it's hot.

Bree: OK well I'm excited to hear it and if you need a leading lady for your next video not me not me my my niece my niece is around your age she cute she can dance OK yeah I'm plugging you Asyah MiCayla.  I’ll send you her information [Send the instagrams my way] Asyah give me 10% once he books you OK [10%]. I’m your manager now give me 10% sis [that’s how they get you, I’m your manager].  Exactly. No I'm kidding but no thank you so much for spending this time with me Rich Flee.  Rich Flee is his name guys remember it it will be all across your waves very soon OK if it's not already you know follow him on TikTok I'll put all your information link your information I really appreciate you like seriously I got chills right now I'm so appreciative of you coming to me like at this point in your career because I just know I see very like big things for you I know I know people always say that but I listen to the album and I see I I saw on the set on Wild N’ Out like how you carry yourself like that goes a long way just keep that spirit you're gonna go so far and I can't wait to see it.

Rich Flee:  I want to say thank you for bringing me on this early in my career um we gotta do this next year again six months six months from now we're gonna do this interview again and we're gonna see where we at a lot of things will be different next year for sure so I'm excited thank you for bringing me on thank you for noticing the talent supporting it that what keeps me going people just keep going man like each and every day and yeah I can't wait for the whole world to know about Rich Flee very soon.

Bree: they will they will we claiming it we manifesting it right now thank you so much God bless you Rich. Y'all thank you again for tuning into A Brighter Bree and remember don't let nobody Dim your light. Alright. Peace.  Thank you Rich Flee. [of course] I'm gonna call you after this alright.

*TOP FIVE by Rich Flee featuring Kuji Young and Stige The Gifted playing*