Through “Sanity,” Riick Wants You to See Him

Derrick Emmanuel, known in the music world as Riick, never imagined he’d pursue music professionally. Life, however, had other plans. When his only surviving parent passed away, he turned to music out of necessity, driven by the responsibility of caring for his younger sister. He walked away from football for reasons he’d rather not dwell on, but his purpose was clear: provide for his sister by any means necessary. He even taught himself video editing to expand his opportunities.

Riick’s journey has been far from easy. University became a luxury he couldn’t afford as family obligations took precedence. Now, his debut track Sanity showcases his range, a genre-blending meditation on anxiety and resilience that reflects the weight he’s carried.

Culture Custodian sat down with Riick to discuss his unconventional path into music, the story behind Sanity, and what listeners can expect from him moving forward.

Before Sanity, what was life like? Can you take us back to the moment you first realized music could be more than just a passion?

Yeah, basically, I’ve always had a passion for music because I started singing while I was very young. I joined the choir in church. So yeah, it has always been a passion, but it was never my first dream. No, it was never like something I wanted to take as a profession, rather. I started doing covers last year.

Before music, I was playing football. I always wanted to be a professional footballer right from day one. Everything changed when I lost my mom. I have a younger sister in school, so we’re just two in our family basically. So when I lost my mom, I had to stop playing.  But I did not quit because I wanted to quit. I quit because of two things. First, the loss of my mom. And secondly, I had a very terrible injury. So I used that pain to fuel my drive for music more.

You’ve mentioned being orphaned at a young age. How did that experience shape not just your worldview, but specifically the way you approach songwriting and storytelling?

I learned how to be positive in all situations. No matter how bad the situation may be. You just have to stay positive and keep a positive mind at first. So when everything happened, I spoke to myself. I was like this is the perfect time for you to just do your thing.  Because I was always this person who could sing. I wanted to tell my story. So I just had to stay positive at all times. 

A whole lot of things happened back then where I had to stay strong. I just knew that people who struggle the most will definitely succeed in the end.

Sanity deals with anxiety, heartbreak, and emotional resilience, heavy themes for a debut. What made you decide to lead with vulnerability?

The reason I chose Sanity was basically because I want people to see me. Not as a club banger artist, but as this kid who grew up from nothing to become something. I just wanted to tell my story to every listener. So it was a sort of motivation for listeners too. 

Who are your top local and international musical influences?

Burna, Rema, Victony, and Buju (BNXN) for Nigerian artists. And Jon Bellion, Chris Brown, Nasty C, and Michael Jackson for my international influences.

The song blends Afrobeat, Pop, R&B, and Indie influences. How did you discover and develop this particular sonic identity?

 So I’m a very, very strict person when it comes to wanting to get a particular kind of sound. I didn’t want to sound like someone else to understand because that’s, that’s the whole narrative of the whole afrobeat space.

They’ll be like, Oh, you’re sounding like this person. But I did not want to be that person. It was just me trying out sounds and understanding myself. 

Sanity has already gained significant traction. Has the response surprised you in any way?

Man, I can’t even lie. Like, anything that happens to my Spotify, any notification I get, I’m always surprised because this is basically my first project. I’ve not dropped any other projects. So seeing all these numbers is like where are these people coming from? Like, I’m actually surprised because it is a very amazing thing that people get to relate to the record. People get to see that, oh, people are actually in this kind of space. Not the whole party, party, jumpy, jumpy.

Now that your first track is out in the world, what’s next for Riick? 

Yeah, I’m definitely working on an EP. But I think I’m going to drop another song because everybody’s always saying, when is the next song? When are you dropping next, bro, we need something next. Like, I’m always getting comments like that.