THE CONSULT: M.Rich
THE CONSULT is a series I started in 2021 and immediately abandoned. Life is like that. It’s coming back weekly this summer, though, because the format fits my bandwidth (I would rather be outside then writing for free) and it’s extremely important to document other voices here. So every Monday this summer, expect to see someone new talking shop and plugging their projects. First up, Barre legend M.Rich, who made his mark with Bar None the Best and is now back on the scene after pivoting to show promotion — although you can expect to hear more music, too.
VTHH: How long have you been representing Barre?
M.Rich: I feel like I represent Vermont more than Barre. Barre is the good, the bad and the ugly of Vermont. Barre got a well earned reputation for a lot of negative shit, but is filled with some great people. Drug addiction has run rampant in Barre, as it has throughout Vermont, though Barre gets the stigma for the addiction and hustling, crime in general. Being in the middle of Vermont, Barre is a pipeline for many things, one that I feel it needs to facilitate to help everyone is the art scene. Poverty mold artists in many ways, and with the deterioration of the infostructure (politically speaking, and poverty wise) is creating a climate of despair that art, in my view music, may help the next generation and some of the people struggling now.
VTHH: Do you remember the first time you spit a rhyme in front of other people?
M.Rich: The first rhyme I spit in front of people was way back when Einstein's was Millenium, before it was second floor lmao. I would go to teen night with my gf at the time and battle people. First person I battled up there was Big Rye lmfao. I was like 16 then. Then I ended up battling Jesse, my ex bnb partner, in front of the Highschool in Barre.
VTHH: What did the 802 rap scene look like back when Bar None The Best were just getting started?
M.Rich: When BNB got started, Charlie Mayne was Chyse, a talented kid in High School that I met at a local showcase. He was dope then, I gave him a couple small tips and he used them and added soooooooo much more.
I really go back before BNB was a thing though, that was more of a mind set rather than a group. When I was getting into this Dj Dakota dropped Self Explanatory, Teflon put out his album after that, then Nastee came in with DJ A_Dog and formed VT Union, which don't get enough credit in my opinion. [EDITOR’S NOTE: This is factually true.] A_Dog, Nastee, Dakota, B Free MC, Manus, all would be rockin’ Red Square and that opened up so many doors for all of us artists. Shit, before that I remember rocking with Dakota at Positive Pie in Montpelier when he was with Hadi and the home team. There was Sin & Lee, and only a handful of others that were actively making, putting out, and performing music. Shit, I can go back to Rude Dog Productions with country and them.
Its crazy to see now though, how far it’s grown. The caliber of music that is being put out is absolutely incredible. Charlie Mayne has grow into one of the most well rounded and complete artists I have ever heard, and when he puts out his funk, rnb, or hip hop album....sheeesh, then his paintings....dude is too talented. Then there is Yung Breeze...this kid Breeze right, the amount of songs/features that are all top tier is insane. This kid was made to make music, his songs are beyond his years, he does the production and has a team of artists that do more than just hip hop.
That’s why I cant wait for this show June 30th at Jewel nightclub in Manchester NH, cheap plug, I’ve been saying for too many years that these 2 need to do a track, but more so, they are 2 of three people in Vermont that should (I hate saying should because it sounds entitled) "make it.” I’ll define make it as be able to live comfortably off music or entertainment. Jarv is an example of what a VT artist given the right opportunities can do.
VTHH: How did BNB wind up connecting with Nastee for the Green Mountain Sound LP?
M.Rich: We had just finished and printed VT’s Homegrown CDs, at the time there wasn’t many other people with physical CDs. We sold around 500-1000 hand to hand and one of the people who bought it was Dakota. Dak told me that once we got some people listening to hit up Nastee, I have a hard time listening sometimes so I immediately got at Nastee and he was fuckin with the mixtape, and then we started working.
VTHH: Were you surprised by the reception of "Welcome to VT (Kick The H)" or did you expect that to make some noise?
M.Rich: When I wrote that hook and my verse it was more about showing the other side of Vermont, the one I know and the one the media doesn’t cover. I was seeing, still am seeing, so many people dying or on their way that I had to speak to that. After it was done, recorded and the video was about to drop I just happened to email WCAX and they picked it up. I was shocked to say the least, but happy, too. The feedback was interesting because there was negative feedback of the exposure thing, and Vermonters trying to protect the farm, maple syrup hippie white image that many of America perceive Vermont to be. Yeah, we have that, but we got the other stuff too, if we just ignore it then it grows in the dark.
VTHH: What are some of the most important lessons you've taken from your experience in the music business?
M.Rich: That art is very different from business. As an artist it is hard to put a value on something you want people to hear/consume. This made me view music separate from business because me the artist cant separate the two at times. I see the value of music. hip-hop, but allll music as a tool to bring people together in harmony while chaos ensues around us. That goes into where I am going with my education for music therapy with a hip-hop twist.
VTHH: Tell me more about "music therapy with a hip hop twist" -- what's the goal there?
M.Rich: I was watching a documentary on Quincy Jones and he said something like all artists should learn an instrument. My ex wife was pregnant with my daughter so I decided to teach myself guitar. After getting divorced I started school and have started to develop an idea for a therapy system that teaches how to play guitar by emotion, but also teach history and philosphy through certain hip hop artists. Much of Hip-Hop is based on the Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Program, and Hip-Hop has sort of become Fred Hamptons Rainbow Coalition, so to teach the importance of community and unity for us poor people, while teaching self worth is the twist of Hip-Hop on music therapy.
VTHH: What inspired you to get into doing show promotion?
M.Rich: I got tired of seeing everyone running on a hamster wheel, so many shows, artists still not getting paid, venues still reap all the rewards for the work us artists have put in. The other part is Spotify streams, which each stream is something like 00.00000000009 cents paid per stream. That aspect of music is dead right now, the part that isn’t, and hopefully never will be? Live shows.
We've had a few artists basically doing old school artist development for years now, so they beyond ready. In order to make a change though I have to start a Coalition of the best artists, producers and djs, btw if you’re a DJ charging a venue 50-100 bucks shame on you, youre 90% of our problem still, and do some old school 90's promotion, that’s my favorite part of the game in many ways. Less focus on internet and more focus on physical bodies. Plus with the loss of Kyle Hoyt a few years ago there has been a huuuuuge void that I don’t know if it can be filled, but someone needs to try.
VTHH: Is there anyone in the new wave coming out of Burlington you could see winding up on the level of Chyse, Breeze and Jarv?
M.Rich: That is so hard to say. The level the three of them are on, most "famous" rappers aren’t on. The three of them are something else. I do have my eye on The Funky Diabetic who performs and makes music with so much joy its contagious. I’m interested to see what North Ave Jax does, that type of rap isn’t my cup of tea but the kid can make some music, I just need to see more. Theres a kid out of Barre named Mike Bowen that is putting out some stuff, but I need to see consistency and the drive to push when your momentum isn’t as high as it was. Then Konflik who is one of the best emcees I’ve ever seen live too, him and Nastee just out grinding for the love of the culture and music.
VTHH: What are you working on now in terms of your own music?
M.Rich: I’m still working on music here and there, my album is turning into more of a collection of life work, briefly talked to Nastee about finishing it. Breeze been trying to get me rapping more too, we'll see though, I’m more focused on getting people I believe in on bigger stages and more markets.
