The music industry has evolved over the decades through new sounds and genres. At present, it is time for hip-hop to dominate the world. The genre has grown from traditional beats to electrifying notes and blazing lyrics that talk about real-world issues. “Trapped World” is one such track that has resonated with audiences around the world. Ritchelli Rodriguez, the singer, songwriter, and composer of the track, has reflected a piece of his soul through this song. It was listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2021, making Ritchelli a promising industry star.
Ritchelli is a 21-year-old hip-hop artist who discovered his passion for music through his father. Ritchelli grew up seeing his father regretting not pursuing his passion for music. Societal norms and its traditional path of academics, job, and family responsibility trapped his father forever, ruining his dream of becoming a musician. Ritchelli was fortunate enough to learn the basics of music and musical instruments from his father. Growing up, Ritchelli adopted his father’s unfulfilled dream but turned it into a reality.
He had a hidden fear of being trapped in a 9 to 5 job that would leave him to regret his dream for the rest of his life. Realizing his field of excellence lies in music and not in academics, Ritchelli dropped out of college in his sophomore year to pursue a career in music. he knew that penetrating an industry dominated by fresh talent would not be easy if he could not distinguish himself. He began honing his craft to discover his unique style and voice. Ritchelli realized social media was the right platform for original talents to find an audience. He used his Facebook profile to release some vocal tracks that he had penned during his high school and college days.
Although his vocals did not bring the expected response, Ritchelli noticed a positive change in the number of views. From just 50 views on his first vocal track, the number reached up to 900 by the time he released his sixth. He took it as positive feedback and launched his debut single, “Midnight Thrills.” It went viral almost overnight, with influencers recreating it in several ways through dance and background scores.
The success of “Midnight Thrills” was followed by his second single, “Trapped World,” which officially launched him as an artist in the mainstream music industry. Ritchelli is the voice and composer behind the song. The lyrics reflect a part of his soul that is pained to see his father suffering in a trapped world. The song narrates the story of many other trapped artists who regret an unfulfilled dream and who feel trapped. This humble but real-world message soon resonated with people who felt an instant connection to his song around the world.
In 2021, “Trapped World” made it to the Billboard Charts, showcasing Ritchelli’s expertise as a musician. He wonderfully blends hip-hop beats with hard-hitting rock notes to make something cutting edge yet familiar.
Ritchelli is now working on his next project in collaboration with a renowned artist in the industry. He wants his music to inspire future generations of artists to break free from the trapped world and chase their dreams.