Rich Kid Sound System

Started in mid-2010, Rich Kid Sound System (RKSS) is "not quite 100 percent hip-hop, yet not quite 100 percent rock." Their sound is a harmonious mash-up of Emceeing and Indie Rock with a dash of Top-40 appeal. "Catchy hooks, killer melodies, and a hip-hop tie, along with a different sound, has positioned RKSS as THE group to watch for" says the305.com, who named Rich Kid Sound System as "2011 Breakout Artists of the Year." Having been immersed in the melting pot of South Florida's culture for many years, Rich Kid Sound System's members immediately identified with the need to make music that the audience could dance to and interact with. "So many people come in and out of South Florida - everyone is from somewhere else" says Q. "People in Miami enjoy sunny days, warm weather all year long, music, and dancing. We wanted to make music that combined all of those elements." RKSS has numerous musical influences ranging from: the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Lykke Li, MGMT, and Justice, just to name a few. Although the newly emerging sound may be in its infancy, the talent is not. After working with radio mainstays that include Pitbull, Flo-Rida, Lupe Fiasco, and multi-platinum producers such as Tony "CD" Kelly, and Jim Jonsin, the founding members Q and Leo found themselves at a crossroad. "We were coming up with concepts for songs... musically and lyrically.. that did not fit into what A&R's needed. But they loved the songs, so we figured we would just take those songs and make our own project" says Leo, about the creative restraints from major labels. Fed up with the commercial bureaucracy, the production and song-writing duo decided to collaborate on a project of their own, and Rich Kid Sound System became alive. For live shows, RKSS consists of Shawn Hagood - Drums (Touring keyboardist from The Dirty Heads), Gabriel "Q." Pelaez (emcee), and a host of various musicians from the Miami area. The band ensures that RKSS amplifies the energy and dynamics of the recorded music. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.