Richie Rich

Richard Serrell, known by his stage name Richie Rich, is a 55-year-old rapper hailing from Oakland, California. Born on June 25, 1967, Richie Rich entered the music scene in the late 1980s as part of the group 415, along with D-Loc, DJ Daryl, and JED. The group released the successful Bay Area album 41Fivin in 1989, which led to Richie Rich’s 1990 solo album Don’t Do It. His rapping style greatly influenced Snoop Dogg, who even formed the group 213 with Warren G and Nate Dogg in response to 415’s success.

Unfortunately, Richie Rich’s career faced a setback when he was arrested for possession of cocaine in 1990. After his release a year later, he made appearances on tracks with 2Pac and the Luniz before finding himself in a bidding war between Def Jam Records and Relativity Records. Ultimately, he signed with Def Jam and released his second solo album, Half Thang, in 1996.

Richie Rich later became the first Bay Area rapper to sign with New York’s Def Jam Records, and his major-label album, Seasoned Veteran, was released in late 1996. However, a merger at Def Jam left him without direction, and he decided to leave the label. In 1999, he started his own label, Ten-Six Records, with partner Lev Berlak. His fourth album, The Game, was released in 2000 and has since sold over 300,000 units independently.

Despite facing challenges, Richie Rich has continued to release albums, mixtapes, and make guest appearances on various tracks. In 2021, his 1996 song “Let’s Ride” was featured in the television series Blindspotting.