Meet Rian Wyld

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rian Wyld a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rian , so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.

I persist despite haters trying to bring me down by remembering why I started and giving myself permission to fully live my truth. I have a deep passion for music and expressing my emotions through songwriting. Through writing music, I have gotten through the darkest times in my life. I understand being an artist puts me “out there” and automatically subjects me to people’s opinions/criticism, and I’ve learned to use the hate/doubt as fuel. For example, my viral record “Comments” was brought to life when Timbaland, a producer I grew up on and admired since childhood, called my music trash. I didn’t let his opinion or words stop me from doing what I have loved for the past 10 years. I used it as fuel for my next song. If it were earlier on in my career, his comments may have shattered my dream, but as the artist I am today, I’ve learned to use haters and nay-sayers as fuel, and it’s paying off.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a rap/soul artist and producer. I write music for people to vibe, cry, heal, or riot. After ten years of working on my craft, my music is finally gaining recognition, and that excites me. I’ve gotten hundreds of messages from people saying how they needed my song “Hold On” and how it’s helping them through hard times. My public exchange with Timbaland and Damizza attracted a lot of attention. My diss record “Comments” was viewed over 1 million times. That was a first for me. Beyond the virality, I’m most proud of the fact that my music is making people talk about topics that matter, such as mental health and AI in music, most recently.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three areas of knowledge that were most impactful on my journey are: 1. Earning my degree in music. I learned about structure, harmony, the language of music (music theory), and piano technique. Even though I am a rap/soul artist, being classically trained in piano has definitely contributed to my sound. 2. Gaining knowledge through life experience. Simply living and experiencing life has shaped my journey as an artist. I’ve lost loved ones, I’ve given birth, and I’ve created art through it all. Life is the greatest teacher and the main inspiration for my music. 3. Learning about the music business. I am constantly educating myself about the music industry because I want to succeed in it.

There is so much knowledge accessible today for free because of Google, YouTube, and all the social media platforms. For anyone early on in their journey, my advice is to develop yourself through life experience, don’t rush your journey, or let comparison distract you from where you are. Your journey is uniquely yours, and there’s power in that. Never stop learning, learn the skills necessary to produce whatever your art form is, take advantage of the time we live in, and continue learning new skills pertaining to your art/business. You’re going to be challenged; you’re going to take losses. Do not give up, no matter what.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Log out of social media. Move my body, get outside, go on a walk or a bike ride, and go find inspiration. It’s easy to be overwhelmed, especially in these current times. I always have to remind myself why I started and to remember to be grateful for the blessings in my life.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

all images by Lloyd Barnes

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
What do you do for self-care and what impact has it had on your effectiveness?

We asked some of the most productive entrepreneurs and creatives out there to open up

Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
How do you keep your creativity alive?

Keeping your creativity alive has always been a challenge, but in the era of work