Meet Roy Rutto

We recently connected with Roy Rutto and have shared our conversation below.

Roy, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
This might sound weird or corny or whatever some may or may not say but; I just decided instead of fighting whatever mental battles come my way, it’s better to wear it on my sleeve & mold my best self around them. While still being aware of the negatives & positives that come with or without them. You know?

And it’s funny because it all stems from acceptance of who I am, who I’m not & the royal rumble that may be popping off in my head between those two.

So I think that’s what made my music & artistry so distinct despite the mental challenges that are inevitable to all of us as humans. It’s a weird way to approach it, I know but this is what’s worked for me over the last few years of my self-development.

A great example of this train of thought is written all over my latest project, my debut EP “Afro Johnny Bravo”. Instead of trying so hard to be this all-star artist looking to prove something to everyone; why don’t you just prove to yourself who you really are? A human first, a son to a very loving mother & father who just want to see you at peace, a 23 year old man who’s never really going to figure it out even at 50 or 100 years old (if God allows me to live that long). And I cherish this body of work because it really did allow me to conquer or rather accept a lot of crippling mental issues in a way that felt so natural & progressive.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Born in Kenya. Raised in Southern California. These last few years I’ve grown to be very proud of who I am & plan to be. Especially with the sense of uncertainty I had 15 years ago when I landed in the States to clarify I’ve gained now. After juggling different hobbies from sports to acting to learning musical instruments + singing in a church choir with my Mom to partying like it’s the 1920s; right now my main focus is sustainability, funding & consistency.

In a world where anyone can be anything, anytime, anywhere; I very enthusiastically chose to follow the path of an alternative, soul, hip-hop/R&B-ish artist. What got me most inspired about this leap is being raised by a father who always wrote & read some very thought provoking content + a mother who was a lovely singer, a choir teacher & a very confident, cunning speaker/leader against female circumcision in Kenya. So jumping into this field as an artist & performer felt like second nature.

It was only until after a life changing retina reattachment surgery in January 2022 that I had time to step back & reassess my goals of expansion & branding. I’m now currently a proud member of independent music label ‘Old Soul Music’ with plans to release some of the best, most sustainable projects in this new era of fast-moving content consumptions. Exponential growth in all aspects has been my best friend since connecting with great artists & souls like L’Orange, NappyHigh, Marquis Anderson, Caleb Roddy & a few more. But let’s try not to jinx anything we have aligned by saying too much but I’m genuinely very excited for the next steps in this wild journey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I love this question. Personally the big 3 that I feel were & still are most impactful in my journey is my honey badger type of courage, unfiltered kindness for people & this uncontrollable fascination to learn.

Honestly, most people think it takes so much more than what it really takes to “make it” but “making it” happens over & over & over at so many different levels of the journey. The most important level we all fail at is starting. I’m only 23 so I doubt I have enough wisdom to give you any advice that you’ll listen to but my experience will tell you; just do the damn thing. Get up. Fail. Do it again. Rinse. Repeat. You’ll suck at it at 1st anyway but you’ll also think you’re the best. So take that little self confidence, leap with both feet in, be open to learn & be open to love because without the love to & from people I would just be another NPC.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
This might sound weird but I get more underwhelmed than overwhelmed, regardless the solution is the same. Step away from the table. Reset. Touch some grass. Get some vitamin D. Talk to good people with good hearts & good minds. Go somewhere away from that environment that’s triggering you.

It’s the same as when you’re angry. Why do you feel the need to act on something when you’re under control of such a high power emotion? Walk away. Come back with some clarity. You’re not a super saiyan. It’s okay. It’ll make sense after you get some sense.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Derrick Kirwa Marquis Anderson Pauly Acevedo

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