Real Boston Richey talks origins, his exorbitant rise and future plans with The Knockturnal

Hailing from Tallahassee, Florida, Real Boston Richey is well on his way to becoming a household name among today’s elite “trap” milieu. 

Originally known as Jalen Foster, Real Boston Richey discovered his lyrical acumen and affinity for musical production a little less than a year ago. 12 months later, Richey is one of the most electrifying newcomers to come out of Florida in the last decade. 

Having a unique command of Florida colloquialism coupled with pithy bars over high-velocity, Michigan-style instrumentation, Real Boston Richey has been able to distinguish himself with exquisite flare. 

Garnering genuine love and appreciation from his “trap” predecessors, some of which include Future, Lil’ Durk and Lil’ Baby, Real Boston Richey is on an undeniable path to superstardom. 

Being the first artist to rise out of Tallahassee since T-Pain back in 05’, Real Boston Richey is the epitome of a hometown hero as he often pays homage to his southern roots. 

With a natural knack for going viral, two of his breakout singles have already skyrocketed in popularity on YouTube: “Bullseye 2” (ft. Future) with 2.8M views, “Keep Dissing 2” (ft. Lil’ Durk) with 13M views, and “Everybody” with 4M views. 

In late August, Real Boston Richey dropped his debut mixtape: “Public Housing ” through Open Shift Distribution. Encompassing 17 tracks, the project has already been met with blissful reception. 

Recently, JaJuan Malachi of The Knockturnal was fortunate enough to link up with Real Boston Richey at Audiomack Studios in NYC to discuss his motivation to pursue a career in music, his producers, his initial vision behind “Public Housing” and more. 

Here’s how the conversation played out: 

JaJuan: So when did you discover your love for Hip-Hop music? 

Real: S**t, honestly bro. One thing about me is that I’ve always loved music. I always love music. If you were to call me, I’d probably be listening to R&B music. I listen to Keyshia Cole, Fantasia. Like old music. Like Tevin Campbell. Like, I probably listen to that more than Hip-Hop. I love music. I’ve always loved music. I just never knew that I could rap until recently. 

JaJuan: Being from Tallahassee, Florida, who are some of the artists that have most influenced your sound? 

Real: I wouldn’t really say that anyone from Tallahassee influenced my sound cause’ it’s on a different wave but I have some artists who have influenced my drive, who have influenced my ambition. Boy, we could do whatever we wanna do. It’s all about putting in the work. 

JaJuan: So what motivated you to pursue music full-time? When did you find that you really had the talent for it? 

Real: Really, my cousin. His name Slug. He was a rapper. My cousin was making music. Like, he ain’t no rapper. He made music, you know what I’m saying. He passed away in 2015 but like, we always used to tell him “like damn cuz, we’ve gotta go to the next level with the music.” He always used to tell us, like ya’ll need to do music. Like in my city, we’ve always been poppin ‘. We’ve always been the younger dudes who stayed trendy with the clothes, cars. Like, we’ve always been top-tier hustlers, you feel me? Like, my cousin used to always be like, y’all the young n***s, y’all got the swag. I wanna follow and y’all boys lead.” After he really passed away, I went to jail for a couple years and came back out but actually, my sister’s baby daddy was best friends with my cousin that died. I got cool with him even more, so he always used to be like “I be in the studio until 3, 4 in the morning! Boy, pull up, just let me see if you can record.” He used to be like “Imma help your voice. Imma help you.” One day, it was like 3 in the morning and I was like “f**k that,” I’m finna pull up on his ass. So I really just pulled up one day and we made a song. My first song was called “Big YIC.” I was like, it’s aightttt. It was just some s**t to do but everybody was liking it. After that, he went to calling me every night and I actually just started going there every night and my fourth song I ever made was “Bullseye.” I put bout four or five bars on it and I didn’t like it. Me and my brother came to the studio like a week later and everyone at the studio was like “boy, what the f**k.” That was really one of my first songs that made me realize “like, I really have a shot at this s**t. Like, I can really rap ya feel me?” 

JaJuan: Yeah, that joint go crazy too! So tell us about the origins of your name? That’s something we’ve gotta know. 

Real: Yeah, I really got my name Real Boston Richey from, you ever heard of Boston George? 

JaJuan: Nah.

Real: Boston George was actually a white dude. He would traffic marijuana and s**t like that. He was from this movie…..

*everyone contemplating on what the name of the movie was* 

Real: Damn. I can’t remember the name of the movie but I just liked him so much, I really just named myself Boston Richey type s**t but I just wanted to keep Richey. Like some fancy s**t to it. It became an IG name. That’s just where it really came from. I just went to the rapping and that shit really stuck. 

JaJuan: Hm, I feel that. So being a relative newcomer in the game? How does it feel to be embraced by heavy hitters like Kodak, Future, Lil’ Durk? 

Real: Shit, it’s really like. It really feels good because being an up and coming artist. I’m speaking for myself and other people I know, you be wanting to be recognized by people who you listen to and people who you really know “like, the greatness.” You really want to be recognized by people like that. Being able to be in contact with people like Durk, Future, Baby, anybody like that. It just really gives you more ambition “like damn, he’s f**king with me.” That makes me realize why I gotta go harder. When I get up there, I’m gonna show love to another up and coming artist. With me, it just gives me fuel to the flame. If dem boys f**king with me, I can get support from damn near anybody. They hear my music and all I have to do is keep working. Like, them doors gon’ open forreal. 

JaJuan: Word, I feel that. So for my next question: What is some of the best advice you’ve received thus far? 

Real: Man, it might sound simple but as of right now, the best advice I’d done received was from Future. One thing he always preaches, something that he is big on is: “stay in the studio recording.” He’s big on music, like he won’t tell you to miss a show but he is big on “staying in the studio recording,” he’s big on recording and staying consistent. Like man, don’t do nothing else. Just worry about making the music. Man, long as you make the music. Every door you need to be open, gon’ be made open through making music. You just gotta make music. And he said that as long as you stay consistent with recording, shit you actually get better. I watch myself get better by making song by song. You feel me, it becomes easier to record and you just start knowing what you look like and knowing your own flavors in rapping. So, that would be the  best piece of advice I’ve received. It’s all about him staying consistent and making the music because a lot of people don’t have the music. 

JaJuan: After shooting your video for “Bullseye 2,” it was reported that you gave out clothes and shoes to the community and provided a moving message about gun violence/ How important is giving back to you? 

Real: S**t bruh, I feel like giving back, that’s real important because s**t like, I know how it feels to actually grow up. I know one thing though. My momma and daddy always made sure we had what we need. I just feel like I know how it is to go without. Giving back is a necessity to me, like if you got it to spare. Not only if you got it to spare, I feel like it’s only right that you spread the love. I don’t even give back for the blessing. Like, motherf**kers be like “Imma give because my blessing is coming in.” Nah, I don’t even give because of that. I don’t even be thinking like that, I give because I have it and I know I can help in a certain way. There’s people out here that actually need help. I ain’t finna be around here. Man, I got Future in the projects, I got all this money on me but I ain’t helping nobody. Like, that’s a bad look. I’m showing this people this money and I’m showing these people what this money can do. Like, as long as you have your head set on straight, I’m like “hey,” give it back. I ain’t just coming to the projects with this money and all this jewelry. With Future and all these rappers, like I’m just here for the video. Nah, I’m actually active out here, picking up food trucks just to come feed all the kids. Everybody going to Foot Locker, buying all shoes, buying all sizes, all clothes. Whatever, whatever. Aye! Like, I’m really out here with all these people going through the shit. Ya feel me, like those same projects I stayed in didn’t have nothing. I’ve watched other n***s get money and never do nothing for nobody. You don’t need somebody to come in the projects and ask for anything. You know their kids need shoes. S**t, I just want the kids to know that you can get what you want just as long as you work for it in a positive way. I just wanna be able to relate with them. Some of the stuff they’re going through, I’m still going through even as a rapper. 

JaJuan: A lot of your beats and instrumentation go crazy. That was one thing that really stood out to me about your work aside from the sheer talent but who are some of the producers that you’ve worked with? 

Real: Shid, I work with DY Krazy, DDOT Freezing, Jay Bird, 1040, somebody named HEEM, HEEM actually my engineer but he makes beats too. When it comes to picking my producers, I like to stick with the up-and-coming producers, so as I glow up, we can glow up together and establish our own relationship. That’s how I get it. My best song on the tape was their beats. Dem my top producers forreal forreal. 

JaJuan: Have any notable producers reached out to you? 

Real: Oh word, I’m tripping. I’m glad you brought that up to: Doeboy. You ever heard of Doeboy?

JaJuan: Oh yeah, word! 

Real: Doeboy another one. I think he did the majority of my tape. He did about four or five songs. I don’t know how the f**k I forgot about Doeboy. He give me all my turnt songs. My energy songs. When I be ready to pop my s**t, I hit him up and tell him I need a 10-pack. He gon’ cook it up and send it. As far as s**t talking goes, I give Doeboy the crown for that. 

JaJuan: What was your initial vision behind your recent mixtape: “Public Housing”? Do you feel like you’ve executed on it? 

Real: Yeah, yeah most def. I feel like I executed on it but I feel like I’m just, just getting started. Right now, I just feel like with me being up-and-coming and everything happening so, so fast. My life is really in a blur right now. I know I executed but on my next project, I know I still have a lot more work to put in. I know for my next project, I’m gonna go 50 times harder, ya feel me? Like I didn’t really push it how I wanted to but I know for my next tape. I put a lot into it, I put my all into this first tape. These songs were through the months that I went through things. Some of these songs hit different for me because these are like “real life” songs. 

JaJuan: How long was the process? 

Real: S**t, it was the whole year. The whole 10 months. 

JaJuan: Damn! That was a quick turn around. For my final question, What do you have in store for the rest of the year? 

Real: Shit, my plan really for the rest of the year is to keep making music. As I keep making music, I wanna knock out six, seven, eight more videos before my tape. I’m different from a lot of rappers. I sell myself. I pop my s**t, ya feel me? That’s on my to-go-list. That’s my job, ya feel me? Bro, I need to go buy some ice or buy some cars, get fresh and take pictures on the gram. That’s my job, ya feel me? I put that before rapping, ya feel me? That’s what makes it more appealing to people but I can dress. I’m a hustler. I’m a natural s**t popper. That’s my thang! So it’s that and then it’s music, ya feel me? I know a lot of people out here who have A1 music but they don’t have no follow up with their lifestyle. Motherf**ker don’t wanna just look at anybody. You can motivate someone based on how you live. “I want a car like that, I want a house like that. I want my career to take off like that.” People wanna be motivated, ya feel me? I came from nothing, so a lot of people like to see the s**t I do. They can see I was just with them a year ago in the projects doing this or doing that. Now, I look at where he at. That gives a lot of people the fuel they need to keep going. One thing I learned is that all you have to do is be able to see it. If you see it, you can get it. That’s just how life is. A lot of motherf**kers don’t think like that. Once I visualize it, I know I can get it. I just know it’s something I can get. It could be a Bugatti. I just know I can get it. 

To keep up with Real Boston Richey, follow him on Instagram 

Photo Cred: Rafael Javier (@javysphotography) x Open Shift Distribution