29 Jul We spoke to Chayden Richie about his album FxF10 and his workshop ‘Rap’

Chayden Richie will give a rap workshop on Zoom on July 31 19:00-20:30. He is part of Trans Art School, an initiative of Trans Amsterdam, and they provide three creative online workshops by younger transgender people during Shakespeare Club: spoken word poetry, film production and rapping. Our blogger Kylian was completely hyped up when he listened to Chayden’s album FxF10 and had a chat with him.

Kylian Weijers [KW]: Hi Chayden! Nice to talk to you. The theme of this year’s COC Shakespeare Club is “Take Care”. I listened to your album FxF10 and that shit is really top notch! On such a nice flow and mix of rap and vocals you take the listener along with your emotions. It starts with “Check On Me”, where you say ‘Ik ben te vaak geskipped, te vaak gedropped’ (I’ve been skipped and dropped too often) and ‘Blijf met me alleen als je het meent want ik heb geen tijd voor fake’. (Stay with me only if you mean it because I don’t have time for fake). How do you keep strong in achieving your goal? What is your meaning of “Take Care”?

Chayden Richie [CR]: Sometimes you forget how strong you can be as a person. How creative you can be or how special you are. Even though there are sometimes people around you who can tell you. You are the person who ultimately has to believe in it. I therefore think it is important that you also have to choose for yourself and take care of yourself. Because actually, to be honest. nobody else is going to do that (especially mentally) for you. It remains difficult, but sometimes I have a moment of awareness when I listen back to the music I have already made. “I did this, and it is actually quite good.” That keeps me going again and motivates me to continue.

KW: Besides being a man on a mission, you also have a lot of love to give in FxF10, with songs like “A Leader”, “Lady in Red”, “Mon Amour” and “Together”. So much love. Where do you get your inspiration for this?

CR: I generally get the inspiration for writing love songs from my own personal experiences. But it also sometimes happens that I use the situation of others (friends, family or perhaps something I see on social media) as inspiration. It could be that I then use the subject of that situation as a common thread and write from there around.

KW: In “Gas Pedal” you say you have no brakes: ‘Ik wil mijn dingen fast’ (I want my things fast). That must have been difficult for you during the lockdown, right? How did you get through the corona crisis?

CR: Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten through the crisis yet. Try to get the most out of it. It is a very bizarre time, and you have to take that into account. What kind of songs can you drop, for example? When and who do you want to reach? How are you going to do that? So those are questions you should pay extra attention to. In addition, try to be creative as much as possible, try to do most things yourself. As I always do. Record videos yourself, record at home etc etc.

KW: What do you have in store for the near future?

CR: I am a versatile artist and I like to be diverse in the things I do. I like to hear when I have published something, and the listener did not expect that I could do something like that. So definitely MUSIC in the near future !! The first samples of my Merchandise are also on the way. So soon you can buy “Chayden Richie” merchandise via my website. The underlying thoughts of my merch are not typical. I’d like to introduce my “BALANCED” chayden richie merchandise. “Turn Your Negatives Into Positives” For more, take a look at www.chaydenrichiemusic.nl/merchandise

KW: What can people expect from your workshop?

CR: My workshop is not meant to be just a “rapper” at the end of the ride. Because there is more to it. A workshop in general is also a way for me to improve your skills in different ways. Of course it is nice if you also learn how to write or use your voice when you rap / sing. In my workshops, the focus will mainly be on what you want. It certainly takes time, but this does not have to write down for me and / or tell me. Definitely not busy! This is a process, and the answers can only be found by doing. If you are not sure about attending a rap workshop, consider the sentences above. A rap workshop may not make you a rapper, because you may not be waiting for that either. In any case, it can contribute to your experiences. Another richer!

KW: Okay! In any case, it will be a very fun and educational experience. Let me be honest with you, I often try to rap with song but I never really succeed. Maybe I’ll register myself too ? Thanks Chayden!

Chayden Richie was born and raised in Amsterdam West, but his roots are in Suriname. He will provide the musical workshop “Rap” on July 31. It is mainly about writing your text, your flow, your voice and delivery to the beat of the music. Sign up here!