Rico Bankmusic is engaging, enjoyable, and hooky enough to make it worth listening to.
Who is Rico bank$? Rico Bank$, formerly known as Problem Child, returns to the Toronto rap scene after a long hiatus, blessing the streets with “Like Me,” Ft Artist Jaay Cee. Rico Bank$ has started 2017 with a bang, already opening and performing in concert for emerging Toronto artistes Top5, Jigsaw, Pressa & Robin Banks in Hamilton and Ottawa.
Bank$ doesn’t waste any time queuing up the Auto-Tune and trunk-rattling bass here, as “Like Me” bumps with commanding authority thanks to a banging production. He has talked about me working behind the scenes with many artists. He was writing for many artists behind the scenes for the past couple of years which is why he took time off from working on my music, garnering more than 5 million views on one song that went certified gold.
Rico Bank$ is mastering the art of top-tier songwriting. He also definitely knows how to catch a groovy rhythm in between the lines the production lays down for him. Bank$ manages to cover all of his musical bases with surprising ease. He gets in some firm jabs with his lines. And he is well-equipped for this sort of work: his cinematic voice, blissfully unburdened by texture, allows him to live lightly without dulling the pleasant narcotic effects of nostalgia in his voice. Bank$ has a great voice that appears in glimmers here. It is full of vulnerability and confidence, allowing him to stay afloat of the bass-driven production instead of drowning in it. He was on tour with Lil Tjay in Chicago and Indiana, opening up for him in 2019. He can paint a vast, atmospheric soundscape and purvey a mood just as much as telling a story. Rico Bank$’ music is engaging, enjoyable, and hooky enough to make it worth listening to. “Like Me” is an impressive experiment in how mood can carry a tune.
If one hasn’t paid attention to Rico Bank$ by now, this is a wake-up call for them.
