“I feel like I have a responsibility to be very intentional with everything that I put out,” said rapper and spoken word artist Rich Robbins. “Just out of respect for myself and my family and the audience that listens to it.”
That intentionality is most evident in Robbins’s latest releases, a three-part collection of new songs and projects that bridge the gap between his career (Robbins teaches spoken word) and his artistic endeavors. “Soft and Tender,” the first single from his new set of songs, even inspired an interview series set to premiere this month on Father’s Day on YouTube.
Robbins cites his early years in Oak Park and River Forest High School’s spoken word club as the beginning of his musical pursuits. After joining the club during his sophomore year, Robbins was introduced to the world of live performing and, more specifically, performing his own story in front of groups of people.
“I was also going through some really tough family trauma at that time as well, and spoken word was really the first opportunity in my life that I got to learn how to cope with what I was going through and put that on a page,” he said. “It was one of the most nerve-wracking, but also one of the most crucial things I experienced in high school.”
Later, Robbins joined Young Chicago Authors where he saw artists like Chance the Rapper and Noname garner national attention. “It kind of showed what was possible out of the youth of Chicago,” he added.
In college, Robbins attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full-year, full-tuition “hip hop and urban art” scholarship called First Wave. “And they really shaped me into an artist on and offstage,” Robbins said. He noted the three pillars of First Wave — arts, activism and academics — are three areas of focus that permeate his music to this day.
“Everything that I created in my college years was all kind of grounded in that: it was all music and poetry that had a message to it, that had some type of lesson in it as well,” he said.
On one of his latest tracks, “Soft and Tender,” Robbins’ message is more relevant than ever. “I’ve been really trying to challenge myself to write about topics that I’ve been kind of subconsciously avoiding,” Robbins said. The track focuses on his relationship with his father and, more broadly, on what it means to be a Black father who approaches love toward his son with tenderness.
As part of his songwriting process, Robbins interviewed his own father. “I wanted to do it justice,” he said. “I wanted to get his perspective because I knew mine.” Robbins ended up learning a lot not only about his father but his grandfather, which eventually ended up in the song.
After watching Robbins perform the song live, his father gave him a hug and said he cried while listening to it. “I’ve seen that man cry maybe two or three times in my whole life,” Robbins recalled. “So to see him cry tears of joy because of that was really great for me.”
Robbins makes music for self-reflection, but also for other people. Through keen insight and deep compassion for both himself and the subject matter he talks about, Robbins hones in on a sound and scope unlike many of his contemporary peers. It is music that is equal parts emotionally provocative and heartfelt, without seeming too preachy or overwrought. Finding the right balance is difficult, but Robbins has managed to succeed where others may have failed.
Outside of just the music itself, much of Robbins’ focus rests on a new interview series he has created, inspired by the themes of “Soft and Tender.”
In the series, which he described as “the biggest thing” he’s ever put together, Robbins sits down with other young Black men to discuss their experiences with their fathers. The goal is to normalize diverse stories of Black fatherhood in general and tender Black fatherhood specifically. Featured interviewees include musician Matt Muse, Samir Adrissi, photographer Jalen Terry and Anthony Williams of LGBTQ organization Impulse Chicago, among others. Nine men were interviewed for a total of three episodes.
“The conversations are so touching, and I just think that’s so universal,” Robbins added. “We touch on mental health, we touch on generational trauma. It’s not all flowers, Black fatherhood. But I think we share a lot of humanity in our stories.”
On the music front, Robbins will continue to release his collection of new music across platforms. His latest single, “How Bout That,” featuring celebrated West Side rapper Saba, came out late last month. Another single comes out later this month.
“I just want to be an artist that audiences can depend on to always challenge his creative process, but also challenge the audience to be very reflective in what they’re going through,” Robbins said. “I’m just trying to think of ways of how the music can be more than just a Spotify play.”
“Soft and Tender” and “How Bout That” are available across all streaming platforms; richrobbins320809532.wordpress.com/music.
Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
