On The Come-Up: RiFF RAFF

Note: Riff Raff is the rap game's biggest enigma. He may actually be one of the biggest enigmas in music, period. What you're about to read has been reported to the best of our ability. Bear with us.

Riff Raff, aka Jody Christian, is a rising emcee from Houston, Texas. A man of many names, he's also known as Jody Highroller, Codeine Olajuwon, the Freestyle Scientist, Blueberry Jones, Butterscotch Boss and the Neon Icon. He's also the rap game version of pretty much everyone and everything. 

Having entered the game in 2008, he linked up with Soulja Boy's S.O.D. Money Gang imprint in 2011, also coming under the management of Swishahouse co-founder OG Ron C. After releasing a slew of mixtapes and fostering a heavy Internet buzz via MySpace, YouTube and WorldStarHipHop, he signed an eight-record deal with close friend and collaborator Diplo's Mad Decent label. 

Riff Raff's rise was facilitated by his appearance on the 2009 MTV reality show From G's To Gents (his former rap name is actually "MTV Riff Raff"). Although he was eliminated after the second episode, he left the biggest impression on viewers and is by far the most successful person to emerge from the show. 

If you're already sceptical, know that Riff Raff shared the stage with Action Bronson and the Odd Future gang at Coachella this past weekend, and is respected by some of the biggest names in the game. 

Read on for a breakdown of what Jody Highroller's doing right.

A.) Lyricism & Delivery

B.) Production Choices

TrapZillas ft. RiFF RAFF, Logic Ali & Trouble Andrew - Rainy Day

"All my songs are different… so whatever beat I feel like doing something on, if I feel a certain way for a certain song, then I do that, for that song."

Riff Raff's sound is extremely diverse due to the fleet of producers he works with. To date, he's worked closest with Diplo, Canadian producer Paul Duvro from Mad Decent, Derek Dja Allen and the TrapZillas, his personal tour DJs. He's also worked with Harry Fraud, The Alchemist, DJ Skee, Mike Jerz, Young Chop, Ryan Hemsworth, Dame Grease, B00RADLEY, SK The Hit Man, Jackson Vuiton, Caspa, Fat Pimp, Grizz Lee, Flux Pavilion, Uzi, Kid Ryan, Guru Beats, DJA, DJ Skee and TKO Capone, to name a few.

We can only assume Riff will be working with even bigger names in the future. Peep a video of him in the studio with Action Bronson and the Alchemist below: 

C.) Networking & Collaborations

DJ Skee - R.I.P. Remix ft. RiFF Raff, Young Jeezy, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown & YG

Since becoming established, Riff has collaborated with Action Bronson (a close friend), Chief Keef, Meyhem Lauren, Himanshu (formerly of Das Racist), AG Da Coroner, Kitty Pryde, Lil' Debbie, DOLLABiLLGATES, Kid Sister, Daniel Dahmer, Millionaires and Laura Mikos. He's also one-third of the hip hop comedy troupe ¡Three Loco! with Dirt Nasty and Andy Milonakis.

"Bird on a Wire," a standout track with Action Bronson, was listed as the 27th best song of 2012 by Complex Music.

Peep several of Riff's collaborative visuals below: 

D.) Catalogue / Work Ethic

D.) Catalogue / Work Ethic

As for upcoming work, he has an alleged project with Harry Fraud called Neon Vibes that's stuck in development hell. He's working on an album with Diplo tentatively titled either Jody Highroller or Castle Around My Heart. He's also set to release a collaborative project with DOLLABiLLGATES and Jackson Vuiton called Jumpin' Out The Gym. Most importantly, there's his highly anticipated Mad Decent debut Neon Icon, which is scheduled to drop in June and is rumoured to feature Drake, Mac Miller, Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Rocky, YG, Future and Snoop Dogg. 

Enough said. Peep a preview of Jumping Out The Gym below, as well as a recent discussion Riff had with London's DJ Semtex about Neon Icon:

E.) Music Videos

Riff Raff started shooting videos in 2010 and hasn't stopped since (his YouTube channel has nearly 40 million views at this point). He always has a video crew with him and pretty much drops a new visual every week. The aesthetic varies depending on the people he's working with, which ranges from amateur videographers in his crew to established professionals such as music and fashion photographer Kenneth Cappello. With such dedication and drive so early in his journey, we can only imagine what Riff's videos will start to look like when he has a bigger budget to work with. 

But we'll let the motion pictures speak for themselves:

F.) Live Show 

Riff Raff shows are a party, plain and simple. Drugs and alcohol are always involved, and multiple women always end up on stage. Despite this, he holds his own and keeps crowds hyped, recently with the aid of friend, collaborator and part-time hype man DOLLABiLLGATES.

At this point, Riff's already toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. His shows are becoming notoriously hype, and as such he seems like a shoe-in for larger crowds. As mentioned in the introduction, he rocked the stage with Action Bronson and the Odd Future clique at Coachella this past weekend. 

Peep evidence of Riff's live game below:

G.) Branding

Riff Raff is a brand - he's created a resounding buzz and image that began on the Internet and has since spilled into the real world. His many tattoos take branding to a whole new level, and include logos for BET, the NBA, WorldStarHipHop, and MTV. As his career progresses, this ad space will become increasingly valuable (although he's not about to get a face tat). He's already collaborated with Neff headwear and the vehicle security company Viper, and we'll definitely be seeing bigger business ventures from him in the future.

Riff's 'World Star' is a perfect example of his investment in branding. Peep the video below, as well as commercials for Viper and his collaborative "LazerRiFF" tank and T-shirt series with the Neff: 

H.) Style 

Jody Highroller graduated from Versace Junior College. He has the style of a bird of paradise and a penchant for Brietlig watches, Gucci shoes, Versace glasses, Burberry pagers, Deion sandals and baby igloo diamonds. He used to get all his jewelry from Paul Wall and TV Johnny in Houston, but he's since moved on. Allow him to explain:

Also, Riff recently teamed up with Pharrell Williams' "i am Other" collective to guerilla curate Art Basel Miami, "the world's premier Modern and contemporary art show." Watch the footage for a better understanding of his sense of culture: 

I.) Coverage / Following 

"I'm an underground worldwide name."

Riff Raff has been acknowledged by all the major music publications, both mainstream and underground, and he's developed a large cult following over the past four years. He currently has nearly 440,000 followers on Twitter, as well as 34,000 likes on Facebook. And, as mentioned, his YouTube account has nearly 40 million views at this point. These numbers continue to grow. 

Riff Raff delves in journalism himself, conducting guerilla interviews at the latest MTV Movie Awards and the Art Basel art show in Miami (as mentioned). Peep his appearance on Snoop Dogg's GGN YouTube news network below, as well as his interview with celebrated music journalist Nardwuar The Human Serviette: 

J.) Conclusion 

"It's not very easy, I'll tell you that much. The days get gruelling, the times get harsh; the poetry gets more in depth."

2013 is looking promising for the Rap Game Ferris Bueller. Ideally, he'll be dropping his projects with Harry Fraud, Diplo, DOLLABiLLGATES and, most importantly, his star-studded Mad Decent debut Neon Icon, which drops in June. Also, there's a remix of Drake's "Started From The Bottom" on the way, and he and Kids/Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine may or may not be working on a Neon Icon book highlighting and analyzing his best tweets. 

Whether you love, hate or misunderstand him, Jody Highroller is on the come-up.

Are you not entertained? 

We'll leave you with a brief Fader interview from May 2012 that should help you better understand the man behind the music: 

K.) Bonus: Hello, Haters