Today, Rich Chigga is known as a young rapper who, while maybe not universally known to all fans of the genre, continues to put out one quality track after another. He linked up with 21 Savage, who had a banner year himself, on "Crisis," a new track that followed on the heels of another quality outing with "Chaos." His blend of Asian-style trap and American rap influences may not be in everyone's lane, but it's no secret that Chigga's name has been on the rise for some time now. In a recent interview with Pigeons and Planes, the baby-faced emcee delved into what was a huge light bulb moment for him as both a music fan and someone who was interested in creating material of his own: hearing Childish Gambino's Royalty mixtape for the first time.
Based on his recounting of that singular point in time, it's safe to say that Chigga would count that as a life-changing moment. "Royalty by Childish Gambino was the first rap project I listened to," Chigga explained. "It was the first album that I ever listened to in general, and it was what really got me into hip-hop. I remember listening to 'Unnecessary' and hearing 808s and bass for the first time and being like, 'Whoa, what the f**k is this?... I like it.'"
If he was looking for an album to not only inspire him, but open up the floodgates to hip-hop as a genre worth discovering, then Chigga could've done far worse than the Gambino mixtape. Released in 2012, when Chigga was just 12 years of age, it may not be the strongest work that Mr. Glover has ever done musically, but it clearly made its mark on at least one well-known individual.
Sadly, for fans of Donald's rap alter-ego, the actor/rapper is looking to retire that part of his career sooner rather than later. Earlier this summer, he hinted that his next Gambino album would be the final chapter in that discography, comparing the act of continuing to "selling out" in the movie business. "There’s nothing worst than like a third sequel, like a third movie and we’re like, ‘again?’” he remarked. “You know, I like it when something’s good and when it comes back there’s a reason to come back, there’s a reason to do that.”