Up-and-coming talent Rapta brings a double whammy with Rosé’ and Blasé.
With a slew of singles under his belt since his beginnings in 2017, Rapta is truly a one to watch. Bringing introspective, raw, and vulnerable lyrics with sky-reaching sonics that dance between genres has made Rapta an artist and producer everyone should be keeping their eyes on. His latest release — the mini EP featuring Rosé and Blasé — demonstrates that statement further.
1883 Magazine chats with Rapta about his mini EP, the connections between the two tracks, and more.
You made your debut in 2017 — how have you grown as a musician between then and now?
I think growth as an artist and growth as a person go hand in hand. As I mature and experience more life, i’m inspired by new thinking patterns and lessons learned. All of that bleeds through in the music. So I think the musical growth my fans hear is really just a reflection of the places i’ve been and the relationships i’ve made. I still carry the core values and spirit that I introduced to the world with LEO, but evolving and moving on to bigger and better things was always in the plan.
Rosé is a beautiful track. What is the inspiration behind it?
The past two years have taken a toll on me. I felt like it was just my turn to experience hurt and betrayal. With that said, Rosé is just an extension of my reality and you’ll feel it in the music.
It’s a quite honest and open track, are you ever hesitant about exposing yourself through songwriting or is it a form of therapy for you?
Writing and releasing these kinds of records is therapy for me. Getting shit off my chest keeps me sane. The part about releasing vulnerable music to the public is a bit hard because I know that not everyone will understand it. I make sure to remind myself that it is always worth sharing because 1- there will always be someone who deeply relates, and 2- I have a real supportive fanbase that allows me to feel comfortable expressing my true-self in a world where everyone seems to be afraid of doing that nowadays.
What did you learn about yourself while writing and recording it?
Every time I record a track I quickly learn that i’m usually over whatever feeling it was that inspired the track. That’s kinda how I know a track is complete and ready to finish and put out.
Blasé is a B-side to the track; what connects these two songs?
Other than the two songs fading into each other on the outro/intro there really isn’t much of a direct connection between the two. I was more so trying to “yin yang “the 2-pack and bring balance to the project by making them completely opposite. I’d say Rosé expresses more love and expectation whereas Blasé has this more blasé, sarcastic undertone that tells the story of “i don’t really care” or “if it works, it works, if it doesn’t it doesn’t.”
Was there anything you did differently between the two songs when writing and recording Rosé and Blasé?
90% of Blasé was free-styled off the top. With that, I didn’t try too hard to structure it or make it a song that it didn’t need to be. Rosé on the other hand was a bit more structure driven and I put the pieces together in a more “traditional” way if thats even a real thing lol. But even at that, I experimented with the outro/bridge piece that went against any “rules” and I always find artistic relief in doing that”
The creatives and visuals for these mini-EP are great — from the album artwork to the merch design in collaboration with DZN. What was the creative design process like? Are your visuals something you think about while you’re making the work or is it something you figure out after?
I took a totally different approach with the creative direction for this release. I wanted to deliver my ideas with more speed and make creative decisions more intuitive than ever. I think that train of thought aligns with the nature of social media and its current state right now. For example, the lyric overlays we see in music tik toks and reels is a trend I took and incorporated to some of the content for the rollout. That specific example mixed with the fact that more and more content is coming out at a fast pace is what inspired the cover art and overall art direction for this rollout. There’s no time to overthink shit.
With the help of my creative director and fashion designer @heffdzns, I’m going to continue to build on this concept tastefully and let him take my merchandise production to a new level. My fans will be able to dive into more of that creative process and BTS stuff when I launch my EQ studio in September. I’m really excited for that.
What 3 songs would you choose to soundtrack your perfect day?
Gold Roses – Rick Ross & Drake, Whole Lotta Money – Bia, Stayin Alive – Bee Gees
Lastly, what can we expect next from you?
I’ve been back and forth on whether or not I want to drop the full-length album all at once because I don’t think full albums are received or consumed as positively as they once were. So with that- y’all can expect more 2-packs releasing all the into the new year. Maybe i’ll let my fans decide how I drop but above all, getting back on the road to put on a crazy show for them would be the real big win for us early 2023. Love.