Ricco Barrino was born in High Point, North Carolina with the gift of music in his genes. Also known as “Puerto Ricco” he gained his love for music at an early age with the influential sounds of Gospel & R&B music being song in his home by various family members who had their own bands and groups during the Motown era. Ricco’s father was also a very successful old school crooner by his own rights. Ricco was especially drawn to the sounds of musical legends such as Prince, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Sam Cooke and George Clinton. He feels these guys defined soul music as we know it; they paved the way for the type of music he performs today.
Ricco started his first band by the age of 11 and has been developing his own rich and unique musical sound ever since. Because of the diverse genres of music he has grow-up with; Ricco has the ability to intertwine the best sounds of R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Rap, Country, and Pop to give all his fans that finger snapping toe tapping sound that we all love on a hot summers night. He can also show a rugged steely side that can be traced back to his North Carolina high school football days where he was a standout linebacker and fullback. More recently Ricco has become the lead singer/writer and soul of his group Infinite which resides in “Da Middle East” otherwise known as Greensboro, North Carolina.
In addition to shaping the R&B scene with Infinite, Ricco also is a constant powerful voice singing background with his sister American Idol champion Fantasia Barrino. He’s a veteran of many international tours that include the likes of Kanye West, Common, Keisha Cole, and Patty Labelle just to name a few. He is currently assisting Fantasia as she is working on her next release to hit airwaves soon.
Today Ricco is making his way up the charts with his new hit single “Bubble Gum” which has all the ladies asking if they can give him some of their gum. “BubbleGum” will appear on the compilation CD of Othaz Records www.othaz.com this fall. Ricco says he has nothing but love for Othaz Records also of “Da Middle East”, Greensboro, North Carolina. Ricco is the lead vocals in a video that is currently being aired on BET for Broadband called “You Know What It Is” with Othaz Records rapper P-Wonda.
Ricco sees big things in the future for Othaz Records; with the label growing to the Bad Boy or Cash Money status in the near future stated in his own words.
Because Ricco is a self confessed workaholic with the talent and drive of five men he has also started a company for young writers called Sky Writers. He collaborates with his friend and producer of “Bubble Gum” Keith McMasters of Grand Hustle; whose tracks include placements with nationally renowned rappers such as T.I., Chingy, P-Wonda of Othaz Records, and Ludacris. Ricco has surrounded himself with the best in R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop and Rap because he is always pushing himself to be the best.
Ricco’s style is very rhythmic; it touches the heart and soul of all generations’ man or woman, boy or girl. What makes him different is he has originality, soulfulness, and a spiritual depth that not many men can descend to at such a young age. Ricco has a way of using his lyrics to reach in and touch your soul. Listen to two of his tracks on 2.3 to be released this fall, “Bubble Gum” and “You Know What It Is” by Othaz Records/Fontana/Universal Records. “Never Goodbye, Only Love”-Ricco Barrino
