Ricco Barrino has recently featured alongside performances by Too $hort and Snoop Dogg, on the “California (Remix)” single by Colonel Loud, produced by Mr.Hanky. There have been a couple of mixes coming out recently based on this Frankie Beverly and Maze original. The same crew also did a version of this song with T.I. and Young Dolph. One of the common denominators here is Ricco Barrino, who holds down the hook like few can on both of these versions. He really makes a massive impact with his organic soulful vocals that sear, more than soar on this one. His voice is as equally impressive as the rhythms and rhymes on this remix and is a perfect match for his music.
Ricco Barrino breathes life into any track that he features on and is such a credit to the music world. He is almost a symbol of what hook singing should really about. He emerges as one of the very few relying on the old school to create the new school. His influences are obvious; but what makes his performances so refreshing is that he uses his influences to help create his own vision instead of just emulating anyone else. That makes him stand out, which in turn makes any song he performs, on stand out. Hence Ricco gets the call-up to feature alongside major players.
But a further look into his pedigree will uncover more of why he is, exactly who he is. Ricco Barrino, who is from High Point, North Carolina, secured a recording contract with American rapper T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records back in 2009. He is also the brother of American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino and the nephew of The Barrino Brothers.
Ricco Barrino released his debut single “Bubble Gum”, in 2006, and has been featured on songs from several high-profile recording artists, including T.I.’s “Porn Star” from Paper Trail (2008), B.o.B’s “5th Dimension” from The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010) and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s “Gone”, from their reunion album Uni-5: The World’s Enemy (2010). During 2012 Barrino released a mixtape titled Twenty 12 Play, and followed up with another mixtape in 2013.
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