2am Ricky is an amazing and versatile artist working in many different mediums who uses his work to spread an important message. Ricky is an openly trans creator, and he’s proven that black trans men can follow their dreams into the world of hip-hop, even when the scene can feel unnaccepting. This is a musician with deep tales to tell through his poetic lyricism who offers up an exciting discography by exploring different sounds from track to track. His latest track ‘Hues’ featuring Iain Tucker is yet another example of this.
‘Hues’ takes the energy of 2am Ricky’s previous single ‘Watchu On’ and tones it down. Whereas ‘Watchu On’ offers up a track to dance to, ‘Hues’ offers up a track to vibe to. It dashes in a jazzy lo-fi R&B sound to 2am Ricky’s eclectic hip-hop discography, and he pulls it off astoundingly. ‘Hues’ works with a catchy chorus that breaks into deeply introspective verses. The musical shift leading into the second verse brings in a more melancholy tone. It offers up a change of pace and emotion, and in this way, it truly sticks out. The saxophone solo at the end adds that final spark of captivation into ‘Hues.’ This is a gorgeously constructed track. It’s super chill, but it works enough with the music to keep you captivated from start to finish.
Just like in its musicality, ‘Hues’ has a lot to explore within its verses. They’re written in a poetic way and explore the concepts of both love and broken love. The second verse throws just as much of a melancholy tone into the lyrics as it does the sound. Even in the first lines of these verses, it shifts from “Say that I talk a lot / Heard that you like / That I talk a lot,” to, “Talking too much / Heard you been saying / I’m talking too much.” These lines contrast each other perfectly, offering up a distinct emotional shift. Whereas the first verse is dreamy and lovey, the second is more somber and downcast. 2am Ricky does wonderfully at portraying an array of emotion through his music, and ‘Hues’ is another track that distinctly shows this.
Based in Atlanta Georgia, 2am Ricky is the first black transgender man to sit at the top of any music chart, that being the LGBT Urban Charts. Ricky sat at the top of this chart for 10 weeks with his single ‘Watchu On’ featuring CeCe Peniston. He’s put an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ activism alongside his music and has been partnered with both Atlanta Pride and TomboyX. Ricky is an artist who’s truly versatile, working on many different creative projects. ‘Hues’ is another stunning single to add to his repertoire, and hopefully he’ll be dropping another bomb single soon.
Written by Sage Plapp
