From College Park to Brighton: WMUC Speaks With ArrDee

At the young age of 19, budding rapper Riley Davies, better known to the internet as ArrDee, was flung into stardom with the massive buzz around his feature on Russ and Tion Wayne’s “Body Remix,” becoming the first drill track to ever top the UK Singles Charts, now amassing over 222 million streams on Spotify.

Although he is very early on in his professional music career, Davies is no stranger to the musical process. Looking back to his roots, he shared that he has been creating music since he was 13, and attributes this to being from a very hip-hop focused region: Brighton, England. He credits a lot of his inspiration into the rap game came from icons such as Lil Wayne, stating that Wayne’s passion for rap only strengthened his own. He also gave us some insight on his album of choice should he be stranded on a deserted island with only one record to choose from:“Tha Carter III'' or “Tha Carter IV.”

Eminem was also a huge influence for ArrDee.

“[I was inspired by] comical lines that will make you smile, because the idea of music is to inflict the strongest form of emotion that you’re trying to inflict, whether it’s happiness, sadness, whatever it is” he said.

The rapper sported a black sapphire ring, which he revealed as a nod to his birth month of November. The rapper shared how spirituality and protection spells from his mother helps him in the chaos of his career.

“[This is what keeps me going], my stones, my mom doing her rituals, making sure I’m protected and grounded, especially in the industry that is so fast-paced,” he said.

Looking to the future, ArrDee shares that his newly released album “Pier Pressure” focuses on versatility and finding a range within his sound.

“[It’s] a lot more personal,” he said. “My idea of this project was to introduce me as a full artist, the full package, [it unveils] a lot more about me as a person. The UK fans love that real rap.”

Although many know ArrDee from his viral times on TikTok, the fame the app has given him also comes with downsides that aren’t commonplace in the broader music industry.

“Attention spans of people are shorter than they’ve ever been,” he shares, “there’s a viral buzz song, and then six days later you’re forgotten about.”

His song “Oliver Twist” on his new album talks about the importance of staying hungry for more success while fighting complacency.

Acknowledging his quick catapult into fame, he’s adamant about having projects that show the real, more personal side of him. He also is focusing on continuous hard work to ensure his time in the spotlight isn’t short lived. In fact, his work ethic has only grown stronger:

“[I’m working] 10 times harder than a lot of people might perceive,” Arrdee shared.

He attributes the fast pace of the industry restricting him from “assuming that just because you’re in the position you are, that position is solidified,” describing his self-discipline from allowing himself to become complacent and comfortable in the niche he’s created.

Stream ArrDee’s latest album Pier Pressure here!