Ronnie Rage Blasts Off Into the [anti.vers]
Photography by Michael Salisbury
Chicago melodic rapper Ronnie Rage’s catalog has aged like fine wine; his remarkable ear for production led him to find two notable producers before their popularity spiked. Back in 2016, Ronnie made a song called “Atari '' with an unknown producer named Souly Had, years before the upstate New York producer put out “Dance,” which has accumulated over 70 million Spotify streams. Ronnie also did a track with ForeignGotEm called “Houseonmars,” just months before Almighty Jay and Foreign dropped the smash hit “Chopsticks.”
Ronnie was willing to put his trust into these two producers in the early stages, but it took him a bit longer for that trust to extend to himself. He dropped two EPs in 2021, but his latest project [anti.vers] sees him at his most comfortable. The lyrics on [anti.vers] are more potent, contrasting his humble upbringing—“I really came up from nothing, sleep on the floor with like ten of my cousins,”—with the heights that his hard work has propelled him to: “I don't shop at malls, what I got on is made for me.” He’s consistently getting booked for performances, and his futuristic trap sound plays well in a live setting, inspiring Playboi Carti-levels of rowdiness from audiences across Chicago.
On the [anti.vers] release date, Ronnie opened up about the toll of creating the project: “I’ve shed literal blood, sweat and tears for this shit. This is for the outcasts, the rebels—the visionaries. An 11- track experience for the lost souls that belong anywhere but here.”
These Days got a chance to chat with Ronnie just before [anti.vers] hit stores.
I know you split time between the suburbs and the city growing up, how did each influence your sound and creative process? How does that impact you being a Chicago creative?
My parents are 70s babies so they passed down a lot of sauce, to be honest. Growing up, my palette was already crazy, but when we started moving around the burbs I got put on to a lot of bands and electronic stuff my people would never listen to. I started to notice the power of emotion in music. I stopped caring about what I was hearing and focused on how it made people feel, and that’s the same philosophy I carry into my creative process. I just wanna be myself and capture the feeling at that given moment. As far as my impact, I feel like I bring something different to the scene. I don’t really fit the mold for anything typical to “Chicago Music”
We already know RAGE stands for Rise Above Generic Expectations. What does that mean to you? What are some expectations you have superseded in your own life?
To me, it’s a mantra to lead by example. My personal expectations aren’t necessarily quantitative, it’s more about the impact or impression that I can make. What is an accomplishment worth if you can’t influence the world around you for the better?
How did [anti.vers] come about? Where did it come from creatively?
I honestly just had a lot on my mind. I was recording everyday and before I knew it I had this whole collection of songs. I wanted to find more producers to work with and the beats were matching up perfectly with how I was feeling.
How would you compare [anti.vers] to your past work?
I would say I’ve been on the fence between my more alternative/emotional side and my ratchet upbeat side. I feel like this project is me finding more comfort in balancing both of those vibes into a cohesive sound. It’s like my last two EPs (Middle of The Night and Born Outside) had a baby and named it [anti.vers].
Who did the cover art/helped with the creative aesthetic?
The cover art was designed by my homie 9k (@richcousin9) — he created the cover art for another project of mine so he used elements from that and really did his way with everything. It came out perfectly. He’s definitely a multi-talented Chicago creative to pay attention to.
You’ve been active with performances recently. How do you prepare for a live show?
I usually start with a little anxiety attack 15 minutes before soundcheck [Laughs] Seriously though, I like to have a drink or some tea and mingle a little bit until it’s time to lock in. Then I’ll find somewhere quiet and recite lyrics before I go on. Listening to Young Thug always helps too.
Who are some Chicago musicians you have worked with in the past and want to work with after this project?
I really keep it all in the family: Lou? is a super talented producer. Cloud2800, SheGo Turbo, Soski, I got some shit with Nico Supremo and Mia Alva too. I really wanna get something in with Dreamer Isioma. I wanna do more collabs in general, I need to lock in.
Your music has already shown off a lot of different styles. What can we expect from Ronnie Rage in the future?
Expect the unexpected.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Shout out to my Mama. Shout out to my team, Jose, Que, Luis. Paul and Isaiah going hard on visuals. Shout out to all the producers I've been cooking with. Shout out to These Days Mag. And shout out to all the fans that keep me going and everybody reading this. Love.