Rising Music Star Ranna Royce: Why you shouldn’t compromise your creative instincts just to be more mainstream
Don’t compromise your creative instincts just to be more mainstream. I’ve been told to do things differently just because something is “in” but if part of my job is to create it then I need to create it from the soul. Others can sense if you are true to yourself and your craft. It’s better to have 1,000 real people love your product versus 10,000 people scroll past it and mess with you for 15 minutes just because you blend in.
As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ranna Royce.
Ranna Royce is a Persian American rock/hip-hop artist, songwriter, and producer from the Bay Area. Aside from having been a producer on Billboard charting albums, she is known for her intricate lyricism and trippy visuals. Ranna can be classified as a true imaginative visionary.
Thank you so much for doing this with us Ranna! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Ayyyyy! Thanks for having me. I grew up in the Bay Area but spent a lot of time in LA. So I’m a true California thoroughbred (laughs). My parents are from Iran and I used to embarrass them as a kid so I spent a chunk of my childhood on punishment and getting those seasoned Persian ass whoopings.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I started writing songs when I was a teenager. I didn’t think it was going to become a career…I got my bachelors degree in business management and everything. I guess I was always trying to find normalcy and have stability but I could never put the pen down. I could never stop rhyming or writing hooks. After my bachelor’s degree I fully relocated to LA and that’s where it all began. I started working for a label doing radio promo then started booking bands for live shows. I made some dope connections and started demo-ing my songs. It kind of all went together which was ill.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Good question. Well there’s a lot of interesting things but maybe one of them is the support I get from Iranians even from Iran. It’s a very strict country and my style is pretty vulgar so every time I get a positive message from someone in Iran I’m like this is dope…I have to hold it down for my fellow Persians :)
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I was still making song demos I had a professional demo singer rap. I didn’t want to record my demos; I just wanted to write and produce the songs to build my catalogue. I went over the song with the singer and she was adamant about not doing the rap part and was like why don’t you do it you are good and I was like I don’t want to. So she ended up doing it and let’s just say I should have listened to her. I couldn’t use that demo and I shouldn’t have forced her to demo it. It was kind of funny but lesson learned- not every demo singer wants to rap (laughs).
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m working on a few new singles and one of them is with KXNG Crooked ayyyy Long Beach in the house! It will be flames let me just say that (laughs). I’ll be cooking some other singles with other dope artists too but I ain’t telling yet (laughs). I’ll go into more detail with Lil’ Flip on The Truth Shall Set You Free Podcast sometime soon in Houston so stay tuned! I also started my channel RannaTV this year which will have music videos, shows, and stuff I can’t explain but may have to apologize for (laughs).
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Diversity makes the world go round. How can things just be one-sided? Three reasons why diversity is imperative in film and entertainment is — accurate representation for greater reach and relatability, educating people on subjects they aren’t familiar with, and breaking barriers for our future generations. Think about how dull something will be if it just depicts one way of thinking or one way of life. When you are working in film and television, you have a creative chance and honest shot of helping people see things collectively. Be real with people. Run wild on your canvas.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- There’s no set formula. People would always tell me you need to do it this way because it worked for this person bla bla. Guess what things changes daily and your formula may not work now.
- Don’t believe what everyone tells you. People have ulterior motives and sometimes they see your capabilities and want to stop it.
- What you know is just as important as who you know. When you bump into those people you want to know, trust me what you know matters. You don’t want to come off as an idiot.
- Don’t have regrets or beat yourself up over mistakes. They are going to happen and they only help pave your way.
- Don’t compromise your creative instincts just to be more mainstream. I’ve been told to do things differently just because something is “in” but if part of my job is to create it then I need to create it from the soul. Others can sense if you are true to yourself and your craft. It’s better to have 1,000 real people love your product versus 10,000 people scroll past it and mess with you for 15 minutes just because you blend in.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Never stop working. Never stop creating. Never stop planning. You got this. Just don’t ever stop. However if you’re overwhelmed and know you need a mental break, take one and reboot. If you don’t, it’s a recipe for mental disaster. Speaking from experience (laughs).
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
F**k the drama and the gossip. Who cares. Bring the music.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I f**king love my team and everyone who helped me learn what I know along the way. I’m super grateful for my best friend/manager/psychiatrist (laughs) Bianca. She’s the realest and her artistic instincts are unmatched. Dope ass artist too (Instagram @illimanet). I’m super grateful for Joe Isgro who taught me the ropes of the industry when I first started doing radio promo. Shouts to Nancy Byron and Derek Lemire for being the best and making my team dope. Also Scott Kaminski (Slapwagon Studios) for being the best engineer ever, Jamie Hurtarte (Jvue Imagery) for being the best photographer ever, Adrian Izquieta (Film Currency) for being the best director/videographer ever, and Rick Izquieta for being the best creative director ever. Much love to KXNG Crooked we have the most entertaining emcee talks in the world (laughs). Honestly my team is like my family and I’m so grateful for all of them.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
God makes anything possible. God has a purpose for each one of us. The greatest gift one can receive is life. The world isn’t perfect. We will face hundreds and thousands of obstacles but that shapes us into who we become. God is there for our hardest battles just like He’s been there for mine. There are several instances where you can just feel God’s work in both personal and professional circumstances. Pray, pray, and pray. God is our leader and guides us. He makes anything possible :)
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
MICHELLE OBAMA! I love her and what she stands for. She’s a true queen. Michelle if you’re reading this I love you (laughs).
How can our readers follow you online?
Get at ya girl!!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Yeeeee thank yall much love!!!
