In the Spotlight: Singer & Visual Creative Rikesh ‘RKZ’ Chauhan
1. Hey Rikesh, it’s great to connect with a fellow Luton entrepreneur! Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do…
Hello! I’m a singer, writer, rapper and visual creative. I’ve been involved in music for several years, whilst the visual side (video and photography) came into play more recently. I try to be an all-rounder to the best of my ability.
2. Last year you joined social media agency BORN SOCIAL. How is this going?
Really well thank you, I came on board as a Creative in June. Essentially, I’m one of the guys that create visuals for the clients we have. Everyone’s ridiculously talented, and creativity knows no bounds. It combines art with social media. In this day and age it’s hard to have one without the other but it’s surprisingly difficult to come by a place as forward-moving – and thinking – as BORN. So yeah, 2015’s exciting!
3. You make your own music and you’re a recording artist & songwriter – are you working on anything for this year?
It never stops. I’m working closely with a couple of talented producers – Gifted The Great and Handbook – as well as collaborations with artists from around the world. I’ve a few projects in the pipeline, but I’m currently promoting the single I released last month called Visionaries – it’s out now on iTunes.
4. You’re also a music director and you’ve worked with some amazing UK artists such as Skott Summerz, Kyra, Jem Cooke and Cashtastic. Which is the most memorable music video you’ve worked on to date?
Ha. I’ve a lot of stories from a lot of music videos, so it’s pretty hard to pick one that really stands out from the rest. I’d have to pick the first video I ever made as default. It was a remix to my single Gonna Be That, shot on a really rainy, dull day in Luton. A lot of people came through for it and it was just a lot of fun, creatively-inspired people in one really ghetto a** car park. We made what we had around us work.
5. Can you give our readers 1 tip for staying confident in front of the camera?
Pretend the camera’s not there. Seriously – it works.
6. What has been the biggest challenge with managing the ‘administration’ side of the work you do?
Making sure to stay on top of everything. But it’s something you learn as you go. You find ways to manage the workload. It’s not for the faint-hearted, and you’ve gotta be extremely meticulous with absolutely everything. You know what they say though, where there’s a will…
7. How do you manage your time each week to stay on top of everything?
Accepting that time isn’t always of the essence, enjoying what you’re doing is. When time is no longer a priority, it usually flies.
8. Do you see yourself as a creative artist as well a ‘business’?
Most definitely, I’m a creative soul first and foremost. However, in this day and age you need to know the ins and outs of everything you do: from the art you’re creating, the history behind your present/presence, the business and industry you’re in. Knowledge is power, after all.
9. Please take a moment to close your eyes and imagine the incredible future in front of you. What is the BIGGEST goal you would like to achieve?
I don’t really tend to think too far ahead. The beauty of that question is in the first half of it: the incredible future. The fact that life continuously changes – you’re never quite sure where you’re going to end up, what you’re going to do, where you’re going to be. I’m a fan of the unknown and seeing where each day takes me. So – if I had to answer – it’d be to live every day as it comes, in the present, and to be able to one day look back and feel like I made the most of life.
10. Lastly, where can we find and follow you online?
RKZUK is my handle on all social media! You can find me on Twitter, Soundcloud, YouTube, VSCO, Instagram, Bandcamp… the list goes on. My website is RKZUK.com