RICKY TYLER
RICKY TYLER
Biography
Bokamoso Kgomotso Molema, better known by his stage name Ricky Tyler was born free, May 15th 1994. just one month after South Africa’s first democratic elections
Raised by his single mother, whom he calls "the most inspirational woman I have ever met," Ricky grew up in Spruitview Gardens, Johannesburg, as the youngest of three siblings.
Ricky's entertainment career took off in 2012 when he entered a talent search audition held by the Applause Rising Talent Showcase & International Arts Convention. He impressed the judges and earned the opportunity to walk the runway at PLITZ New York Fashion Week in 2013. In 2016, Ricky signed with PlayGround Productions and released his debut single "Swerve," which was later remixed by fellow Def Jam artist Tshego.
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Ricky's talents continued to shine as he collaborated with DJ Speedsta on the track "Understand", wrote and performed the intro soundtrack for Vuzu Rich Kids Season 2 and from the success of Ricky's next single Deja Vu he was invited to Afropunk’s Battle Of The Bands competition where he made it all the way to the final stages of the competition.
In the early months of 2020, Playground Productions and Universal Music Group forged a partnership that resulted in Ricky becoming a part of the UMG South Africa roster.His first single with UMG, "Thirty K's," garnered over half a million streams and views across all major platforms.
Mid 2020, Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group launched Def Jam Africa, selecting Ricky Tyler to join the roster alongside 9 powerhouse artists from South Africa and Nigeria.
Ricky’s debut album Small World was released on the 17th of July and has since been streamed over two million times across all major platforms. The exceptional response to the album led to Ricky's track, "Everything," being included in the pan-African influenced soundtrack for Eddie Murphy's Coming 2 America, “Rhythms of Zamunda," alongside artists such as Ari Lennox, Nasty C, Tekno, and others.
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Following this success, Ricky was asked to perform "Everything" on NPR's Tiny Desk concert. Shortly thereafter, he released an acoustic rendition of the song.
Ricky Tyler's collaboration with Nairobi songstress Karun resulted in the single "Video Games," which is the first release from his second project, Happy 2 Be Alive. His year was capped off with performances at the Feel Good Series live event and a sold-out one-man show at MUZE, one of the top clubs in the world, located in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kicking off 2023, Ricky announced "Sunday Drive" as the next single from his second project. This 80's inspired RnB/Pop record, produced by multi-platinum artist-producer duo PLXYGRND and featuring R&B sensation Tellaman, is about pursuing a love that feels nostalgic and familiar.
You can download and stream "Sunday Drive" here: https://rickytyler.lnk.to/SundayDrive
See link below to a Spotify playlist of Ricky Tyler's Greatest Hits.
