The Rikshaw

The Bio: Progressive hip-hop with old-school flair… The Rikshaw is bringing hip-hop back to it’s roots. Reminiscent of the story-telling style of Run DMC And other early hip-hop artists, The Rikshaw reminds us of the intelligent poetry-based hip-hop music before the age of “money and hoes”. It’s hip-hop, not gangsta rap. The Rikshaw never glorifies violence, drugs or the degrading of women. Instead of focusing the stories on who is the biggest and baddest, his songs become cinematic events bringing the listener on a journey from beginning to end. While he does like to focus on current issues in his songs, many are also just motivational or simply something to dance to. Some of the more serious songs focus on issues such as homelessness & violence, but there are also songs about dancing & having a good time. It is a diverse and realistic look at life.
His lyrics aren’t the only part of his music that resemble old-school hip-hop. Many of the beats used in the songs are a resurrection of the style that helped groups like the Beastie-Boys become a huge success. The Rikshaw certainly considers them to be a strong influence in his music. He also has songs that incorporate a more techno-dance feel as well as some with the drama of orchestral strings.
The 2005 release as an independent artist of his album "Poetry Of The Street" began his music career. After signing with local Indie label Ant Bytes Records, he was able to give a great live performance for over 3,700 people at a local annual Independence Day celebration. The clean and diverse style that has made him popular has created a sizeable local following and he hopes to expand that following throughout the world. His stage presence rivals that of any great performer and his current label continues to strive to enhance its production value with each and every show. The newest release, his self-titled album, became available in March of 2008 and has gotten a terrific response. Fans that have watched his music grow and improve over the years are excited to hear what he will bring to the table next.
Tony Lipari, AKA “The Rikshaw”, was born in New York and raised in Florida. Truly an East-coaster at heart, his music is created with both insight and style. Having studied martial arts since his early teens and now as a teacher of it, he has an excellent sense of discipline and integrity. It was, in fact, his love for Japanese culture that helped him choose his name and philosophy.
The Philosophy... The name ’Rikshaw’ comes from the Japanese handcart called a rickshaw. (And yes, we know it is spelled incorrectly). It symbolizes the struggle of mankind against the troubles that weigh down each and every one of us. Success comes from endurance and strength. In the pursuit of life, as a whole, The Rikshaw continues to strive to make his mark on the face of music entertainment.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you...The Rikshaw.