Rico Love | |
|---|---|
 Rico Love in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Richard Preston Butler Jr. |
| Born | December 3, 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | welovemusicconference |
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American songwriter, record producer, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, but split his childhood between Milwaukee and New York City's Harlem neighborhood. He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, worked his way into the music industry through connections with singer Usher, who became one of Butler's frequent collaborators.
Usher's 2004 song, "Throwback", was Butler's first major songwriting credit; its parent album, Confessions (2004), won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. Butler's contributions to Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce,[2] Usher's Raymond v. Raymond (2009),[3] and the album's single, "There Goes My Baby" each won Grammy Awards.[3] He also co-wrote "Heart Attack" for Trey Songz, which received a nomination for the award.[4] Throughout the decade, he was credited on commercially successful R&B singles including Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", and Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams".[5][6][7] He has worked with artists such as Kelly Rowland,[8] Mario,[9] Chris Brown,[10] Alexandra Burke, Keri Hilson,[11] Fergie,[12] and Fantasia.[13]
As a recording artist, Butler has released two studio albums: TTLO (2015) and Even Kings Die (2018); the former spawned the single "They Don't Know", which moderately entered the Billboard Hot 100. He launched the record label Division1 as an imprint of Universal Motown in 2010, and later Interscope Records in 2013; it has signed artists including Young Chris, Tiara Thomas, and Teairra Marí.[14][15][16] He has guest performed on albums for T.I., Jermaine Dupri, Jamie Foxx,[17] Rich Boy,[18] and Fat Joe.[19]
- ^ "Rico Love 'Presents: Emerging Women of R&B' with new album". May 8, 2020.
- ^ "Past Winners Search | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners | GRAMMY.com". May 3, 2012. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Rico Love | Artist | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ "Song Search :: SESAC". www.sesac.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ "Song Search :: SESAC". www.sesac.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ "Rico Love". SESAC. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Nelly and Kelly reunite". Star Observer. March 9, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rico Love Says Diddy-Dirty Money Album Will Be Worth the Wait". Rap-Up.com. April 28, 2010. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Exclusive: Songwriter Rico Love Talks Chris Brown's "Amazing" Songwriting Progress". Neonlimelight.com. July 9, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rico Love: The Music Industry Is Like High School". The Urban Daily. June 8, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Fergie Has Sex and the City's Theme, 'Labels Or Love'". California: Prnewswire.com. May 5, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rico Love Talks About Fantasia's New Album: "I Wanted to Show People Her Seductive Side" - That Grape Juice". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2011.
- ^ "Rico Love's Division 1/Universal Motown Launch Party". VIBE. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "New Video: T.I. x Rico Love "Lay Me Down"". Rap Radar. January 26, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Music: Usher feat. Rico Love – She's Got It". Thisisrnb.com. December 2, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Jamie Foxx Featuring Rico Love: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Rich Boy ft. Rico Love – We Like It". Hiphopmusicdotcom.com. November 26, 2009. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ "Fat Joe Ft. Rico Love – No Problems | HipHopLEAD.com: New Hip Hop Music, Hip Hop Mixtapes, Rap Videos". HipHopLEAD.com. July 9, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2011.