WATCH | Riky Rick opens up about suffering with anger & depression after his father’s death

Editor's note: TshisaLIVE reported on February, 23 2022 that Riky Rick had died aged 34. The following is one of the interviews he did on his podcast platform in September 2020, detailing his journey with mental illness.

Rapper Riky Rick has opened up about the dark space he found himself in after the death of his father, saying that no-one should have to live without a parent.

The star, who took a break from live performances a few years ago to deal with depression, told listeners to his podcast series LAB LIVE  that he suffered from “chronic depression” and was on a “destructive path” after losing his dad.

“I lost my father at a time when I needed the help. I lost him at a time when I needed that voice. A lot of people don’t understand that you can never replace the voice of a father. It wasn’t like he just died, it was like 18 years, living with your dad for a year, and then going back to your mom. I love being with my mom but living with him for a year ... A child is never meant to live without his parents.”

He said he always felt that he was a good kid and would get the “attention” and life advice he needed from his dad when he finished school, but never got to share those special moments.

“When he passed away, I was so angry, so upset. I was so upset, like ‘why my life? Why does my life have to turn to s**t when all the kids that I went to school with had both parents coming to see them at football games, coming to watch them at basketball games, bringing them picnic sacks? I didn’t get that and I didn’t get to see you after'. I was so angry, so angry, super angry.”

Riky added that his emotions manifested themselves in his music, swinging between anger and depression, and led to him lashing out at others in the industry.

“My depression took form in being angry at the guys who were doing it,” he explained, adding how important it is sometimes to get validation and encouragement from others in the game.

Taking to Instagram, Riky posted clips of him speaking on the podcast and added that “after losing a loved one we sometimes go to a dark place”.

He said he had “been there and made it back to tell some of the story for anyone who can relate”.