Check Out Ricquélle Badger’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricquélle Badger.

Hi Ricquélle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve mentioned before that music has been an inspirational and motivational force in my life since I was a child. I’ve always been intrigued by the performing arts whether it be song, dance, acting, poetry, and just art in general. My mother would take me to shows or musical such as ‘Rent’ on Broadway and putting on her own productions such as ‘Were You There?’ a stage play adaptation and reenactment of the death and redirection of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the disciples. I grew up in the church where music was a huge influence. I participated in everything from singing in church choir (Mt. Zion Baptist Church) to being one of the pianists on the praise team (New Beginnings Alliance Church). My parents were both ministers who taught me and my siblings to always honor God with your talents because you never know how whose life you could impact by sharing your story and gifts.

My mom used to say in church when welcoming visitors that you never know, you could be in the presence of an angel so it’s important how you treat people upon meeting them. Both my parents instilled in me the value of compassion and importance of building community. My mother founded W.I.NR.S (Women Individually, Nurturing, and Reaching Souls) for Christ in 1995 in Madison, WI. This organization is a nonprofit whose mission is to encourage and empower women and mothers impacted by substance abuse. Currently ran by sister Jacqueline Hunt, this organization has a plethora of resources, offers spiritual counseling and supportive services for women in need. One of the services which occurs every Christmas holiday is ‘Shoe Box for kids’. This initiative is where persons can donate shoe boxes filled with toiletry items and/or winter clothing necessities to local churches (Fountain of Life) or the radio station (Life 102.5). The shoe boxes are then distributed to local group homes, teen centers, churches, and families in need. This mission continues to grow each year where over 1,000 shoe boxes are donated.

My dad who is a counselor at Samaritan and Anesis in Madison also partners with City on a Hill in the Milwaukee area providing telehealth and supportive services for adults and children who struggle with mental health needs. People often overlook and underestimate the power of words and the importance of creating a safe and positive therapeutic environment. Music has always allowed me to create a safe space to express my emotions all while motivating myself and others around me. I look at artists like Eve, Jamie Foxx, and Chlöe and Halle Bailey who successfully intertwine their passion for the arts not only through music but also acting. It’s very inspiring to see family working together and separately while still maintaining love and support for each other’s creative and solo endeavors. I admire artists like Frank Ocean and Rosalía who are so dedicated to their craft that they sacrifice and completely shut out distractions that could hinder the creative process to maintain positive energy and artistic integrity.

I started writing music in middle school. I would make remixes to songs I heard on the radio. I began taking my writing seriously in high school and performing at talent shows. I looked up to my mom who would write songs and I would put music to her words. She was one of my biggest supporters and would always encourage me to keep going and pursue my music no matter what. I teamed up with my sister Kryssy Lyric D in college and we began creating music together. Her penning songs and me putting music to her words on my keyboard. We’ve always had amazing chemistry when it comes to music so much that either of us could quote a song lyric and the other one would know exactly what song was being referenced or even finish the lyric on site. We can spend hours just vibing to music.

After my mom passed away from cancer in 2010, Kryssy was a major support and source of strength for me. She was and will always be a motivating factor in helping me grow and staying driven on this journey. I released my first EP CoverGirl Project in 2017. We collaborated with dope and talented artists and creatives and released CoverGirl Project 2: Mind Over Matter in 2020. We kept writing, collaborated with more talented artists and producers and released CoverGirl Project 3: No Magazine in 2022. We kept grinding and writing and I’m beyond humbled and proud to say our fourth body of work BRB is out now on all streaming platforms.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I’ve shared before this journey has definitely had challenges. I have no complaints over the hurdles I’ve faced because God has allowed me to overcome those obstacles that help continue to mold me into the woman and artist I am today. Conquering adversity only makes you stronger and I’m learning to embrace those moments. At the time when I initially face a challenge, I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t overwhelm me or give me anxiety. I may even doubt if I’m making the right move or overthink and overanalyze everything. It’s in those moments I remind myself that God won’t put more on me than he knows I can bear. I then channel my inner Lucille Badger and somehow manage to get it done and accomplish the task at hand. Being a female in a heavily male-dominated industry is frequently a challenge to be taken seriously and respected for my talents. Im very grateful to the artists and creatives whom I’ve had the opportunity to work with on this journey. Those same individuals encourage, inspire, support, and motivate me to keep going and go harder.

Another challenge I face as an independent artist is the financial aspect. It takes money to make money and not yet having the backing of a major label to cover costs of studio time, photo shoots, cover art, marketing, promo, visuals, hair & makeup, etc.. the responsibility falls on me. I’ve definitely learned the value of networking and pulling resources. An additional challenge that I’m currently learning is time management. I still work a full-time job, am a full-time mother, enjoy spending time with family and friends, and working on perfecting my craft is a constant balance. There aren’t enough hours in the day and when I’m not working on any of those areas, I’m sleep. It’s a huge sacrifice not allowing distractions to deter me even to the point where I’m now protecting my energy from negativity. My inner peace and mental health is imperative for me to successfully maintain in order for me to be the best version of myself for my youngins.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist, singer/songwriter, model, creative, and actress. My music has been featured in fashion shows for TSXDH in LA and for International Digital Fashion Week. I’ve also had the pleasure of modeling for TSXDH. I’ve had the opportunity to perform live at Miramar Theatre, 414 Spotlight, Milwaukee PBS, and Cactus Club showcasing my music. In addition to music and modeling, I’ve expanded my creative range with acting currently working on the SexEyecon web series coming soon. Make sure you check out the promo which is out now! Shot by King Quis Productions. I’ve mentioned before that even though I wear many creative hats, my most important role is mom to my youngins. Having the opportunity to nurture, teach, and watch them grow is most rewarding. You’d be surprised how much you learn about yourself from your children. I enjoy attending their basketball games, volunteering at baseball games for track events, attending track meets, parent-teacher conferences, school performances, and spending quality time with them playing video games like 2k23, WWE, or Fortnite. My oldest youngin contributed music to CP3 and it was so much funners collaborating with him again on BRB.

As I’ve also said before, you would have to refer to my supporters as to what sets me apart from other artists. One could say my work ethic, attention to detail, drive to grow and evolve as an artist making each body of work better than the last and not conforming to what others are doing or what’s “trending” is what makes me unique. I’m forever grateful for each and every one of my supporters and those who contribute their talents to support my vision. From every artist, engineer, choreographer, beautician, videographer, graphic designer, DJ, photographer, stylist, makeup artist, and creative whom I have had the pleasure of working with to those who pray for me and my family I truly thank you. For those who have attended shows whether in person or virtual and those who attended our virtual yoga sessions that help de-stress, maintain mindfulness and just having funners dancing and getting fit, from the bottom of my heart I appreciate you.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned so many lessons from the Covid-19 crisis. First and foremost wearing a mask when leaving the house, when in crowds of people, going to the grocery store, etc. As I mentioned before, I need to be at my best and healthiest so I can care for my youngins. It’s interesting because when I first started recording CP2, there would be groups of us maybe five or six in the studio vibing and exchanging ideas. Towards the end of the recording process the pandemic first hit and sessions condensed to just myself and the engineer. Luckily majority of the recording was complete and if an artist who was featured had any edits, they recorded separately and then sent tracks over to be mixed. It was in this moment I learned the importance of maximizing time because we had no idea if the world would halt to where we couldn’t utilize the studio. For CP3, the sessions were smaller where it was myself, Kryssy, and the engineer.

Maybe one other artist depending on if they were featured. We did something a little different by having a listening sessions with a small group of people where I was able to get feedback on the work before the final release. This created a focus group and allowed me to receive constructive feedback as well as challenged me to push myself creatively and artistically. For BRB sessions, I challenged myself to trust my own ear a little more and collaborated with the engineer. I feel the final product turned out amazing because there was no pressure and we experimented with different sounds. I really wanted to grow vocally, lyrically, and sonically. The use of technology played a pivotal role in during and post-pandemic as more e-mail correspondence was used for track edits and cover art design. We used Zoom meetings and Face Time calls for creative meetings and SexEyecon rehearsals. The most important lesson learned and one that I’m continuing to learn is to work smarter, not harder.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/quellez
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quellez
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@quellez0313
• SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/quellez_3

Image Credits
@_bridney_ @quayology @Bedsidenailz @Rosebudteemakeup @TSX_Design_House @Levels_of_lace @ShunPfilms @Kingquis74 @fashionabledemand