Matt Bostick was never a fan of going to church. But every Sunday, his mother would dress him in his best suit and sweep him off to Sunday school.
“My mom was really involved in the church, but I did not like going at all,” he said. “Whenever I could, I’d skip out and head to the basketball courts to play ball.”
And when he wasn’t shooting hoops in his church suit, he was rapping. It was at this young age and on these courts that Bostick was given a name that has stuck with him since — Righchus.
Born and bred in Charleston, Righchus (pronounced “righteous”) is taking the rap game by storm with a distinct style and heavy lyrical flow that has garnered him critical praise and a fan base that stretches across the United States and overseas. His first two albums — Chaos Theory (2009) and Sweetgrass and Supras, which dropped earlier this year — amassed thousands of online downloads and positive hype, a success the artist said he never saw coming.
“When I released Chaos Theory, I really wasn’t taking anything too seriously,” Bostick said. “So it was crazy when I got such a massive response from that album. And when I released Sweetgrass and Supras, I got an even bigger response, which was great.”
Although he wanted to be involved in the music since his church-skipping days, Righchus began his rap career while pursuing a degree in journalism at USC Upstate, performing at various venues throughout the South before heading to class on Monday.
As he began steadily building his fan base and developing his signature sound, Righchus performed opening sets for the likes of Tech N9ne and Wiz Khalifa, where he said he learned a lot about what it takes to make it in the rap industry. “Working with Wiz really opened my eyes to doing what I wanted to do independently without having a major label to work with,” said the unsigned artist.
And right now, Righchus isn’t looking for a big label to get himself out there — it’s never been about the money, it’s always been about his passion for music.
“I’m really not interested in signing with a major label,” he said. “I’d rather create my own buzz and make my own following. I want to have lyrics that matter rather than just having a catchy hook and an awful verse.”
Drawing inspiration from artists like Khalifa, J. Cole, Citizen Cope and David Ruffin, Righchus has created a distinct sound that blends together elements of truth and strong lyrical verse with fresh beats and melodies. Instead of focusing on fast cars and big money, Righchus raps about reality and truth in a way that is still accessible to all fans of hip-hop. It’s natural and it flows easily without sounding like he’s trying too hard.
“There are so many people out there trying to do what I do, so the hardest thing is trying to create your own style and staying true to yourself,” he said.
Recently, Righchus performed at Charleston Fashion Week and was featured in the Charleston City Paper as one of the best new rappers on the scene.
“It’s surreal and humbling at the same time,” Righchus said. “I have people coming up to me knowing who I am, which is really cool. I would never have thought a year ago or even two years ago that I’d be where I am now.”
Righchus is currently recording new material for a third album, often writing before he enters the studio, then working with the beats and adding on to what he already has. Although he doesn’t have any live shows on the calendar for now, the rapper says he hopes to be back to performing soon.
“I love doing live shows, especially for college crowds where it’s really anything goes,” he said. “But I also love performing in my hometown at the Music Farm or in Charlotte where a lot of people are commuting in and out, which really helps to spread word about my music.”