Rikesh Chauhan, better known by his stage name RKZ, is a British recording artist, menswear writer and photographer, creative and ambassador for Campaign Against Living Miserably.
Career
Music
RKZ began his career in 2008 with Defeat Me being his first notable single, released in 2010. The following year, he released the single Gonna Be That, which was featured as part of the soundtrack for Bashy's film, The Man Inside. The remix featured British Asian rappers AC, Lost Souljah, Swami Baracus, Raxstar and Menis, Kaly, and Waqas Qadri of Outlandish and was debuted on DJ Nihal's show on BBC Radio 1. In 2012 he released Power Trippin' EP along with the music video for Are You Down. The EP was produced by ADP. Later that year RKZ released Jhené's Song which sampled Jhené Aiko's single, 3:16 am. The Words of Adrenaline mixtape featuring Jhené's Song released in December that year. On 1 January 2013, he released Superstars. The video incorporated the team members of UK charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably and promoted their 2013 Save The Male campaign. He performed Superstars on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends with Clive Anderson. In August of that year, he released his EP SOULar which entered the Top 100 R&B/Soul iTunes Chart. He notably performed alongside Raxstar in 2010 and 2011 for BBC London and Manchester Melas, and 2013's Leeds & Reading Festivals for BBC Introducing. In December 2014 he released the single Visionaries via Roundhouse Radio. In November 2015, RKZ released They Don't Know Nothing featuring American rapper, Chino XL. In March 2016, RKZ formed a group with producer Handbook and rapper Supreme Sol called TRIAD and they released the eponymous EP via Berlin-based music blog, Stereofox. The following year he released the single, Notes, before taking a break from music. He returned a year later to release singles Magnificent and Impossible, taken from his debut album Visionaries, produced by Handbook, which released in July 2019. Following the global COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, in April 2020 RKZ teamed up remotely with Handbook to make a new EP called Somewhere In The Afterbeat. The EP consisted of four songs and featured Waqas of Outlandish and Shawn Sanderson - both of whom recorded their vocals at their respective homes in Denmark and England. From conception to release, the EP took under a month to make. It was announced that all sales proceeds would be donated to Campaign Against Living Miserably, whose helpline saw a 37% surge in calls, as well as Savile Row tailors Cad & The Dandy and Huntsman's fundraiser towards the production of NHS scrubs. RKZ shot performance-based music videos to the singles "Run To Me" and "Figure You Out" at his home, and released them on Instagram.
Creative
In 2011, he was announced as an ambassador for the Campaign Against Living Miserably. The charity aims to reduce the suicide rate of men in the UK, particularly London. Suicide is the biggest killer of men in the UK. He contributes to CALM's website and monthly CALMzine as a guest writer, as well as for music blog Sampleface, and menswear publication The Dapper Chapper. An alumnus of University of Westminster, he volunteers as a careers mentor.
Fashion
Working with prominent Indian menswear designer, Saran Kohli, RKZ and Kohli collaborated on a suit collection focusing on the best of their heritage. Using Asian textiles and motifs coupled with Savile Row silhouettes, they debuted both suits from their collection during Men's Fashion Week in London in 2017 and 2018. He was a menswear writer and content creator for Jermyn Street shirtmaker Turnbull & Asser before leaving to join The Rake magazine in 2019.
