In this episode, we speak to artist and rapper, Ric Flo. Born in Nigeria, Ric grew up in London and Bournemouth and spent time in foster care. Ric uses his experience in the care system to encourage positivity and build confidence in young people. He talks about the workshops he runs to give young people in care the space to use creativity and write lyrics as a means of expression and communication. Finally, he talks about role models, the importance of better representing children in care and not relying of stereotypes.
In this episode, we speak to artist and rapper, Ric Flo. Born in Nigeria, Ric grew up in London and Bournemouth and spent time in foster care. Ric uses his experience in the care system to encourage positivity and build confidence in young people. He talks about the workshops he runs to give young people in care the space to use creativity and write lyrics as a means of expression and communication. Finally, he talks about role models, the importance of better representing children in care and not relying of stereotypes.
Hey everyone. I'm back the CUNY and welcome to frontline stories of change. So I'm a social worker, a founder, and the director of social enterprise care to dance. And I'm so excited to be the podcast host for this series. You'll hear from some amazing individuals and organizations who share the same mission around bringing about social change and who really wants to make a big difference to children and families. They will share their stories and they give some great advice. So I hope he can join in the conversation and we can learn together along the way. In this episode, I speak to artists and backhoe. Rick Flo, born in Nigeria. Rick grew up in London and Bournemouth who spent time in foster care make, use his creativity and his experience in the care system to encourage positivity and build confidence in young people. He talks about the workshops he set up where young people in care use creativity and white Linux as a means of expression and communication. Finally, he talks about well models, the importance of better by percenting children and Cohen, not relying on stereotypes. Nice to chat to you today. Thank you so much for coming on. How are you? Have you had a good day?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been good. It's been, um, it's been busy and as I said earlier, uh, yeah, no, it's good. I'm glad to be here and doing this.
Speaker 1:We talked a bit about all the great work that you do with young people. I am, and I'm really excited to hear about everything. Um, I can relate to it quite well, actually. So I think we can have a good chat about everything. Um, we've asked some of our listeners to give us some examples of opening questions that they'd quite like to ask on these podcasts. And one of them, which I quite liked was if you were unexpectedly gifted the day off tomorrow, how would you spend it?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, yeah, I'll shoot my music video because it's, as my passion project, really music was never supposed to be a job per se. It's literally my passion project, so yeah, that's how I'd spend it.
Speaker 1:So you obviously do so much great work with young people. And I was wondering if we could maybe just start by you telling us a bit more about your story and the journey that you've gone through to get to where you are today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. Okay. Um, so I was fostered in Bournemouth from eight years old. Um, even the way that come about it was, it was private foster care, um, which I didn't know at the time, but it was, um, a mom asked me if I wanted to live in another part of London. So I'm from Hackney, um, or boomer and being at that age, I didn't, you know, London to meet a school McDonald's and, um, happy Sunday market. From what I remember, I was like, yeah, why not? Um, and then yeah, life changes. I knew it and private foster care was just a bit strange cause I felt like, um, I didn't know at the time, but the carers wasn't definitely not as good as what I soon went into, um, with social services. Um, so basically they, they wasn't looking after me well, and, um, when I used to go back to my mom's and the summer holiday, uh, it, that was a bit interesting to social substance. So I got moved out of this situation and to, uh, have a, more of a situation. Um, I went through five different placements, um, and I would say, uh, foster care got better as I went through these placements, um, to the point where the fifth carers, their family to me to this day. Um, and I'm fairly free now have to think about it. Um, yeah, the family to me to this day and, um, yeah, life could be very different if I didn't have the support structure that they give me. Um, that's when I called and family to, to this day, just the way they supported me. Um, even beyond care, you know, the more I talk to young people or Kelly, it was more so they haven't necessarily got that short chat that, you know, as soon as they come out okay, that's it, they feel that they're on their own. So I'm lucky in that sense. Um, but yeah, fast forwarded on cause I was on tangents. Um, I went to college study, um, art and design and then I went to university, studied graphic design, um, came out of uni as like, Oh, what I'm going to do now? And all of a sudden trying to get into the industry, it wasn't that easy, but eventually it got in and then I just didn't feel fulfilled with graphics per se, even though I was doing, I'm doing all right. Um, and I've always loved music. I used to do talent shows at school. Um, when a couple I never just, I never really saw it as a career. Um, and to be more succinct about what I'm saying, hip hop is really the voice of the voiceless. Always wondered why I never heard from the perspective of someone who'd been in foster care, you know, I grew up listening to MNM and you know, my name's amazing, but if he had any narrative to do with foster care, it was always taken the piss out of people that have been enforced to care. So I just, as always as a young adult, just trying to find my place in the world, I just wondered if I heard more from the perspective of someone who'd been in care, maybe I'll be more confident and uncomfortable in my situation. So the more I thought about the idea, I just thought, yeah, let me just write about my life. And it wasn't, it didn't, it feels quite, not resilient, but, um, brave now, but I feel HIPAA gives you a license to just be real and honest about your life and talking about money, hoes, and clothes. It wasn't really going to be the most authentic story I could tell. So, um, when I went about promoting it, it didn't really work out how I fought. Um, but you learn over time that it just takes a while to get into the industry. But, um, then one day, um, at Christmas, I just remember getting an epiphany saying, Hey, look, why not email every single social services, email address you can find on Google. So yeah, I went on Google, found about a hundred email addresses, um, emailed, emailed them. Um, and I felt, I feel like about 10 got back to me. Cause I basically said in the emails that, Hey, you know, I've been in foster kind of approach. It's about my experience with foster care. The whole point of the project is to show regardless of your past to make a positive future. Um, and just one young person that care this is through it and enjoys it. My job has done. So I've done that. Um, yeah, about four got back to me out of them for one in particular Swanzey social services. When I, Hey, we love your song hide and seek our theme for, uh, young children's awards is I can see you. Can you see me? It fits the theme perfectly. Um, would you mind if the young people choreographer a dance to the song and even better, would you mind coming up to perform while they they're doing that creativity? And I was like, Oh my God, that'd be so amazing. Um, and that experience, um, not only that was just so hot woman, it gave me confidence to know that, you know what, this is actually important. Cause look how these young people are resonating with it. So after that, I think that was 2014, 2015. Um, they said, could I come back the following year and help the young people write about their, um, experience? Um, and the way I go about that is I'm not, I'm not saying, Hey, just because I've talked about my experience and care that you have to do that. I'm I was it didn't, I was what, 23, 24, when I started even thinking about that when I was younger, I would just want to be like everyone else. I don't want to feel that I'm that different. Um, so we just create an open space for them to share whatever they want. It can be as lighthearted as they want, you know, they could be talking about Fortnite or whatever. The cool thing is now video games, Twitch, uh, whatever they want to talk about. Um, and we go from there, it's not about, Hey, I've done this, so you have to do it too, because that's not how I enjoy music. It's about enjoyment first and then whatever we can work on beyond that is a blessing. So
Speaker 1:That's amazing. I mean, you've gone through such an incredible, incredible journey and you, I think I really loved what you said about it's like child led it's led in their own time and in their own pace around what they would like to do in your workshops. And, and, and I think, you know, using creativity for myself as well. It's so it's so important whether it's my role as a social worker or my role working with children and care around, um, and we use dancers, it means to be creative and express emotions. You mentioned as well, when you talked earlier on about, and the importance of people in your life and how they supported you through your journey. Um, and I know that you have an art teacher, don't you? It is really important to yourself as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. It messed up the yeah. Um, yeah. I was like, yeah. When I look back in the sense of yeah. Significant people in my life, I would say ms. Copy was one of the first people that really helped me because I was very, um, I just had low self esteem, I guess it was. Um, if, if something wasn't perfect, am I, as I was a screw up and she really boosted my confidence and said, Hey, let rip, this is fine. Like, you don't have to be perfect all the time. And so I feel just the fact that she actually, she was mindful about what we liked and, um, uh, and, and helped helped with our confidence self esteem was, is being signed. I've taken on, in sense of listening to young people. And I do workshops.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And I think that's a really important thing that we, you know, we always talk about making sure that the person is at, you know, in the heart of the decision making it's their life and they need to be consulted with, and, and they need to be, they need to be leading what's going on for them. Really. Have you got any advice for social workers in particular? Cause a lot of our listeners will be social workers. Have you got any advice for social workers on how to make a young person feel like they're being listened to?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, I don't want to make it sound complicated. I just think it's as simple as just having compassion and love even, I don't really mention this guy too often, but even when it came to my early life and Bournemouth, I had a football manager and he bought me my, he bought me will Smith getting jiggy with it on tape. Once again, that shows my age. But, but, but as I, he knew I liked racking and he's a football manager. Why not give me a football or some cheap football boots, see that you don't have to get me a will Smith tape. But he obviously saw that as my interest. And I think that that speaks volumes. I think just understanding what's what is the young person interested? Um, and we'll, we'll, we'll open them up to you and make your job easier. Um, rather than yeah. Speaking yeah. Down to
Speaker 1:Definitely. And I that's, that's the heart of social work, isn't it really it's, it's, you know, it's showing that genuine, um, compassion to your young, the young person you're working with to translate your song. Do you, um, it's incredible whether they have been listening to it. It's so inspirational and listening again as a social worker, I, you talk a lot about, um, your message comes through around a young person, not being seen as a statistic or a stereotype. And it's sort of thinking about, so you've spoke about earlier that you felt really part of a family, um, with your last foster parents and they, you know, they continued that as well until you're in your thirties and you know, really your, your family, all of you. And it's thinking about what advice you could give to maybe other foster carers or social workers or parents to help the young person feel like a part of a family like you did rather than part of the system.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I feel like hopefully the thread of what I said about compassion and love that's coming through and that's some, some of these things feel like they get complicated, but they're actually quite simple as like actually make the young person feel a part of your family. If you're going to go on a holiday or a trip, then the young person is in a common view. It's not as going to be that all right, cool. My biological kids at the time, and then you can stay at home. I just go over there. Like, no, actually we can feel part of the family. So it's just keep them like one of your own. Um, and I think as long as they feel like they're part, like for me, there's the idea of the system and statistics, as it only came into mind when I left, when I left uni. So I feel if, if you really make the young person fall apart of your family, through taking an interest in what they like and involve with them and everything that you would do, if they were your biological child, then, then they wouldn't be thinking about the system. And if they are thinking about a system for whatever reason or any POS traumas, then take the time to, um, talk to them and give them comfort and help them with that experience.
Speaker 1:I see. And that's really refreshing. And I actually, I love the simplicity because often when we do have these conversations, it can be made quite complicated, but actually it is as simple as what you're saying. Um, yeah,
Speaker 2:You probably know more than me about this, but I've heard that there's like red tape around hugging young people. And I don't, I don't know the full reason why, but what I'll say is that a hug goes a long way to show that you actually care about a person. And I know some young people, cause I used to be what, like if you get hugs, it's a bit like, Oh, get off me, especially around my mates. But honestly, like they might not show that they care then, but they will remember that you actually care. You hug.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And I love that. And I have to say, I probably shouldn't say this now we might have to add to this the hour, but I don't care about the red when it comes to hugs. I'm like[inaudible] but I completely agree. I think, you know, it, red tape can go too far and then that can be a big barrier in when you're building a relationship with a young person. So yeah, definitely. Do you feel like children are fairly represented? Um, I guess thinking then more on a systemic level, do you feel like they are when policy changes are made, um, or maybe discussions are happening in parliament or anything like that, do you feel like the children and in society are being fairly represented and recognize?
Speaker 2:Um, I would just like to see more positive representation of what can I leave as can be, but the more I'm like, see that, you know, only 6%, uh, of Kelly was go to university or that that to hear these numbers is insane. So there's some that needs to be sorted out and, and there's, and there needs to be yeah, more, more light shed on, you know, things that go against these statistics to, to that Kelly, Virginia and people know that look, anything is possible. You just need the support. And there's people that have been in the same similar experiences to you that have gone to do well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. I think it's, it has a massive ripple effect. Doesn't it? So whatever's coming out in the media for then and I think, and that's why I love your music so much because you talk about, you know, it's, it's, well, it's inspirational for young people in care and it's inspiration too, that shows that they can be whatever they want to be as they, as they get older. And I think that we do need more of that, I think on the wider level and less about all the negativity and, you know, whilst recognizing it and happen and awareness that there might, you know, are areas that need improving, but actually hearing all of this great stuff that's going on, um, with children and care and Kelly versus what they achieving themselves, I think is really important.
Speaker 2:Yeah. This just needs to be a balance, you know,
Speaker 1:Definitely for me, networking and connecting with other people who have very similar missions is so important because it's making a collective collaborative change movement and when you'll do it together, it's a lot more effective. Um, yeah. And, and it makes more, you know, it makes change for many more people around the UK. So, you know, whether you're based in Birmingham or the Northeast or anyway, it's children being, having just more opportunities, which is what we want. How important is it to you that you help to facilitate the wider systemic change for children and young people? And what are your motivations around that?
Speaker 2:That's a good question initially. Um, I was just open to do whatever I can. Um, and to goodness, I found the off the wall, my passion and my feels like it's best suited the music because when I was in certain bullets, it just wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't like the stay away could just be active. Um, although I felt that it was very important to kind of, to be a part of a team, um, on who should get funded and what projects the best for young people is great. But I just, I just feel I'm best suited with creative means it in budget means. But, um, I feel that like my change is more so from, I know used to say this, but just being a role model within, Hey, you can be creative, you can have this PO you can have similar pasta meat, but you can do it. Um, and yeah, I, I just want to be a connector slash show that anything is possible through creativity.
Speaker 1:I mean, you've talked quite a bit about, I guess, your role with other young people and you are definitely a role model. And it sounds like through, through lyrics and through being mindful of what you're writing, you're then influencing many other people out there listening to your music. But alongside that, you're also helping young people think about their lyrics and when they're creating a story or when they're creating a, um, a piece of music thinking about the role that, that might play with other young people. So in a way it's essentially teaching them leadership skills really, and supporting them to become a leader, how can we support young people to lead change themselves? Do you think, I mean, specifically around your music as well and thinking about when they are writing lyrics.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So that's a good question again. Um, sometimes when you hear the idea of leadership, I think, cause I'm still getting used to role model leadership, is that it feels that, you know, all eyes are on me. I feel like I have to be perfect to a certain extent pressure cause no, one's perfect, but I would say we lead by example. Um, so when I hear that, for instance, a young person talk about, um, knife crime, um, it's a difficult one to kind of navigate, cause you don't want to sense to them because that's their experience or you just go aid them to think about what is the message that you're putting out with this story? Are you glorifying knife crime? Or are you saying it like this because maybe on the third verse, you're going to tell them like, this is not right or yeah. Or you're going to, you're going to spin the message. So it's positive. It's a difficult one because yeah, I never, even when I say, Oh, this is getting the message to be positive, but my, I guess even in the, I ate that leadership is more about helping them think about what is the message you want to get across and Aiden them of that without telling them what to do, because they might just want to say it how it is, and this is how it is. And I would just want it to be hard. And um, but it's just about helping them think about, um, yeah, just so they're aware of how it might come across so that they're ready. Um, uh, in the sense of leaving that message that they actually say what they want to say. And sometimes like the last lot of music that was very few people that I could actually speak, I felt I could speak to, to, to, to know it's the right thing to do. And you'll learn because we're not, none of us are perfect. Like the way I write now is a, is not more, um, better than it was at the start. And you know, I've tried to not be, not vulnerable, but try to be honest, but try and open it up to a wider audience. So I try and connect to the idea of, uh, superheroes or resilience, um, without being too personal, um, which I only found out along the way. And I, at first I was just saying, look, this is how it is. I've experienced racism and kind of experience that, that, that, and this, but then it got so far that actually, you know, I find it fascinating that the archetype of superheroes, I have a fostered adopted orphans. And I feel like in the public consciousness and in popular culture, Marvel is that concept of the world right now. So if I can get, if I can get a bigger audience to listen to this music and connect to something that is very popular and that they're interested in, but help them think about, Hey, that person that, you know, in foster care, it's not just like, Oh, sob story. They're actually superheroes, is that actually the opposite of superior so they can be a superior. Right. And I try and yeah, I've just learned along the way through expressing that we can, we can have a better message about how to go about
Speaker 1:It definitely seems like it's inspiring others. And whilst also reframing any connotations that might be behind and being in care or being a Kelly, but, um, to be, you know, much more positive and which is reality, you know, actually though a lot of calibers who, um, who have done, gone on to do amazing things. I mean, thinking about some of the young people I work with with cats, dance, they're absolutely incredible. I mean, some of them want to be become teachers and work with animals, anything, and you speak to them. And the passion that they come come out with is it's just, it's amazing. And you know, it's something that they should really grasp. I think,
Speaker 2:Yeah, a hundred percent, we don't want a foster care and this is why I feel like a lot of people might not speak about it. We don't want foster care to hinder a future. So it's definitely saying that's invisible and no one wants to talk about, but the can leave. Was I successful and proud of what they do. They know, they never know how they're helping the young person feel confident, um, feel better about their situation without, Hey, actually I don't need to make this invisible there's power in being different and having resilience in my situation to go on to do great things.
Speaker 1:Definitely. No, thank you. So yeah, we've spoken at obviously a lot about an importance of WebEx and, and I'm wondering if you could tell us a bit more about your song before I'm 25 and what that means to you
Speaker 2:When I quit my job, my first job, um, to, to focus on freelance and, uh, get more of a creative opportunities. Um, I said, luckily the jobs were mindful about what I was thinking that like, Hey, what do you want to do for your leaving dude? Usually it's just like a free bar at the local local, uh, bar. But, um, I was like, you know what, I'd love to go skydiving. And the person that I spoke to the fellow, like yeah, work colleagues, they actually made it happen. So that was my, that was my, my leading thing. So I went skydiving, which is like scary, but incredible. Um, and then, yeah, shortly after that I was like, you know what? I've never met my dad. Let me try and create that relationship. So I spoke to my mom, found out my dad was in Johannesburg, South Africa flew there. Um, yeah, quite a bit closer. He's a nice person. Who's doing his own thing with their family and then come back then. Yeah. Onto the next. Um, so before I'm 25, pretty much represents that journey of just, you know, just skydive into your, into your dreams and your fears because you find out eventually a lot of fears are just in your head, you know? Well, luckily to be, well, most of us, they say in the Western world, luckily to be in a show, it's not like we've got a tiger outside of that house. A lot of stuff, we create this, uh, this idea of that is fearful, but it's funny once you just go and step into it, you're like, Oh, I actually feel better for doing this. And, um, I'm, I'm ready to go on to the next level. Yeah. So before I'm 25, actually this is the first time I'll be announcing it, um, is off my album called rebirth the Phoenix. And the whole idea that this Phoenix is you, you, you you've come through the ashes. If people had the meth about the Phoenix and you're reinventing yourself, it doesn't matter about your past, your past is for reference, not for residents. Um, let's, let's rise with our desire and our fire to, to create, um, a world that we feel we exist in. And that feels powerful to us, um, through our resilience.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. It's really courageous. And you can tell that it means so much. I love that. What you said about sky diving into your dreams and your fears. Like that's, I love that motto. That's lovely. Thank you so much. Great guys, love talking to you. I love like every, like everything that you're doing and, um, yeah. I'm really looking forward to seeing everything that you do in the future.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And I'm looking forward to, you know, I'm following you on Instagram, cat's at dance. I'm looking forward to, you know, that manifested and doing great things. Thanks guys. Bye.