Rico Love

Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper.

He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and New York City's Harlem neighborhood.

He attended Florida A&M and, while visiting Atlanta, Georgia, worked his way into the music industry through connections with singer Usher, who would become one of Butler's frequent collaborators.

Butler first wrote the song "Throwback", which was performed by Usher on his Grammy Award-winning album Confessions (2004).

Love recorded a solo album in 2007 titled The 5th Element which he ultimately decided to focus on his songwriting and not release the recordings.

Though Love may not be recording as a solo artist he still contributes his vocals and rhymes to other artists.

Love has appeared as a guest artist on songs by Fat Joe, Juvenile, Rich Boy, Jamie Foxx, T.I., and his own artist, Young Chris.

Butler has since contributed to works which have received Grammy Awards, including Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce, Usher's Raymond v. Raymond (2009), and the albums single, "There Goes My Baby".

He also co-wrote "Heart Attack" for Trey Songz, which received a nomination for the award.

Throughout the decade, he would continue to write or produce other commercially successful R&B singles including Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", and Beyoncé's "Sweet Dreams".

He's also been credited on material for artists including Kelly Rowland, Mario, Chris Brown, Alexandra Burke, Keri Hilson, Fergie, and Fantasia.

He is also the CEO of Division1, a record label which ran as a short-lived imprint of Interscope Records in 2013.

As a singer, he's co-performed on records for T.I., Jermaine Dupri, Jamie Foxx, Rich Boy, and Fat Joe.

Love was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his parents divorced at an early age.

As a result of the divorce Love spent his childhood growing up in two different cities, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his mother and Harlem with his father.

Love's mother encouraged him as a child to write poetry.

Love wrote his own poems and went on to joining the African American Children's Theater where he recited Langston Hughes and acted.

Love had already been writing his own poems before he was introduced to rap in his early teens.

By the end of high school Love had decided to pursue a career in rap but would go to college simultaneously, "I'm [going] to go to school instead of just sitting on the block. If I hadn't gone to college I would've been a drug dealer."

While in college at Florida A&M University Love stayed involved in his music by winning many rap battles and talent shows.

On the weekends Love would leave for Atlanta, Georgia for the benefit of its studios and popular music scene.

While visiting Atlanta Love met members of Jagged Edge who were an influence on Love's songwriting development.

Love eventually left college because of a paperwork error made by the college's administration's office.

Love went to live with some local Atlanta producers the Corna Boyz.

This relationship provided Love the opportunity to rap on a remix the producers were creating for Usher.

Usher liked Love's work on the remix and eventually signed him to US Records/J Records.

Usher requested Love compose lyrics for a song written by Just Blaze.

This song eventually became "Throwback" and was featured on Usher's Diamond-selling (10× Platinum) Confessions album.

Love next toured with Usher where he met and connected with many music industry players.

Usher encouraged Love to become a songwriter and requests for Love's compositions began coming from artists Chris Brown, Omarion, and Marques Houston.

Love currently lives in Miami.

He has two children with photographer Robin Thompson known as Robin V; a son, Carys Preston, and a daughter, Believe Beyond.

As a solo recording artist, Love is both a singer and a rapper.

Love was asked by Usher to contribute to the soundtrack to the film In the Mix.

Love contributed "Settle Down", "Sweat" featuring Usher, and "On the Grind" featuring Juelz Santana and Paul Wall.

After 8-year hiatus from his solo career and signing his label Division 1 to a distribution deal with Interscope Records, Rico Love would release an extended play entitled Discrete Luxury, on February 27, 2014, which would be re-released.

It charted on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number 48.

The first single from the album, "They Don't Know", it debuted and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it Rico Love's highest-charting single as a solo artist.

As a recording artist, Butler released two studio albums: TTLO (2015) and Even Kings Die (2018).

The former album contained the single "They Don't Know".