1PrettyRicky

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ricky Pallay had a dream to spread the unique sound of LA music to the cozy plains of the Midwest. With that, 1PrettyRicky — an alias many have come to recognize — came to fruition in 2017. When Ricky isn't busy with his 9-to-5 nonprofit career, he is spreading his love of music by streaming his DJ shows on Twitch.tv and hosting memorable wedding receptions and events.1PrettyRicky, also known as DJ Pretty Ricky, manages to seamlessly blend many different genres of music in catchy mixes: from hip-hop to Motown, to Y2K pop, to R&B. He's also known for his podcast featured on Apple Podcast and Soundcloud, where he explores house music through a spectrum of sound. The episode "COLOR: {Yellow}" is upbeat and fun with synthetic beats that transform into The Temptations "Papa Was a Rolling Stone", and ends with a sped-up version of the 2008 hit "Umbrella" by Rihanna. "COLOR: {Indigo}" is bass-heavy and deep, similar to the respective hues of purple and blue. "{Green}" manages to sound nostalgic and futuristic at the same time, much like the color itself.

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Q&A With DJ Pretty Ricky

What's one thing that you wish people knew about the art of DJing?
I read this quote from The Wizard (whose real name is Jeff Mills), a DJ, producer, and composer who summed it up perfectly. He said, “What a DJ does with their hands isn't something you can expect to hear every time. It's like sports, you know? Like you're a tennis player, and your timing is really everything. You're trying to time it at the right moment because there are musicians playing in the music, there's things happening, and you have to find the right moment and the right split second to make that slight adjustment, so it feels like the track is very slowly melting away. If you take your attention away from it, the track would have seemed like it disappeared. That's the trick.”

Who is a music inspiration that has stuck with you from childhood to adulthood?
Quincy Jones! He is a true genius of the craft, and his development of artists, sounds, and improvisation is so admirable. I hope I can keep evolving and growing in my own musical career as he has.

You're stuck on an island with an iPod Shuffle that will only let you play three songs. What songs are you choosing to listen to for the rest of your days?
- “Stronger” - Kanye West - “Superstition” - Stevie Wonder - “At All” - Kaytranada

What's your dream collaboration?
I would love to work with Chris Rock. He so hilarious, has found numerous ways to pivot and diversify his career, and I think he could make one of the coolest DJ drops ever for me.

There's a bunch of custom shirt shops in the FM area. Why Shirts from Fargo?
What drew me to Shirts from Fargo was one conversation with Brittany Anton, the owner of SFF. I have worked with her on numerous projects with other companies before, and when I was ready to launch merchandise for my own brand, there was no one else I could trust with the process. I am a dreamer and can come up with very big ideas, and she has an uncanny way to help me work through them, so I can create products that are financially reasonable for my market, and still keep the spirit of “1PrettyRicky”.

We know you just came out with your fall/winter collection... but do you have any ideas for the spring/summer 2022 collection yet?
I am currently on rebranding from DJ Pretty Ricky to 1PrettyRicky, so the new items for Spring/Summer will not only reflect the new brand, but will also be a nod to the 1990s with more bright colors, sportswear, and expanded graphic tees, along with a limited edition collection to honor where I got my name!

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