Wallpaper. is, in many ways, Ricky Reed. The indulgent and ever-stylish frontman is more than just a sweet pair of shades and a gold-plated microphone. He’s a bona fide viral hustler, a disco ball-busting showman and an extremely gifted producer expertly blurring the lines between glitzy pop, raunchy rap, anthemic rock and electronic funk. And as of late last year, he's also the latest signing to Epic Records, hand-picked by CEO L.A. Reid to join his legendary ranks. But Wallpaper. is other things too: a raging four-piece in the arena, for one, but most importantly, Wallpaper. is you—you and me and everyone we know on our best night ever, positively #STUPiDFACEDD, champagnin’ with no plans in the morning.
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When first we met Ricky, he was crushing Oakland house parties and selling CD-Rs out the trunk of his car. He’d called up his earliest influences—P-Funk, Afrobeat, Bay Area rap, Prince—and come away with sweaty, swaggerful beats imbued with real musicality. He'd earned out-of-town props via his bizarre video blogs and inventive remixes—that sax-blaring remake of Das Racist’s “Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell” didn't hurt—and the debut Wallpaper. LP, Doodoo Face, a vibrant collision of wild percussion, synth blurt, heavy bass and unchecked narcissism. Since, the live show has evolved into a visceral thing with double drummers thundering behind Ricky and his partner, the sassy and stunning Novena Carmel.
Ricky initially self-released Wallpaper.’s breakout single, “#STUPiDFACEDD,” dubbed an “awesomely doltish ode to Saturday-night oblivion” by EW, and the resulting video has racked up over two million views since being featured during MTV’s Indie Music Month. The song infiltrated several episodes of Jersey Shore too, and inspired MTV and Extreme’s HYPE Music to team up with Evan Bogart’s freshly launched Boardwalk Records for an innovative release partnership. Enter the #STUPiDFACEDD EP, a genre-bending, thump-addled set featuring a guest turn from rap legend Too $hort as well as the anthemic "FUCKING BEST SONG EVERRR," recently animated for Liquid Television by Christy Karacas. Now, as radio stations fight over which format has dibs on him—Top 40, Alternative, Rhythmic—Ricky continues to do what he does best: put in work, create, tour, entertain. He collaborated with Rivers Cuomo on Cee-Lo Green's new single "Anyway," recently completed a song with funk godfather George Clinton, and covered Adele with a little help from raunchy rising Detroit emcee Danny Brown. He’s an in-demand remixer, working with artists as diverse as Britney Spears and Local Natives, and a beast on the road with a band whose sound is always busting at its well-tailored seams. Ladies and gentlemen, look outside—and if it’s the weekend, just check the mirror—Wallpaper. has arrived.
