RVSHVD: Rising Country Star With Small Town Roots

By Christine Shelby | OBSERVER Staff WriterCountry music artist RVSHVD is making a name for himself. Pronounced “Rashad,” the artist grew up in a small town surrounded by country music influences but didn’t initially take to the music his father introduced him to. It was hanging out with his mom at work that got him more immersed in country music and a friend who introduced him to Black country artist Darius Rucker. In 2018 he tried his hand at writing a country music song, sent it to his friends, and with their support recorded an EP.& What makes someone go from writing for fun to recording an EP? Ease. “Everything came to me easily,” he says of the experience. “I felt like this was what I was supposed to be doing.” RVSHVD took that EP and released it locally to some fanfare and in 2020 did a cover of the Mustard and Roddy Ricch song “Ballin”. The cover went viral and he’s been perfecting his craft ever since. His stage name, RVSHVD, was inspired by a suggestion from his wife, who didn’t like his original idea of using dollar signs in the name. He credits her not only for helping...