Meet Rari ‘Lil Rari’ Byrd | Composer, musician, pianist, producer, engineer, blind music influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rari ‘Lil Rari’ Byrd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rari ‘Lil Rari’, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
To provide a lane and a confidence booster for creative individuals, like myself with disabilities to feel like it is possible, just cause you can’t see it as publicized in the creative, artistic, influencer world

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Producer/engineer Born AZ 29yr
Thanks for this opportunity btw! Everyone calls me Rari [rawr-e] I’ve been making music since a baby but got serious 11th grade. Making my first beats on a HP with a FL studio crack that only worked when I didn’t need it to,,, hahah
I’ve always made music grew up with a piano in the house did hip-hop break dancing classes I was six and played in band through middle school trying out basically everything from drums to trumpet to violin and percussion. But I really had an interest in making sounds for other people and trying to paint a picture with music.
by Christmas break 2011 -2012 senior year I decided to drop out
Which for myself I do not regret it. I did miss out on a lot of opportunities, and I do regret that and I highly support the pursuit of an education. Nonetheless, after making some dumb decisions, senior year, I was stripped of my privilege to walk with my class, which at that point was the only Reason to stay, so I dropped out to get my GED and begin to pursue my musical passion.
2012 I started attending the conservatory of recording arts and sciences (CRAS) A trade school located in Arizona. Cras was awesome not because of what I learned —although that was helpful!
what Cras really set me up for was the opportunity to be placed as an intern based on student performance, any major recording studio of my choice. one choice (my number 1) the brewery, recording studio in Brooklyn NY.
(Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon two Skrillex and A$AP Rocky Jane Aiko you name who and it’s most likely the brewery has recorded them)
The Brewery is a studio owned by producer dot the genius and head engineer, Andrew, who was also a Cras graduate.
after my first year completing my internship, I parted ways with a vision of creating my own world-class production & Recording studio.

That year 2013-2014 I built Archway recording studio in the basement of my two bedroom; first floor brownstone apartment in Bed-Stuy BK. Archway was fun but not something I was passionate about as much as I am about making my own wave with a couple artists by working closely together creating a sound that always makes the lyricist expand there tame and style of music they make.
Archway was epic! Our Neighbors were linemen for the Ny giants and we would combine parties with the studio backyard concerts, we could roll up the backyard fence to make one big yard.
we would throw shows on our plywood and pallet built backyard stage.
End of 2014 beginning of 2015. I’m back on the west coast and car/hotel/on the road living in LA with a few artists, from Atlanta. (Sevie Koy, Wes Lee) I was in a small but somewhat big group of like-minded artists who; in my opinion, started the current wave of music producer tracks for artists like bbygoyard, by unotheactivist&FATMANKEY (track name ‘A LOT’
Lil xelly agoff Kateel,
Imani archer

From LA I then headed to ATL where I lived with Dom G, Babyface, Dixon , Lc Levi, Trap Lapone, Trap Jake, Sevie Koy & wes Lee, and whoever else was staying at the Trap at the time. (Little backstory, the trap was a house in Stone Mountain, Georgia that was owned by legendary artist from the group Tag Team, who is known for the creation of the all time basketball song whoomp there it is) Atlanta is probably the place that really solidified my sound, but I would say in New York is where I created my sound. Around 2017 -2018 I fell stupidly in love and moved back home and by 2019 was married, and on a Journey, to move too, Seattle of all places. There were some hurtles to get there that major one being; I was a struggling musician young and spent my money place I shouldn’t have.
After two years in Seattle, and two years, putting my passions to the side, I made the decision to move us to LA where I was able to link with Kateel an artist, I had worked with in Seattle 2020 who is signed with Atlantic records. And met some cool people in the industry. March 2022 things turned sour, my wife and I separated, and I moved back with family in Arizona, after a four or five year hiatus from all doctors returning to Arizona, was that opportunity for me to get my glasses by teeth checked this that and the third. Among these doctor visits was a retinal specialist, where I was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called retinitis pigmentosa. RP as it’s called for short is a retina disorder that’s is a genetic miscoding, it causes the loss of peripheral vision, and night vision leading to total blindness. Life changes a lot but all I have to push me forward and hype me up motivate me or comfort me is music. I have A Beat catalog of over 2000 beats so I tend to do a lot of listening to my own instrumentals. And over 200 songs produced for different artist across all platforms. I’m Passionate about ENJOYING music. I DO CONSIDER IT WORK WHEN IM IN A WORK ENVIORMENT BUT I DON’T EVER STRESS WHILE MAKING MUSIC & believe life is what you make it.

multi genre/formats producer w/ 12+ years of protools certs & professional studio recording,mixing, executive producing including custom production.
influences= zaytoven, mike D, just blaze.
I Go By LIL Rari aka SSXRARI aka Lary Byrd beats jbyrdbeats
ProdByRari
Links to My Music
SoundCloud.com/lilferrari
LIL Rari on Spotify and Apple Music
Worked with –
Gwap Gang 500, Lil Xelly, AGOFF, Lamadi, Woody1k,
Dra, Ferrara TSM, AviTwat, Trubb Trillions, Richard2004,
Unotheactivist x Fatmankey – A LOT, +a few more ft. w Uno
Overlife, Taiyo Pierre, QuincyGotRich, I$AIAH, Big9ne, G.E.O,
Blvck Lovdon, Cal Vo, Skinny Jack Lee, Lil Tote, chase band$,
Sevie koy, Rob Sole, Kateel – Pain, A$VP Lotto, Lil oxy,
Babiface Dixon, DOM G, DJ PHAT, OUEE2TIMES,
LC Levi, Hippie hooligans, BoneTrill, Epifani, ColdCuts,
Rap Junny, Dashiki Jones, Trap Jake, Cashtalk1, Swag Hollywood, Sp Cash, Globaljac, Gucci Pints, Jacob Santana,
YUNG POPE aka TRICH,
SSXBBYGOYARD, SSX6glocks, Atlantic records,
Vonte mays, TRNRILY, Roguee, Marythaheathen & more…

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in so many different places working with so many different creatives I will honestly say LA is always the best time for many reasons but to break it down short this time lol. LA is LA
One of the coolest experiences, opportunities or events I’ve had was being invited to North Hollywood, Atlantic records, artist studio for a seven hour block session with artist Kateel, during that session, I was blessed with an opportunity to work with platinum Producer Callan, who is known for producing blueberry Faygo, by Lil mosey a Artists also from Seattle like Kateel.
Engineer for the session was multi, Grammy songwriter and multi multi Grammy winning engineer (can’t give name) it’s always fun working with people. I understand what it’s like to need to create.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my mom who lost her hearing during brain surgery when I was 8. She is my biggest fan and always supports. During a somewhat routine brain surgery of a tumor cyst at which point my mother had great hearing some unfortunate event took place, taking her hearing in both ears. The trooper that my mom is within six months had two cochlear implants, put in and was back at work using a video phone that typed out on a screen what the other person was saying but I definitely feel like that event is what led me to have such a burning desire to have music on a billboard chart. Her favorite artist was pink, and I say was because after losing her hearing and having surgery for cochlear implants, she says it is very robotic, and only can imagine what music really sounds like. But she can remember the specific songs that were favorites of hers. And feels the vibrations kind of like a language. She is also a huge inspiration for me, because I recently at 28 was determined to legally blind, and diagnosed with a rare genetic retinal disorder that causes blindness.

Instagram: @prodbyrari

Twitter: @prodbyrari

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@1LilRari

Other: Soundcloud.com/lilferrari https://open.spotify.com/artist/7xmFdwuW2ZbjCAKqxbWXac?si=wj9qu-MBTNePI2bPKoB6Yg