Nikko Raguso is an 18 year old musician from Aurora, Illinois. From a young age he enjoyed music, but remembers the first time he found interest in the creation process around the age of 16. Walking through a museum in Chicago, he started wondering, “how do people make beats?”. He went home, downloaded production software, and started to figure out how he could create something of his own, kickstarting his path as an artist.
Growing up, Nikko remembers his biggest inspirations in music being Kid Cudi and Mac Miller. He appreciated how they were not afraid to show vulnerability in their music, and wanted to incorporate that kind of authenticity in his own work. Nikko referenced Kid Cudi’s “mission” to save peoples’ lives, and hopes that he’ll do the same. He opened up about a message he received recently from a fan in Germany, who told him that his song had saved him. Expressing his gratitude for moments like that, he says he finds it heartwarming to be able to connect to his fans on such a personal level.
Currently, some of Nikko’s favorite artists are Damien Styles, Landon Cube, and Lil Peep. With heavy pop-punk influence, he also references artists like Machine Gun Kelly and Iann Dior as inspiration for his sound. Nikko is very confident in his style, but says he doesn’t want to put himself in a box. If he finds himself branching out, he’ll follow along without hesitation. The way Nikko sees it, it’s his work, and there will always be someone who enjoys it regardless of how it’s received by his current audience.
When asked if he has any doubts about his future as an artist, Nikko answered with a confident “no”. He said “I’m going to be one of the biggest artists on the planet”. Nikko already sees himself as successful, saying he works towards and manifests it every day. Although he definitely finds his family and friends to be a source of encouragement, he finds his biggest support system on social media. He loves his old fans who’ve been around to see his growth, but also appreciates the fans he gains, saying it’s an incredible feeling to be able to immediately connect with strangers. He also receives a lot of encouragement within the local community of young artists. Nikko finds it very beneficial to not only interact with people who have the same goals as him, but also allows a lot of room for constant growth. He says it’s great to have people to bounce ideas off of and gain inspiration from so he can implement new styles and techniques into his own work.
Despite receiving a lot of hate in school and his family still seeing music as a hobby, Nikko is working very hard to build a name and career for himself. Writing his songs, as well as producing a lot of his own music, Nikko is determined to see himself take off, refusing to work a job he does not enjoy for the rest of his life. Nikko records most of his music in his own basement, but shouted out Vizy, SIX THIRTY’s in-house producer, for being one of the first producers he’s collaborated with. From playing his first show to filming a music video, it’s clear Nikko is starting to set big
plans for himself. He says one of his biggest motivators is proving those who have doubted him wrong, because his success as an artist is starting to take off. In a last message to fans, Nikko says “I want everyone reading this to know, if you have the feeling of following a dream, just f**king do it. You never know where it might lead you.” He claims that reminding himself of that message helped to get himself to where he is right now, and hopes to see more people taking that step out of their comfort zones to accomplish and work for what they love.
Check out Nikko on all platforms!
Instagram: @nikkoraguso
Tik Tok: @nikkoraguso_
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