Rico Love is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born Richard Preston Butler Jr. on December 3, 1982. Although he was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he spent parts of his boyhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Harlem district of New York City. When visiting Atlanta, Georgia, he attended Florida A&M and used his ties with Usher, who would go on to collaborate with Love frequently, to break into the music business.
“Throwback,” Love’s debut single in his career, was on Usher’s Confessions album in 2004. Love’s career flourished as she wrote and produced successful songs for Usher, Nelly, and Beyoncé as well as Usher’s “There Goes My Baby” and “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)”. and has contributed to albums that have won Grammys, such as Beyoncé’s I Am, which won Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009. Sasha Fierce, Raymond v. Raymond, Usher’s 2010 Best Contemporary R&B Album, and “There Goes My Baby,” Usher’s 2010 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Love has also written and produced songs for Kelly Rowland, Chris Brown, Diddy – Dirty Money, Alexandra Burke, Keri Hilson, Fergie, and Fantasia.
Love has two studio albums under her belt as a solo performer: TTLO (2015) and Even Kings Die (2018). In 2013, he collaborated with Interscope Records as CEO of Division1, a record company. He has collaborated on songs with T.I., Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Jamie Foxx, Rich Boy, and Fat Joe as the featured artist.
