Lady Ri

Rianna “Lady Ri” Hill was born and bred in Richmond, Virginia. Her soulful stylings and cosmic vibrato stem from her early beginnings in the church, where she first took the stage at age 12. She would often solo along with accompaniment tracks during church services and special events.

Lady Ri truly began honing her craft during her college years, where she quickly became known for her chilling renditions of Amy Winehouse classics. She was invited to perform at several events, on and off-campus, throughout her four years. She also directed an all-inclusive, all-are-welcome Gospel Choir for the last three years of her college career.

Post-graduation, Lady Ri stepped onto the open mic scene in the Shenandoah Valley, accompanied by her roommate and guitarist at the time. When stirred by the need for a change in scenery, Lady Ri picked up the ukulele, left the mountains, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she began writing original music and became known as “The Lady with the Ukulele” at local rap and hip hop shows.

Lady Ri decided to take her gift to sunny San Diego, California, where she currently lives. You can almost always catch her at shows with her ukulele, Rhythm, although she equally enjoys collaborating with local talent, extending her vocal ability beyond acoustic accompaniment.

Evoking the soulful sounds that defined her musical upbringing, Lady Ri’s vocals mix together smooth island nostalgia, stemming from the uke, and deeply rooted Southern boisterousness.