Sure, you might not recognize Rich Harrison at the gym, but you've definitely heard his music there. District voter records say he turns 32 tomorrow.) A recent publicity blurb says he's only 24. After much cajoling Harrison claims to be 29. " (Part of his enigma seems to be dodging questions about his age. "I just want to be the Howard Hughes of this. It works for me," Harrison says with a shrug. on the map."Īnd he wants to do it all in the shadows. He has hopes of launching a record label in Washington by the end of the year that will, he says, "establish a movement and put D.C. to Nelly Furtado to Justin Timberlake to Busta Rhymes. He's produced three Top-20 singles in 2005 alone - Amerie's "1 Thing" Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right" and Destiny's Child's "Soldier." He spent the summer lining up collaborations with everyone from T.I.
And while this demeanor is more playful than paranoid, it quickly becomes clear that life is about to get "deep" for Rich Harrison, whether he likes it or not. The story of his ascent unfolds like a secret he's thrilled to tell you, but suspicious of whom you might pass it along to. Dre T-shirt, he speaks of his burgeoning career with the brassy enthusiasm of a teenager, but manages to keep his volume in check, eyes darting around the room. Blige.įoot traffic in the lobby of Georgetown's Ritz-Carlton is light on this Thursday afternoon, and Harrison seems to have chosen the spot, only a few blocks from his apartment, as if it were a certain parking garage in Rosslyn - a safe place to discreetly divulge his life story. native - is back on his home turf after a summer on the West Coast crafting tracks for the likes of Christina Aguilera and Mary J.
The words escape Rich Harrison's mouth before his jeans even hit the sofa.