Richie Rich (born Richard Serrel) grew up in Oakland, California, where his rapping career got its start. His first experience in music came in the late 1980s, when he formed the group 415 (based on the former area code of the area) with D-Loc, Jed, and DJ Darryl. Their first hit was rightly titled 41Fivin' since it was an instant success throughout the Oakland area. This hit also sparked Richie Rich's solo career and his first album, Don't Do It. He is most noted for being an influence on one of today's biggest rappers, Snoop Dogg, for both vocal style and the naming of their groups. Snoop has credited his group 213 (which include Warren G and Nate Dogg) to Richie's 415, both being a reflection of the area code from which they are originally from.Richie Rich has been an influence on many rappers today, and did collaborative work with rappers like Tupac Shakur. He has several popular albums out, both with 415 and as a solo rapper. Throughout the 1990s, Richie Rich released several solo hits and appeared in songs of other artists- including Luniz and 2Pac- before breaking out on his own and forming the record label Oakland Hills 41510. By 1995, Richie Rich had become the first Oakland rapper to sign with New York Def Jams Record. Under this label, he was able to come out with his first mainstream album, Seasoned Veteran. Four Years later, he released his sophomore album, The Game. Richie Rich was influenced by some of the biggest names in the Rap music genre. His most credible influences are that of Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. He was good friends with Dre, and Dre notes their friendship starting somewhere in the early 90s. He is also largely known for his work done with Tupac Shakur.