At 13 years old, Rico aged out of foster care and walked straight into survival mode.

Years later, he tracked down his mother in Chicago looking for help — and instead heard words that changed his life forever:

That moment didn’t just push him into the streets.

It erased the idea of safety.

From flooding Chicago with ecstasy pills…

to getting set up by someone he trusted…

to sitting in a cell with no blueprint and no guidance…

Rico’s story could’ve ended exactly how the system designed it to.

But it didn’t.

After prison. After loss. After burying his brother.

He pivoted — not to motivation, but to ownership.

Today, Mercer “Rico” Prince is one of the youngest dealmakers brokering multi-million-dollar music catalog deals, helping artists, producers, and creators reclaim control of their work — and their future.

This episode isn’t about hustling.

It’s about replacing survival instincts with strategy.

In this conversation, Rico breaks down:

• Why foster care taught him independence — not protection
• How ecstasy became more profitable than crack in Chicago nightlife
• The setup that led to two Class X felonies
• Why he took 4 years even though he could’ve beaten the case
• The loss that forced him to leave the streets for good
• How he made his first $250,000 legally — and never looked back
• Why streaming platforms are robbing creators blind
• And how ownership is the real freedom play after incarceration

If you’re coming home with felonies, grief, or no direction — this episode is proof that belief plus education still beats the odds.

Tap in. This one hits different.

00:00 – “Unless you got drugs…”

01:06 – From foster care to the streets

04:35 – Realizing the system wasn’t family

08:51 – The moment his mother activated survival mode

11:00 – Why pills beat crack financially

14:57 – School vs money: the early choice

18:38 – The setup that changed everything

22:00 – Facing Class X felonies

24:48 – Why he took the plea deal

28:03 – Prison mindset: no plan, no guidance

29:55 – Losing his brother & forced reinvention

33:19 – Enter the music business

36:01 – The catalog game explained

40:01 – Why artists sell their catalogs

43:02 – Ownership vs exploitation

46:21 – IHQ Network vision

50:07 – Breaking culture cycles

51:50 – Advice for people coming home

53:05 – Belief, faith & self-education

54:25 – Where to find Rico