The Dominican Day Parade has always been one of New York City’s most colorful celebrations, but this year it doubled as a stage for an artist on the rise. Rick Bars, the Bronx-bred rapper known for fusing music with community outreach, used the festival as the backdrop for his latest release. His new video for “What I Wanna,” featuring Lyrivelli and CristionDior, wasn’t filmed in a studio or choreographed on a soundstage. Instead, it unfolded live on the streets, turning a cultural tradition into a music drop that feels both personal and historic.
The clip captures the festival’s raw electricity—flags waving, crowds surging, and beats spilling into the open air. Within a week, the video had already crossed one million views on YouTube, signaling Bars’ reach extends far beyond the neighborhoods that raised him.
What sets Bars apart isn’t just the music but how he connects with his audience. Rather than stay perched on a float, he waded into the crowd, handing out gift cards, bottles of Rica Juices, and even gifting a fan a Nintendo Switch. “I always want my music to give back the same way people give me energy,” Bars has said, a philosophy that plays out onscreen as naturally as the music itself.
Musically, “What I Wanna” thrives in the spaces between English and Spanish, layering Spanglish flows with verses from Lyrivelli and CristionDior. The track mirrors the pulse of Dyckman, Inwood, and the Bronx, where bilingual expression isn’t an aesthetic choice but a lived reality. The visuals further anchor the moment, featuring familiar faces from the community such as Kenstarrrz and Black Rose, grounding the project in authenticity.
The release even caught the eye of hip-hop veteran Busta Rhymes, who praised the video online. For an independent artist, that kind of co-sign signals momentum few can manufacture.
By using the Dominican Day Parade as both stage and set, Rick Bars transformed a song release into something larger—a communal celebration turned cultural landmark. With his profile rising and his formula of blending art and outreach resonating, Bars is carving out a path that feels rooted, ambitious, and impossible to ignore.
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