RAY-C

Over the last few decades hip hop as a whole has clawed its way up from the gritty underground streets on its way to shining under the spotlight of the national stage. What was once just a hobby of a underprivileged and often over looked culture has now evolved into the voice for those who once went unheard. One of the most extraordinary things about hip hop is that it has the power to save lives. By that I mean, it has the ability to take someone out of a unstable environment and give the chance to make their dreams come true. This is exactly what hip hop gave to the industry, new comer Ray-C. Growing up as a filipino in a prodominetly african american neighborhood was complex but adaptable all in its own. Raised around a cluster of drugs, violence and gang activity that flooded the streets of Prince George County, Maryland, Ray-c began searching for another path to take after observing the downfall erveryone surrounding him was facing.



Eventually he turned to music as an outsource to his enviorment. In his teens

Ray-c started witnessing neighborhood rap ciphers and battles which created a spark in his creatitvity later becoming the fire and passion that started his

career. Unknowingly life would take him on a journey across country moving with his family to San Diego where he finished out the remainder of his high school years. For some this might be a huge culture shock but to Ray-C this was just a stepping stone meshing his east coast roots with a new westcoast flavor. After high school Ray-C began frequently visiting Houston, Texas, taking in the southern hip hop culture as a whole. Over all molding himself into a new breed of rapper combining his ties with the south, east and west coast resulting in a sound unheard of to the hip hop world. While mastering his unique style Ray-C began doing mixtape features all across the country silently creating a buzz for himself that would first take southern california by storm. After being featured on over 20 mixtapes Ray-C decided to release his own entitled "It Iz What It Iz" mixed and hosted by the south's reigning mixtape champ, DJ Smallz of "Southern Smoke" fame. Single

handedly moving several thousand units in one city alone would be an accomplishment for many but for Ray-C it just wasn't good enough, ultimately taken his product to many other regions of the country with another outcome proving more success was near.



Countless shows, hundreds of songs and a year later we not only find ray-c

working on another mixtape along with his debut album, but we currently find him partnered up with rising super producer Haze Banga to make Special Order Productions, the hottest production team to come out of the west coast in years. Working on tracks for such artists as Plies and Keyshia Cole. Holding up his half Ray-C has become more than a artist but somewhat of a musical visionary for others. Thinking outside of the box has always givin Ray-C a few extra steps ahead of the rest and remains to continue to break the boundries of modern day music as we know it, bringin the furture to us a lot faster than expected.