Bars &
Music Notes
Bars &
Music Notes
Bars &
Music Notes
Raymond Luther was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His stage name Ray Loot originated from his first name. Raymond Luther is a former rapper, videographer, photographer, and producer. As a father, Raymond has not only managed to become a success with his YouTube web series Gimme the Loot, 2 Wrongz and up and coming movie Foster Sin he also manages his son Ravage Ray who is an aspiring rapper in Brooklyn, New York. With his visions to open the eyes of millions with his stories about real-life situations, Raymond Luther wants to leave his mark on his community. With a vision, motivation, ambition and the support from family and friends, he makes anything possible. This is his story.
So why did you want to become a videographer?
I was always a fan of movies and I have always viewed them in an interesting way. The older I became I realized that I had so many stories and I have always been a writer and I wanted to write my own story and make a film and put it out there.
What was the web series “Gimme the Loot” about? When was it produced and what was the concept behind it?
In 2015 we started filming “Gimme The Loot” and the concept for it was about a young man being released from jail back into society trying to do the right things. But unfortunately, he is still around the same neighborhood that he got locked up in and around the same people he was around when he got locked up. So, being from Kings Borough Projects in Brooklyn, New York so many of my friends were going to jail I wanted to tell a story about it. I came up with a character’s name and took it from there.
What was the feedback from Gimme The Loot?
Everybody loved it and said I need to do another one because the five episodes were not enough they wanted fifteen. It was great and so were the actors I love them all but the story needed a change.
When will it be released?
This fall, I want to give you a date and say September 18th but don’t quote me!
What impact are you trying to have in the community and what kind of message are you trying to send to the people?
I just want to take the day to day reality that we all go through that people tend to overlook and I want to just push it in everybody faces. You can’t overlook this it’s like homelessness I haven’t done a project about that, but you have a lot of homeless people. Whether it’s shelters or people living in the train stations, these are regular things we go through and see every day, but nobody addresses them. You give it to people in a format that they are able to understand it. Adding some hip-hop music in it and take one character. A likable one and make him homeless. It could be a basketball player or movie star and make him homeless and it’ll seem like a great story and you’ll be telling one story about millions. All it takes is one person for people to realize that it can happen that easy.
What advice would you give someone that wants to become a director?
You cannot be biased, you can’t have any hate nor prejudice and you have to be able to work with anyone and have an open mind. Take the limits off of anything that you’re doing, keep writing.
How do you wish to inspire young people?
Being from the inner city there is not a lot of activity for guys and females when you’re a teenager. Once you hit a certain age you can’t do but so much and in these communities theirs, not a lot of activities for the teens. So, I just pretty much want to give teens another outlet to do something different. There’s not a lot of things for teenagers to do in this world. We need more YMCA to open up, more community centers in these neighborhoods. Jay Z and Beyonce need to take some of their money to do these things. Jay Z is from here, and his wife has money so why not open something in Bedstuy, Crown Heights, Brownsville, open them up! These kids want something to do. Hopefully, what I’m doing can inspire the youth. Instead of coming outside stay in the house and write more, save more, try to buy a camera and a microphone.
What's Next?
What was the first project you worked on?
I shot a lot of music videos so the first project I worked on was a video for myself, I was putting together a lot of videos with a popular artist and I would take the A Capella’s from their songs and put it on another instrumental and the video and put the entire thing together. Once I realized I could do that I said let me begin videotaping. My very first video was called “Project Terrorist” and it basically was me trying to make a video. I’ve always known how to rhyme, I have been rhyming since the 80’s. I was self-taught no schooling, I have always had a knack for electronics. It was like “If I do this, then do this then the outcome should be this.” That’s how I looked at a lot of things.
How many seasons and episodes were in this series?
It was supposed to be a two-hour movie, but I ended up breaking it down. I didn’t think people would sit on their phone for two hours and watch a movie. In all, I have two seasons each with five episodes which are thirty-five minutes long. I couldn’t do anymore because I have a full-time job and a family you know.
So, you are now working on a movie called foster sin, what gave you that idea?
Don’t cry! My godson was taken away when he was younger, and he went through several different foster homes and he was abused in those foster homes. He told me a few stories, a lot, horror stories. I didn’t want to hear anymore and figured if this one story touched me I’m quite sure there are millions of stories about foster kids that have been abused. And I said somebody needs to do a story and a movie about it, I’ll do it.
Are you taking other people stories to formulate the movie?
No, I’m just taking the actual concept of foster kids and kids who have been taken from their homes and being abused and neglected. I could pretty much take it from there. I have enough creativity and know so many foster kids that I could put this together and make it pretty accurate.
“these are regular things we go through and see every day, but nobody addresses them. You give it to people in a format that they are able to understand it”
Shoot!