Bars &
Music Notes
Bars &
Music Notes
Bars &
Music Notes
Ravage
Ray Rav was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Since he was, ten years old Ray Rav has been rapping with the influence of his father who was also a rapper. He use to come home and write music nonstop and performed for his friends and family. Ray Rav attended South Shore Highschool and after he graduated he attended Manhattan College. With his father being his mentor and producing his music and videos Ray Rav is at the top of his game performing at his college, showcases and at power 105. All it took was motivation and ambition to begin a career many only dream of. And with the support from his family and friends and staying true to himself, he can amount to anything. This is his story.
What is your musical background?
Growing up I always listened to 50 cents religiously and my father use to rap. He also makes beats, plays the piano, produces videos and also produces films. My grandfather and my cousins are both guitarist and my sister play the piano. I always listened to music and my father let me freestyle to different beats and eventually, I gained a liking to it. I played baseball my whole life but then I started rapping and it stole my heart. So, I have been rapping ever since.
What are the main inspirations for the lyrics you write?
I make a lot of music, and the smallest thing could influence me to write a song. I could look out my window and see something and it could spark me to write something. I am not different from anyone else, I’m just like everyone in this community I just have a different mindset. What’s going on with me and my situations in my life and my experiences Is what I rap about. When my peers are going through similar situations as me, they can relate and hear where I’m coming from. I make music that people can connect with, vibe out to and party to. I try to make music about everything.
Why did you want to become a rapper and who or what motivated you to want to rap?
As a little kid, I was in love with DMX and every time he came on I use to get so hype. When DMX came on, I would stop crying and get out of my mood, I knew all the words to his songs. He showed me what music was about and it made me feel good. 50 cent is also my favorite rapper. But seeing my father rap and making music videos showed me that it was a realistic thing, I felt like it was impossible but once I saw my father do it so I felt like I could do it too.
How does music make you feel?
Music makes me feel really good; music is like a therapy. Whenever I am not doing good that is when I make my best music. Music makes me feel like everything, it makes me feel like a person. Without music I don’t really do anything because I don’t drink, smoke or really party, but I also don’t sit in the house all day. Music is my way of having fun.
How do you wish to inspire young people with your music?
What was the first song you wrote and what inspired it?
My motto since day one is motivation, I try to inspire people to be themselves. I try to show people that you don’t have to do what other people tell you to do. I tell people to stop lying if your lying stop and just be yourself. You won’t get anywhere by following people. You can be chilling with all your boys but that doesn’t mean you have to be like them or do what they are doing. Be yourself.
My pops influenced me to write my first song called “Who gone stop me". I used a Jadakiss beat to write to the song, I also recorded it and edited it in my house. When my father came home i surprised him with the video, that was the first thing i ever did.
"it's either your all the way in or all the way out"
Who gave you the support to keep writing in the beginning and who did you play your early songs for?
In the beginning, my stuff wasn’t that good and of course, I would always go to my father when I made a new song and he would listen to it. But I wasn’t good and my father wasn’t ganna say “oh yea son that was fire”, instead he would critique me and tell me what I need to do to make it better. My close friend Jay Fidell and my little brother always big me up and give me motivation and tell me my music was fire. It didn’t matter what I said they thought it was hot.
Have you done any shows, and if so where?
The first time I ever performed was at studio ten in Brooklyn, I performed there, and I had no crowd. My performance wasn’t the best performance. I had people on stage with me who wasn’t even vibe’n with me. It was really bad, and it was for a sweet sixteen for Shaniya Torres who is a part of my father’s show GIMI THE LOOT. I also performed at my high school during my twelfth-grade year, and I had a nice audience there. I performed a lot when I went away to college and they showed me a lot of love. When I came back home this summer I performed for power 105 showcases and voiceless music. Voiceless music was a showcase, competition and I won first place. Coming up I will be performing for another showcase and power 105 again.
If you were to give someone advice on life or how to become a songwriter what would you say?
If you were to give someone advice on life or how to become a songwriter what would you say? That’s a good question because like I was saying before was that people need to be themselves no matter what. A lot of people start rapping because they get influenced by somebody they like and eventually want to sound like that person and be that person. The best thing I can say about that is if you want to start rapping don’t necessarily say you want to be like someone. And then take they whole style and say what he is saying, if he says he got a Role then I'm a say I got a Role. If he says he got bands and Cuban links then I got bands and Cuban links.If he says he got a Cuban chain then I’m a go buy a fake one to look like him. So if you’re going to write you can always talk about what you want but make it so people can connect because no one in your hood has a Rolex or a Cuban. Just write about yourself, what you want in your life, things you went through in your life and things you may regret. It doesn’t matter as long as its pertaining to yourself. Don’t rap about being a killer if you never killed anyone in your life. It’s either your all the way in or your all the way out.
What is your latest song and what inspired you to write it?
I just made a song called second chance and it is basically about my past relationship issues and how I have exes strung out over me begging for a second chance. Which you’re not getting (lol). My other latest song I just dropped is called Kyrie Irving. I basically threw something out there for people to listen to. I am also working on an EP with one of my boys from college, and I am also working on my own called RAMPAGE!
What job do you think you would be doing if you did not have a rap career?
If I wasn’t doing music now I would probably be shooting videos, a physical trainer because I work out a lot and playing sports.