My name is Raymond Rhoden, I am a young articulator of feeling as well as hope by way of music! Born to the allegiance of the soon to be Republic Jamaica my pride and mannerisms are easily identified as a cultural tie and are often mentioned as some of my strong suits. Surprisingly to many, music wasn't my first passion it was writing. As a growing boy with quite a bit of stage fright I often watched my mom Dr. Stephanie Cato who was then a "Roots Play write" and actress, with the utmost admiration. This lead me to writing, first about what I loved about the shows then that lead to me pointing out what I didn't like about the shows which naturally lead me to constructing what I believed as a bright eyed seven year old to be great add onto to the show. Needless to say, I wasn't taken seriously by anyone but my mom who encouraged what ever I dared to try and a few members of my family of course. That didn't at all stop me. I started gaining momentum with writing and priming my vocabulary in hopes to strengthen my facets and it did; then the strangest thing started to happen. Unplanned, unrehearsed, and unexpectedly I just found myself making small little rhythms; rhythms being what they called songs in Jamaica at the time while washing dishes. I would be constructing a rhythm taking a bath, after home work, before video games, all day. I soon with my family migrated to the States (U.S) where music was a bit more accessible than it was back home, I could go to the barber shop and by a bootleg of the hottest songs out with my lunch money here and that was luxury for my growing desire to understand what it took to make "MUSIC' on a sonic level! Shortly after my arrival, however, music had to make room for what would take the most of my time over the next six years, Basketball. Having the drive,  a desire to be good at whatever I attempted to do kept me persistent with the sport because truth be told I was horrible at it. I was over weight, slow but I had coordination so I started running, then I started attending different inner city basketball clinics to improve my skill sets. Before you knew I was in love the game bringing trophies home some just for being on the team but some I earned for play significant roles. I don't know if this truth reveres threw out all of New York but round here you slang **** or had a wicked jump shot like Biggie said and you can ask about mine lol. Attaining acclaim in High School due to my wit and prowess in basketball I attempted to join the team but circumstances that would lead me to missing more school than the average 17 year old. I went right back to the music because it was in my blood. I was clocking 60 hours per work week and writing raps instead of shooting jump shots for hours and was still not doing any recording. I was in the occasional cypher these days and I started to gain respect from my piers for the way I arranged cadences and slowly but surly the love for this art form started to fill my sights again, impromptu, unprepared, and unforeseen. I never turned back from that point even though I didn't always publicly proclaim to be an artist. I started recording some five years later with more rhyme books under my belt. At that time, I was not sure what to do with all the that work I had accomplished . My first recording session was in the Subbasement of BxRecords and that was the start of this journey that I embarked on. Personally, I am thanking you all for taking the time out to catch up with me and hopefully I will see you along the journey if I have yet to do so. PEACE!!!


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