R.A.Z.E.R - ‘Chess’
Our featured single, ‘Chess’ by R.A.Z.E.R, is OUT NOW and available to stream on all major streaming platforms!
ABOUT THE ARTIST
R.A.Z.E.R is a recording artist who is originally from Hartford, Connecticut. Having spent his youth growing up in a Jamaican household, R.A.Z.E.R attributes his early musical influences to the music played by his parents; including artists such as Bob Marley, Capelton, Buju Bantan, and Shabba Ranks.
Later moving to Virginia, after completing High School, R.A.Z.E.R performed at talent shows, night clubs, and open mic venues; honing his talents as an original Hip-Hop artist. While living in Atlanta, Georgia, R.A.Z.E.R. continues to strive as an artist; believing that “a chattering bird builds no nest”. R.A.Z.E.R has opened for BBOD (from Love and Hip Hop New York), performed at the Atrium in Stone Mountain, and had the opportunity to work with The Legendary Sammy Blue (known as the Prince Of The Blues), as well as Rita Graham.
In addition to his music career, R.A.Z.E.R also works on Duggular Live Broadcasts where he interviews artists, business owners, and entrepreneurs. His interviewees include the likes of Shawty Lo, Freeway, Sam (the gas can man) of the Eastside Boys, Kilo Ali, and Raheem the Dream. R.A.Z.E.R has also been interviewed by none other than Greg Street from Atlanta's V103.
Now residing in Houston, Texas, R.A.Z.E.R continues to produce his original music with the desire to set up a foundation that will provide for his daughter and generations to come: “…creating opportunity and jobs for employment, for families in need and uniting the people to strengthing today's communities for the future”. R.A.Z.E.R has also founded his own label/studio: Duggular Entertainment, in addition to his clothing line VELVY and his soon to be established kids clothing line Duggish Kids.
FEATURED RELEASE
Our featured single, ‘Chess’ by R.A.Z.E.R, is out now and available to stream on all major streaming platforms! The single lasts two minutes and forty-five seconds and sits at a steady 130bpm. The track commences with a thirty second introduction that features a sound bite of a conversation that appears to be about the rules of chess; setting the theme for the proceeding verse that kicks in around the thirty second mark.
R.A.Z.E.R’s vocal color is emotive and powerful; seamlessly synchronising with the melodic flow of the instrumentation. The combination of a dominant percussive beat, foundational bass, and ambient instrumental layers create a sound that is an authentic representation of R.A.Z.E.R’s unique style.
From the memorable melodic hook and stylistic production, to the powerful vocal performance, fans of R.A.Z.E.R, as well as those who appreciate new and creative Hip-Hop/Rap, will definitely want to check out this single. Make sure you follow R.A.Z.E.R on social media to keep up to date with upcoming releases and performances!
Q&A
1. What first got you into music?
“What first got me into music was being around my father’s equipment - karaoke machine, turntables, piano just to name a few, and he’s really a Rosta so seeing him DJ which is emceeing In Jamaica, influenced me to want to express myself on the mic to people across the world and move crowds with my lyrical content.”
2. Who inspired you to make music?
“Who inspired me to make music was Bob Marley, he would move crowds and bring different nationalities together to enjoy the moment and allow the lyrics in the songs to help fans overcome life challenges, or obstacles, along with Nasir Jones ( Nas) who represented a swag and smooth charismatic flow that related to the EastCoast lifestyles going on around me.”
3. How would you describe the music that you typically create?
“The music that I typically make has a new school East-coast Southern twist to it. Being from the east-coast is very important to me so I always carry that in every project I work on to keep it authentic. I can write music for different genres, not just hip hop, since music is an expression within. I like to create music that will fit the atmosphere or environment that is appropriate for the occasion and I like to leave an unforgettable impression for my fans or audience to be thrilled about. For example, laid-back conscience rap, club songs, R&B songs, country songs, reggae songs, trap music, and neo-soul.”
4. What is your creative process like?
“It comes to me way too easy. I rap about real reality under the sun. First I visualized and decide what message I would like to send my audience. I can create a song’s accepella hook and verses, then go through and select the beat that best fits after the song is finished. Or I already have a beat and create my lyrics freestyling over a beat and then create the lyrics and flow for it. A lot of times I don’t think about it till I get [to the studio] and I hear the track, and then it just comes.”
5. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
“I have remarkable ideas, with upcoming projects for big hip-hop ballads, that would need talented artists as well as a strong vocalist. I would love to work with John legend, Nas, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, or Bruno Mars just to name a few. I also have creative ideas on making a remix to my new single “Chess”, but from a female perspective. I feel that a female rapper like Megan Thee Stallion and a strong vocalist like Taylor Swift, would make for an amazing collaboration.”
6. What is the best advice you could give to an up and coming artist?
“Believe in yourself, be patient and consistent because success won’t happen overnight. Being a artist requires a a lot of time hard work and dedication, so you want to make sure the proper paper work is taken care of at the beginning. Also, just because a song is popular at the moment doesn’t mean that you should follow the trend. If you have a unique style and originality as an artist, I think you should naturally let that develop and give that to the audience because they will appreciate you being yourself more than trying to fit in with the trend. Being original is well respected and goes a long way to becoming a successful artist.”
7. What’s next for you?
“Well I just released “Chess” which is out now and streaming on all platforms. Its trailer was released on May 28, 2020 on Duggular ENT’s Youtube channel followed by the official music video on June 13, 2020. I’m also working on an EP that will be released later on this year. It will be a piece introducing me to the world and giving them a little insight on me as an artist - along with bonus tracks to catch a vibe to. I also plan to brand my clothing line ‘Velvy’ and start a kids line ‘Duggish Kids’ that will be taking off this September.”
ARTIST: R.A.Z.E.R
SINGLE: Chess
