Born Nabil Amadu and widely known as Rayoe, the Ghanaian US-based artiste has initiated a move to take over the world with his music craft. Rayoe has fast been gaining recognition with his music which also earned him a blessing from Stonebwoy.
Rayoe, though based in America, takes pride as a Dagomba boy who hails from a middle-class Ghanaian family of religious and well-educated parents. His passion for music and astronomic ambitions took him on a unique path that sets him apart from most of his peers.
His latest single titled « Extra” is produced by Ghanaian-based artist and long-time collaborator Bug Dinero. The track samples Moroccan instrumentation complimented by bouncy drums and a deep rolling bass line. This groovy club hip-hop song leans into a fun flamboyant vibe that’s bound to take over the airspace in every social setting with music lovers.
Rayoe, Whose stage name also stands as an acronym for « Rap at your own expense » aspires to use his music as a conduit connecting Ghana to the world in a more diverse way with his unique perspective on hip-hop culture, living back and forth between Accra, GH, and Harlem, NY during his formative years.
When asked about his new video, he said « Extra’ is kind of an ode to my West African/Harlem influence, being fly with clothes, jewelry, cars, and personality. The word really stuck in my head when this chick I was dealing with would always say ‘Rayoe you so extra’ any time I do or say something outlandish”.
He added that after recording the song he got good reactions from everyone which further ignited him to release and promote it as a single. The vision for the Rayoe brand aims to inspire people to make art at the highest level. “Find something you care about and live your life through it,” the rapper added.
Talking about the official music above, he divulged how fun it was whilst shooting it. The video features a decorated horse cameo in it, beautiful Moroccan girls dancing with the colourful snake, and drinking coke with Arabic writings on the bottle, amongst other eccentric stuff.
Sharing a challenge from the making of the video shot in the desert on the outskirts of town, he said « we planned a performance scene that involved swerving a car through the desert but was down on our luck when the vehicle got stuck because it wasn’t an all-wheel drive. Tow trucks were miles away and couldn’t make it there on time to rescue the situation. At one point, a crew member who had a truck tried to tow the car out but also ended up getting stuck as well which left us with no choice but to accept their fate« .
Rayoe went on to speak about some of his greatest challenges as an artist, which include finding ways to survive in foreign lands as an independent artist. “Being able to discover the world beyond your immediate view is a blessing but having to start afresh every time you switch location or zip codes can be frustrating,” he said.
Speaking about how passionate he is about promoting opportunities for connections between Ghana and the US. He continued that “ I aim to use my music platform and the power of hip-hop to push agendas that can help create and solidify connections between people of all backgrounds but especially the ones of African descent. That’s the inspiration for the title of my forthcoming album, Pangea.”
Pulse
