Every few years, an artist comes along who changes the face of Hip-Hop. That new artist has arrived. Ra-sun's eclectic sounds, driving rythms, and hip-hop energy creates a sound that's designed to make you move, no matter what genre of music you prefer.
Hip-Hop may be his calling card but his background as an amateur pianist and concert saxophone player allow him to expand his professional pallete. Inspiration comes from many different genres; Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, Latin, Bossa Nova, Soul, Classical, Electronic Music, and anything else capable of making a sound.
Born Brandon Ra-sun Williams (Ra-sun meaning first born God) in Springfield, MA in 1985, his Bronx-born mother (Soundview Projects) and Queens/Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy) bred father meant that Ra-sun was born with New York City in his blood.
As his father established himself as a member of C&C Music Factory, Ra (as he is affectionately called) lived with his mother and grandmother in Springfield MA. His mother worked full time to provide for her and her son, while also attending school to complete her degree. In his down time, Ra explored his musical abilities.
Unable to take professional lessons as a young child, his father introduced him to what he himself knew, placing a DMX drum machine and Roland 727 in his hands at the age of four. By the age of 8 he was already a studio rat. When he wasn't sleeping on the couch, he always gave his suggestions on inflection, cadence, and tone to whomever had the patience to listen. Simply, he was born into the business.
When Ra wasn't traveling to Japan or Florida with his father (and hanging with B.B.D., Tony Toni Tone, or C&C Music Factory) he lived with his mother. Between two homes, he moved often. His first 12 years saw him in Massachusetts, Arizona, New York, and Connecticut.
Ra often took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the two completely different worlds he lived in; the streets of New York City and the suburbs of Connecticut. While with his mother, he furthered his education. With his father, He did his best to learn from the world on a global scale, as his father shared with him his views on politics, women, business, black culture, and life in general.
No matter where he travelled, he always had the option of returning to the quiet life of Connecticut and reflect on the madness he had witnessed abroad. He learned from every experience.
Touring with his dad also gave Ra-sun the opportunity to perform, further training him in the Art of Hip-Hop. Set in front of 20,000 people at the age of 16, Ra-sun backed up his father on the mic regularly, helping to energize the crowd.
One memorable experience set him in Webster Hall. Ra found himself engulfed in the high-paced Nightlife of NYC, mixing up his written delivery with freestyles by throwing out half of his entire verse and free-styling the rest. This dynamic approach to music making has shaped Ra's perception of himself as an artist.
For Ra, the future looks promising. With multiple projects underway, including credits as a chief producer on a number of Indie Albums and various submissions for film scores through Spirit Music Publishing (out of Manhattan), this Columbia University Graduate's future is very, very bright.
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Haha!
