Interview by Mr.Owl
Are you a true Hip-Hop fan? Do you know King Ra? What! You don't know him!
Well let's change this... Lady and Gentlemen i'm proud to present ..................KING RA
Enjoy!
1.First and foremost who is King Ra?
King RA is a Hip Hop purist, REVOLUTIONARY ARTIST. Fan first & MC after.
2.Could you explain the meaning of your name?
Ra is a nickname my cousin Wiz gave me around 1998 because so many people kept saying my name wrong,needless to say the name stuck. When i started recording songs in 2002 I decided Ra would be the name I use artist as well. In 2008 I added King to my name because someone called me "King Ra" & I felt it was fitting for a king. That's when who I am as an MC started to make sense. King is what I acknowledge myself as. We are all are kings & queens, it's a choice we make to fill those royal shoes or not. Ra is the Egyptian Sun God & I equate myself to Ra in the sense I shed light & bring heat to the microphone. RA in caps was added for emphasis like it's being yelled. RA = Revolutionary Artist. RA = Rhyme Animal. I decided Ra would be the name I use "as an" artist as well.
3.When did you start rapping?
I started rapping way back in 6th grade but i didn't start taking my craft seriously til 2007.
4.What are your future project and what can we expect for 2011- 2012 ?
Right now Foot On They Necks V.1 is out there circulating, I'm shooting the video for my second single off that 7 relaesing it January 2012. I have a bunch of projects lined up for the new year as well. Gonna drop an EP produced by Tokyo Cigar, Foot On They Necks V.2, a album produced by Chopzilla, a gang of features & if I can work on my self produced album I will.
5. What about touring, do you plan to do a tour outside the states?
Touring is most certainly in the very near future. No dates have been set yet. I'm working on it. My schedule is open & I'm ready to travel. My passport is ready for stamps.
6.Who are some of your influences and who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Every dope MC from the Golden Era influenced me in some way or another. It would be amazing to collab with artists like Sean Price, Redman, Ghostface Killah, Styles P in the future, to name a few.
7. Who and what are your inspiration to making music?
The people I talk to who do & go through real things inspire me. Everything I see & experience serves as inspiration for me to create the music i make. I will go as far as saying that all the garbage music the radio plays is a huge inspiration for me to make original joints that remain true to who I am as an artist.
8. What have been the ups and downs since you started making music?
There have been more downs than ups that were important to my evolution as an MC. The largest downfall for me was rolling with people who was not as serious as I am about making great music & putting it out to be heard. Waiting for other people to get motivated is not how to be successful at anything *lesson learned*. I feel like the ups are just starting to happen now with me not waiting & going for it. Being recognized & appreciated for the music I create is the best. Once some money starts rolling in *POW* then I'll feel really up. Ha
9. What's the meanest thing ever said to you before during or after a gig?
There has never been any negative things said to me during or after a show. I will say the first real show I did, there was judges there. After I performed one said "I wasn't commercial enough" the other said "Tighten up your stage show" & the third said "I have potential. I took the constructive criticism & step it up. Otherwise, opinions are like assholes everybody got one so I don't worry bout that.
10 What was the first lp/cd/cassette and or mixtape you ever bought
with your own money?
The first tape I bought was a Chubb Rock - Treat Em Right (maxi-cassette single) in 1990. I let that tape rock til the tape popped like so many of my cassettes back then. Lmao
11.How do you spoil yourself?
I spoil myself by eating great food. Great food makes me happy (lol). Also, I gotta stay fly so I def spoil myself with gear & kicks as much as possible.
12.Jersey City (your hometown) in 10 words?
The place I love but it's not enough love at.
13.Who's been supporting you and your career?
Up until recently it has been me supporting me & my career. The fact that I am supporting myself & most importantly making good music is granting the opportunity for others to see I'm a serious artist. Great blogs such as yours (Runaway Owl), friends, & hip hop purists are starting to support my art which I greatly appreciate.
14.Who do you think is the best MC alive?
I think this is such a broad question.There is no best MC. The best MC's are great at what they do. Besides that I haven't heard every MC to fairly answer that. I can say: I am the best at what I do though.
15.Who would be your ideal dinner guest, living or dead, and what
would you serve them + what music would you play?
My ideal dinner guest would be my father Ronald Mason who died in 1986. I would enjoy talking to my dad now & hearing what gems he'd drop on me It would probably be some type of vegetarian meal & the background music would be him playing the guitar (he was a problem on the strings).
16.Thank you for taking the time out to speak to us,any final thoughts?
Thank you for the opportunity sir. I wanna say thank you to everybody who is riding with me on this journey, PEACE, BLESSINGS & LIGHT!
Dope Hip-Hop / Music By King Ra :
KIng Ra on the net :
Dope Hip-Hop / Music By King Ra :
KIng Ra on the net :
Many thanks to King Ra for the time he give me .
Final note : support the overground Hip-Hop, support your local scene.
Be part of the Going up movement = Support Share Support.
Final note : support the overground Hip-Hop, support your local scene.
Be part of the Going up movement = Support Share Support.
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