ARTIST HISTORY
He hails from a small town -- far away from the established hip-hop culture and stereotyped artists. Yet r.a.w.child is becoming recognized as a talented and respected hip-hop artist. You don't have to have a troubled upbringing, or come from the ghetto, to be able to produce and unleash rhymes about life experiences that everyone can relate to � death, anger, love. His passion for hip-hop music is reflected not only in his music but in his performances with such dramatic flair.
As a matter of fact, r.a.w.child's upbringing is not newsworthy in itself. He was raised in a middle class home in a good environment. He had the usual traumas experienced by adolescents but nothing overly significant. What is newsworthy, though, is how this average, small town boy, got hooked on hip-hop music and developed into a reputable rapper.
R.a.w.child's interest in hip-hop music originates back to when he was 11 years old. "My older cousin gave me an old NWA tape, NWA and the Posse actually, and once I listened to it, I was hooked. I was intrigued by the whole gangster lifestyle and the situations they rapped about. I had never heard this provocative kind of music before. The beats and the ruthless lyrics just blew me away"
He started listening to numerous artists such as Westside Connection, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre, but his biggest influence was Tupac. "Even though Tupac rapped about his gangster lifestyle, I found I could relate to many of his messages. He was so diverse in the feelings could instill in his music - from motivational, sentimental to angriness. I can remember sitting in detention so many times during school for rapping Tupac word for word in class --- the kids loved it --- not my teachers though."
R.a.w.child did not discover his niche for writing and performing hip-hop music until his late teens. But he did realize that music and his other passion, acting, would become major focal points in his life.
At the age of 12 he was linked up with an acting agent in Montreal and landed a few small parts in film and television. Throughout the next 6 years, r.a.w.child also performed in numerous theatrical performances enjoying acting in roles as the "bad ****" character, or as the comic relief which demonstrated his humorous side.
R.a.w.child balanced his acting pursuits with his music endeavours. At the age of 15, he joined a rock band as the drummer and sometimes took centre stage to spit a few tracks over drums and bass. His group, called Zero Hour, stayed together for two years, performing at local clubs, school dances and private parties.
He got his first big break in 2002 at the age of 17. He met up with 3 guys from the Pickering /Toronto area with a similar musical passion and they formed an R&B group called Drop 4. He became one of the lead vocalists, mainly writing and rapping for selected verses of their songs. They became an instant hit with the ladies.
It seemed that Drop 4 was on their way to stardom. They released two singles with accompanying videos and produced numerous other tracks. Their songs were played on radio stations across Canada and their videos were aired on YTV, where they remained in the top 10 for weeks. Drop 4 performed at various venues, in Ontario, at nightclubs, colleges, fundraising events, and cruise ships. The group was signed to EMI Sextant in 2003 and they toured eastern Canada with Shawn Desman. However, in 2004, the group disbanded due to internal conflicts.
But r.a.w.child already knew that he had a knack for writing and performing hip-hop music and the break up simply opened another door for him to continue his musical interests as an independent hip-hop artist. R.a.w.child -- (r.a.w. --- ready, able and willing) has recently released his first album - r.a.w.child CHAPTER ONE.
Although, his acting has taken a back seat for the time being, it is ironical that he has been referred to as the Brad Pitt of hip-hop. Dashing looks, devilish charm and lots of attitude. Although flattered by the reference, he would rather be known for his hard hitting tracks and fast flowing rhymes. His rapping sound remains very distinctive, yet you can catch influences of Tupac, Eminen and Dr. Dre. He performs with such dramatic passion and energy.
It is only a matter of time before r.a.w.child becomes a major, influential hip-hop artist.
As a matter of fact, r.a.w.child's upbringing is not newsworthy in itself. He was raised in a middle class home in a good environment. He had the usual traumas experienced by adolescents but nothing overly significant. What is newsworthy, though, is how this average, small town boy, got hooked on hip-hop music and developed into a reputable rapper.
R.a.w.child's interest in hip-hop music originates back to when he was 11 years old. "My older cousin gave me an old NWA tape, NWA and the Posse actually, and once I listened to it, I was hooked. I was intrigued by the whole gangster lifestyle and the situations they rapped about. I had never heard this provocative kind of music before. The beats and the ruthless lyrics just blew me away"
He started listening to numerous artists such as Westside Connection, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre, but his biggest influence was Tupac. "Even though Tupac rapped about his gangster lifestyle, I found I could relate to many of his messages. He was so diverse in the feelings could instill in his music - from motivational, sentimental to angriness. I can remember sitting in detention so many times during school for rapping Tupac word for word in class --- the kids loved it --- not my teachers though."
R.a.w.child did not discover his niche for writing and performing hip-hop music until his late teens. But he did realize that music and his other passion, acting, would become major focal points in his life.
At the age of 12 he was linked up with an acting agent in Montreal and landed a few small parts in film and television. Throughout the next 6 years, r.a.w.child also performed in numerous theatrical performances enjoying acting in roles as the "bad ****" character, or as the comic relief which demonstrated his humorous side.
R.a.w.child balanced his acting pursuits with his music endeavours. At the age of 15, he joined a rock band as the drummer and sometimes took centre stage to spit a few tracks over drums and bass. His group, called Zero Hour, stayed together for two years, performing at local clubs, school dances and private parties.
He got his first big break in 2002 at the age of 17. He met up with 3 guys from the Pickering /Toronto area with a similar musical passion and they formed an R&B group called Drop 4. He became one of the lead vocalists, mainly writing and rapping for selected verses of their songs. They became an instant hit with the ladies.
It seemed that Drop 4 was on their way to stardom. They released two singles with accompanying videos and produced numerous other tracks. Their songs were played on radio stations across Canada and their videos were aired on YTV, where they remained in the top 10 for weeks. Drop 4 performed at various venues, in Ontario, at nightclubs, colleges, fundraising events, and cruise ships. The group was signed to EMI Sextant in 2003 and they toured eastern Canada with Shawn Desman. However, in 2004, the group disbanded due to internal conflicts.
But r.a.w.child already knew that he had a knack for writing and performing hip-hop music and the break up simply opened another door for him to continue his musical interests as an independent hip-hop artist. R.a.w.child -- (r.a.w. --- ready, able and willing) has recently released his first album - r.a.w.child CHAPTER ONE.
Although, his acting has taken a back seat for the time being, it is ironical that he has been referred to as the Brad Pitt of hip-hop. Dashing looks, devilish charm and lots of attitude. Although flattered by the reference, he would rather be known for his hard hitting tracks and fast flowing rhymes. His rapping sound remains very distinctive, yet you can catch influences of Tupac, Eminen and Dr. Dre. He performs with such dramatic passion and energy.
It is only a matter of time before r.a.w.child becomes a major, influential hip-hop artist.
Feeds
