Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Makale.
Hi Ray, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started writing when I was very young. It has always been an outlet for me. I fell in love with rap when I started listening to J Cole, Tupac, Kendrick, and Drake. Those are my favorites. They made me really love lyrical rap on a whole different level. My family is very musically inclined as well so being around them definitely pushed me. My cousins and I would make songs and stuff for fun whenever we hung out. The more I continued to write it turned from just a hobby into a passion. I started writing all the time and my love grew for it. That’s when I knew I wanted to be an artist. As far as poetry it was a lot different. I actually did not like poetry at all growing up. I thought it was very boring because I only knew it from school, and we would only read stuff from hundreds of years ago that I had no connection with. That pretty much shaped my view of poetry originally, so I had no desire for it. That all changed once I discovered Def Jam Poetry. I fell in love with spoken word. It was like a whole new realm of poetry that I hardly knew existed. Once I discovered that version of spoken word, I branched off into that. Watching the other artists definitely pushed my pen poetically because when I first started writing poetry, they were all really raps, and it was difficult for me to distinguish the two. However, the more I kept writing and studying other artists I got better. My cousin Charles Pharaoh helped me a lot too. He is an amazing artist! He does everything from rap, poetry, visual art, fashion design, and more. He really pushed me to work on my pen and helped me grow in crazy ways. I continued to push myself past my comfort zone in both poetry and rap. I used to be super shy about it but the more I grew my confidence I started doing it more and more. Being heavily involved in the Cleveland music and poetry scene helped tremendously as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was definitely not always smooth. Honestly, a lot of the battles I had came from my own mind. Questioning myself, second-guessing myself, letting fear stop me. It was point where I was so terrified of failure that it stopped me from wanting to try all together. However, I knew if I really wanted to soar, I couldn’t stay there. So, I just started trusting God and betting on myself and it’s been working well for me ever since.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am all-around creative. I am a poet, a rapper, and a model. I often perform spoken word at different events in the Cleveland area. Outside of Cleveland, I am the President of the organization Illmatic Expression. This organization is a safe space at Central State University that focuses on artistic development. Expanding the organization is something I take pride in. In addition to spoken word and rap, I am also a print and fashion model. I am most proud of my ability to be flexible in a multitude of creative environments. Whether it is creating photoshoot concepts, creating a poem, rapping, or creative event managing I am able to adapt and help the story and vision be bought to life.
What’s next?
I plan to continue growing as an artist. I am currently working on a project that incorporates both music and poetry which I am extremely excited about. In addition to this, I am currently obtaining a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. I also plan to continue work on the administration team for my home studio, Breakthrough Sounds Recording Studio to enhance the art community in Cleveland. I plan to use this to grow my personal career in addition to curating a platform that helps other artists grow as well.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raymakale/
Image Credits
Rudy Duran
