BIO
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Stevie Ray discovered music at an early age as the son of a musician. After spending his early years playing guitar in rock bands, he discovered a passion for hip hop when battle rapping on the bus to his high school football games.
Feeling largely uninspired by the invasive tech industry and the ceiling that seemingly existed for all of his music colleagues, he uprooted and moved to Los Angeles with intentions to grow as an artist and human. Upon arrival Stevie was met with much of the same disappointment, as his Los Angeles colleagues shared the same disheartened attitude, and a false notion of competition that seemed to be the root of this defeatist energy he couldn’t escape.
What followed next was a period of isolation and reflection. In solitude he discovered belief in self, freedom in thought, and unwavering love for his fellow human beings. This period of solitude gave birth to the identity Stevie Ray, a return to his government name, and a commitment to his core beliefs of generosity, discipline, and compassion.
Upon discovery, Stevie reunited with Andre Paxton, one of his first rock bandmates, to develop this philosophical landscape into a sonic playground. Drawing inspiration from artists like J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Kanye West, Mac Miller, and Joey Bada$$ the result was FREE, the official debut of Stevie Ray.