Raf Riley

Last updated

Raf Riley
Birth nameRafael Greifer [1]
Also known asThe Grand Spectacular
Sabotage Party
Born8 February 1992
Origin North London [2]
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • keyboard
  • drums
  • bass guitar
  • synthesizer
[3]
Years active2011 (2011)–present
Labels

Rafael Greifer, [1] better known by his stage name Raf Riley, is a record producer and artist from North London. [2] He was formerly a member of ExR alongside Etta Bond, [4] and is signed to OddChild Music [3] and has released on Diplo's Mad Decent label. [5] ExR released two EPs: Emergency Room and Meds. He released his own EP titled Now That's What I Call Gangster Beats!! in January 2013. Riley is also known for his comedy production: alongside Reuben "Dangerman" Dangoor, Riley is one half of the Grand Spectacular. Their 2010 single "Being A Dickhead's Cool" became a viral video, receiving over thirteen million YouTube views. [6] Riley and Dangerman are also part of the comedy rap trio Sabotage Party alongside Ray Knotts, in which he raps as well as produces. [7] Dangerman also designs and directs all OddChild Music artwork and ExR videos.

Contents

Raf Riley has worked with many artists including Professor Green, [8] [9] Labrinth, Diplo, Naughty Boy, Dr. Luke [10] and Mike Skinner. [11] Riley has had cuts with Elliphant, Skepta and has remixed for Sigma, Conor Maynard and Plan B.

Discography

EPs

YearAlbumLabel
2012Dog Unit Mad Decent
Emergency Room(with Etta Bond) OddChild Music
2013Now That's What I Call Gangster Beats!! OddChild Music
Meds(with Etta Bond) OddChild Music
2017Sass Pancakes(with Ashnikko) Parlophone

Singles

As lead artist

YearSong
2013"Goblinz (The Wake)"
"Buckshot"
2014"The Funeral" (with Etta Bond)
"Yo Rudeboy!!"
"Ammunition"
"King Richard's Revenge"
"COP KILLA 2k15"
2015"Hiding Place"
"Summer" (featuring Etta Bond, Avelino and Dun D)
"Bitches (Want It)" (featuring JenayFaith, Avelino, Ashnikko, Etta Bond and Dun D)
"Never Did" (with Etta Bond featuring A2)
"Bad or Not"
2016"Shake Your Anus"

As the Grand Spectacular

YearSong
2010"Being A Dickhead's Cool" [12]

As Sabotage Party

YearSong
2013"Silly Drake Noise"

Production credits

YearSongReleaseLabel
2011"Tear it All Down"
(Mz. Bratt)
Non-album single Warner
2012"Love Cards"
(Devlin featuring Etta Bond)
A Moving Picture Island
"Under the Knife"
(Labrinth featuring Etta Bond)
Atomic OddChild Music
2013"Free Weed for Single Mothers"
(Lunar C)
Good Times & Dead Brain CellsInsanity
"Yippy Yay Yippy Yo"
(Lady Leshurr) [13]
Mona LeshurrN/A
2014"Wetter Than Tsunami"
(RiFF RAFF)
NEON iCON Mad Decent
"Everything 4 U"
(Elliphant)
Look Like You Love It
"Mark Your Territory"
(Etta Bond)
#CoolUrbanNewTalent OddChild Music
"In the Morning"
(Etta Bond)
"King to Be"
(Etta Bond)
"Bubble"
(Etta Bond featuring Delilah)
"High Wire"
(Sinead Harnett)
N.O.W EPVirgin EMI
2015"The Fame"
(Avelino) (co-produced by AceKeyz)
#NextGen10 GRM Daily
"BodyRock"
(Bluey Robinson)
The Cool EPN/A
"In a Rave"
(Etta Bond x Raf Riley)
Ralph Hardy Presents: Growing PainsNANG
2016"Rich Soul"
(Avelino)
FYO OddChild Music
"Welcome 2 The Future"
(Avelino)
"FYO"
(Avelino)
"What Do They Know"
(Avelino featuring Eclectic and MC Neat)
"Youniverse"
(Avelino)

Remixes

YearSongArtist
2012"Last Time" Labrinth
"Climax" Usher
"Treatment" (with Etta Bond)Labrinth
2013"Playing with Fire" (with Etta Bond) [14] Plan B featuring Labrinth
"Overload"Random Impulse
"Are You Getting Enough?" Professor Green featuring Miles Kane
"Lifted" Naughty Boy featuring Emeli Sandé
"Year Round Summer"Lolo
"R U Crazy" Conor Maynard
"You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You" (featuring Lunar C) James Arthur
2014"Let It Be" (featuring Avelino)Labrinth
2015"Higher" Sigma featuring Labrinth
2016"Bad 4 Me"Etta Bond

Unreleased tracks

YearSong
2011"Come Over" (with Etta Bond)
"Every Dream" (with Etta Bond)
2012"Fight Til the Death" (with Etta Bond)
2013"Raid on Heathrow" (with Jason Julian)
"Vomit" (with Etta Bond)
"Mr. Manly" (with Etta Bond)
2014"Chronic 2014"
"Ghost on Toast"
2015"Hiding Place"
"Summer" (featuring Etta Bond, Avelino and Dun D)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diplo</span> American disc jockey, songwriter and music producer (born 1978)

Thomas Wesley Pentz, known professionally as Diplo, is an American disc jockey, songwriter, and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with Sia and Labrinth, a member of electronic duo Jack Ü with producer and DJ Skrillex, and a member of Silk City with Mark Ronson. He founded and manages record company Mad Decent, as well as co-founding the non-profit organization Heaps Decent. His 2013 EP, Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Lazer</span> American electronic music group

Major Lazer is a Jamaican-American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was then replaced by both Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. In June 2019, Jillionaire left the group and was replaced by Ape Drums. Its music spans numerous genres, mixing reggae with dancehall, reggaeton, soca, house and moombahton.

Adil Omar is a Pakistani rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker from Islamabad. In addition to being a solo artist, he is also involved in songwriting and production for other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grum</span> Scottish electronic musician

Graeme Shepherd, better known by his stage name Grum, is a Scottish electronic musician and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riff Raff (rapper)</span> American rapper from Texas

Horst Christian Simco, better known by his stage name Riff Raff, is an American rapper. He was originally managed by Swishahouse co-founder OG Ron C. After being associated with rapper and producer Soulja Boy's imprint S.O.D. Money Gang Inc., Riff Raff was signed to DJ and producer Diplo's record label Mad Decent from 2013 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dillon Francis</span> American DJ and music producer (born 1987)

Dillon Hart Francis, also known by his alter ego DJ Hanzel, is an American electronic music producer, DJ, and "social media prankster". By deejaying and collaborating, Francis helped to popularize the new moombahton genre, and in 2012 he adapted it further into moombahcore and EDM trap, giving the music a harder sound, as heard on his EP Something, Something, Awesome. He expanded into EDM genres with Money Sucks, Friends Rule (2014), which hit number 2 on the Billboard dance chart, then shifted gears into Latin music with 2018's Wut Wut, a Spanish-language album honored with a Latin Grammy and a Latin American Music Award. The song "Sexo", with Residente featuring iLe, rose to number 43 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart in June 2018.

Henrietta "Etta" Bond is a British singer-songwriter. She was the first signing to OddChild Music, partially owing to Bond becoming friends with Labrinth thanks to a fluke Myspace encounter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OddChild Music</span>

OddChild Music is an independent, London-based management company and record label founded by Marc Williams in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jah No Partial</span> 2012 single by Major Lazer featuring Flux Pavilion

"Jah No Partial" is a song by musical project Major Lazer from their second studio album Free the Universe. The song was published worldwide in October 22, 2012, and released digitally in 2013. The song features English dubstep producer and DJ Flux Pavilion.

ExR is a musical side project of Etta Bond and Raf Riley, signed to Labrinth's record label Odd Child. The duo released their first collaborative extended play Emergency Room for free download on 20 July 2012 following a series of unreleased ExR demos. They released two promotional singles from the EP in the form of music videos. Etta also performed "Baddy" in May 2013 for SB.TV as part of their String Sessions feature alongside a string quartet. After the EP, Riley released a solo EP and Bond worked on some new material with other producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Leshurr</span> British rapper, singer, songwriter, actress and record producer

Melesha Katrina O'Garro, known professionally as Lady Leshurr, is a British rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. She is known for her Queen's Speech series of freestyles, the fourth of which became popular in 2016. Her subsequent freestyle, Queen's Speech 5, was called "brilliant" and "2015's crowning freestyle" by Spin. In 2021, she entered the Channel 4 series The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer, catfishing as Big Narstie, and won. She also competed in the thirteenth series of Dancing on Ice, where she reached the semi-final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow Claw (DJs)</span> Dutch DJs

Yellow Claw is a Dutch DJ and record production duo from Amsterdam consisting of Jim Taihuttu, based in Bali, and Nils Rondhuis, based in Amsterdam. The duo's music is a mix of a wide range of genres and often incorporates elements from trap, hip hop, dubstep, hardstyle and moombahton.

Three Loco is an American comedy hip hop group composed of Andy Milonakis, Simon Rex, and Horst Simco. The trio has proclaimed themselves as the "Holy Trinity of hip-hop".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mad Decent</span> American record label

Mad Decent is an American record label founded by Diplo. The label has helped introduce Brazilian baile funk and Angolan kuduro to clubs around the world. Recently, it has popularized moombahton, a genre of electronic dance music created by DJ Dave Nada. The genre on the label was mostly popularized by Dillon Francis after collaborating with Diplo on Francis' 2012 track "Que Que". The label is also known for its series of concerts in major cities known as the Mad Decent Block Party.

<i>Neon Icon</i> 2014 studio album by Riff Raff

Neon Icon is the debut studio album by American rapper Riff Raff. It was released on June 24, 2014, by Mad Decent. The album, which features Childish Gambino, Mac Miller, Paul Wall, Amber Coffman, Mike Posner, and Slim Thug, was produced by DJA, Larry Fisherman, DJ Mustard, Raf Riley, Harry Fraud, and executive producer Diplo. Neon Icon was supported by singles "How to Be the Man" and "Tip Toe Wing in My Jawwdinz".

<i>Random White Dude Be Everywhere</i> 2014 compilation album by Diplo

Random White Dude Be Everywhere is a compilation album by Diplo. It was released on Mad Decent on July 29, 2014. It debuted at number 2 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiwek</span> Musical artist

Wiwek Mahabali, better known mononymously as Wiwek, is a Dutch DJ and music producer based in Utrecht, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Is Up (song)</span> 2018 single by Poppy featuring Diplo

"Time Is Up" is a song by American singer Poppy featuring American DJ and producer Diplo, released on August 22, 2018, as the second single from Poppy's second studio album Am I a Girl?

<i>Am I a Girl?</i> 2018 studio album by Poppy

Am I a Girl? is the second studio album by American singer and YouTube personality Poppy. It was released on October 31, 2018, by her own label I'm Poppy and Mad Decent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spicy (Herve Pagez and Diplo song)</span> 2019 single by Herve Pagez and Diplo featuring Charli XCX

"Spicy" is a song by French musician Herve Pagez and American producer Diplo, featuring vocals by English singer Charli XCX. The song was released on 30 May 2019 by the Mad Decent record label. "Spicy" heavily interpolates the song "Wannabe" by English girl group Spice Girls, from their first album Spice (1996). The Spice Girls are, therefore, credited as songwriters for the track, alongside Charli XCX, Emmanuel Valere, Joel Jaccoulet and "Wannabe" co-writers Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard. "Spicy" was produced by Pagez and Diplo.

References

  1. 1 2 Ross Condit (4 September 2012). "Mad Decent Dogs and Englishmen". Inyourspeakers Media. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Raf Riley: Get Familiar". SoulCulture. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Raf Riley". Red Bull GmbH . Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. "Raf Riley". This Kid Is A Problem. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  5. "HI! Magazine >> Supafly duo return with new single Happiness". Hi! Magazine . Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  6. "Being a D**khead's Cool – YouTube". YouTube. 9 September 2010.
  7. "Sabotage Party: Silly Drake Noise". This Kid Is A Problem. 6 January 2013.
  8. "Twitter / professorgreen: i'm ahead of you on that :) ..." Twitter. 12 August 2013.
  9. "Twitter / professorgreen: Raf Riley needs to be listened ..." Twitter. 12 August 2013.
  10. "Twitter / TheDoctorLuke: so much great music out now... ..." Twitter. 12 August 2013.
  11. "Mike Skinner DJ Set @ Nest London 04.01.13 by Mike Skinner". SoundCloud. 6 January 2013.
  12. "iTunes – Music – Being A D******d's Cool by The Grand Spectacular". iTunes. 11 September 2010.
  13. "iTunes – Music – Mona Leshurr by Lady Leshurr". iTunes. 3 September 2013.
  14. "Emergency Room – Playing with Fire, Plan B Remix". YouTube. 3 January 2013.