Ray BLK

Last updated

Ray BLK
Ray BLK 2 - splash! Festival 20 (2017).jpg
Background information
Birth nameRita Ekwere
Also known asRay Blizzy
Born (1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 30)
Nigeria
Origin Catford, South East London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
Years active2015–present
Labels Universal Island Records

Rita Ekwere (born 2 August 1994), [1] better known under her stage name of Ray BLK (pronounced "Ray Black"), is a British singer and songwriter who was born in Nigeria, and grew up in Catford in London. [2] She won the BBC's Sound of 2017, and was the first unsigned artist to do so. [3] On 28 October 2016, she released her debut mini-album, Durt, and in January 2018 signed to the UK branch of Island Records. Her debut full-length studio album, Access Denied, was released to critical acclaim in October 2021. [4]

Contents

Background

Ray BLK, whose real name is Rita Ekwere, [5] was born in Nigeria and moved to London when she was about four. [6] She grew up in Catford. [6] At the age of 13 she formed a music group with her school friend MNEK called "New Found Content". [6] She studied for a degree in English literature at Brunel University, and her dissertation was on post-colonial Nigerian literature, focusing on the novels of Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie. [6] She worked in an advertising agency to sustain her music career in its early days. [5]

Her stage surname BLK stands for Building Living Knowing, which she describes as her three main values. [7]

Career

Ray released her first recordings while studying for her English degree. [5] Her debut EP Havisham was released in 2015. [6] Inspired by Miss Havisham's story in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations , it told the tale of a girl who turns against men after having her heartbroken. [6] According to Ray "I felt like Miss Havisham was like a lot of women around me, who got their heartbroken and turned cold and began to hate men." [6] Ray releases music on her own label and has avoided signing a record deal to retain the rights to her music. [6] In 2016 she self-released her debut mini-album Durt, featuring collaborations with Stormzy, Wretch 32 and SG Lewis. [7] Her single "My Hood" is a song about her home town of Catford. She wrote it at a time when she had just been robbed, and she felt like she just wanted to leave. [6]

She was nominated for best newcomer at the 2016 MOBO Awards. [8] On 6 January 2017, Ray was announced as the winner of the BBC's Sound of 2017. [5]

In 2019, Ray BLK was the opening act for the UK leg of The Nicki Wrld Tour, the headlining tour by American rapper Nicki Minaj. [9]

In November 2019, she released a song called "Action" with rapper Chip, then went on to teasing more music with 3 snippets on Instagram from her upcoming debut album which will be released in 2021. [10]

In July 2021, she released a single "MIA" featuring American singer Kaash Paige and announced that her debut album Access Denied would be released on 17 September 2021 through Island Records, later delayed to 1 October. Upon release the album attracted critical acclaim and was listed as one of the best albums of 2021 by NME . [11]

In 2023, she made her acting debut as Honey on the BBC One musical drama series Champion . She also served as music executive on the soundtrack alongside Ghetts and the show's creator and writer Candice Carty-Williams.

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetails
Access Denied

EPs

TitleDetails
Durt
  • Released: 28 October 2016 [13]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download
Empress
A Forest Fire
  • Released: 25 October 2024 [15]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Mixtapes

TitleDetails
Havisham
  • Released: 15 March 2015[ citation needed ]
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

As a lead artist

TitleYearAlbum
"5050" [16] 2015Durt
"My Hood" [17]
(featuring Stormzy)
2016
"Chill Out" [18]
(featuring SG Lewis)
"Patience (Freestyle)" [19] 2017Non-album singles
"Doing Me" [20]
"All Or Nothing" [21]
(with Naughty Boy & Wyclef Jean)
2018Bungee Jumping
"Baby" [22]
(with Yogi & Maleek Berry featuring Kid Ink)
Non-album single
"Run Run" [23] Empress
"Empress" [24]
"In My Bed" [25] 2019Non-album singles
"Action" [26]
(featuring Chip)
"Lovesick" [27] 2020Access Denied
"Games" [28]
(featuring Giggs)
2021
"Dark Skinned" [29]
"MIA" [30]
(featuring Kaash Paige)
"Mine"
"Over You" [31]
(featuring Stefflon Don)
"Sunshine" [32] 2024A Forest Fire
TitleYearAlbum
"The Apprentice" [33]
(Gorillaz featuring Rag'n'Bone Man, Zebra Katz & Ray BLK)
2017 Humanz
"Flat Champagne" [34]
(Dan Caplen featuring Ray BLK)
Flat Champagne EP
"Scared of Love" [35]
(Rudimental featuring Ray BLK & Stefflon Don)
2019 Toast to Our Differences
"Daily Duppy (Relate)"
(Big Tobz featuring Ray BLK)
2020Issa Vibe
"Need You Tonight"
(JP Cooper featuring Ray BLK) [36]
2022She

Promotional singles

TitleYearAlbum
"Mama" [37] 2018Empress
"LOVE." [38] Non-album single
"Paradise" [39] 2019Empress

Other charted songs

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[40]
"Rubber Bands"
(with Nines & Skrapz)
201861 Crop Circle

Guest appearances

TitleYearArtist(s)AlbumCredits
"Beautiful Day to Die" [41] 2015TE dnessApril Showers 2Featured artist
"Love's Intervention" [42] 2016 Kojey Radical 23Winters
"2Am" [43] CourageGet Some Courage, Vol. 1
"Busy" [44] 2017NEW GENNew Gen
"Not for The Radio"[ citation needed ] Tinie Tempah, MNEK Youth Background vocalist
"Rubber Bands" [45] 2018Nines, Scrapz Crop Circle Featured artist
"Crew" [46] Raye, Kojo Funds Side Tape
"Skr on Em"2020 Dutchavelli Dutch from the 5th

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxanne Emery</span> English musician

Roxanne Emery, known also by her stage name RØRY, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. She is the sister of the DJ and producer Gareth Emery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MNDR</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1982)

Amanda Lucille Warner, known professionally as MNDR, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's 2010 single "Bang Bang Bang", which peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Jane Coles</span> British musician

Maya Jane Coles is a British music producer, audio engineer and DJ, born in London. Under her real name, she mostly composes and plays house and techno music, while her alias Nocturnal Sunshine creates darker, more bass-driven productions with a heavy hip-hop and dub influence. She was previously part of an electronic dub duo called She Is Danger with Lena Cullen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naughty Boy</span> English musician and DJ (born 1981)

Shahid Khan, better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a Pakistani-English DJ, record producer, music programmer, and songwriter. In 2012, Khan signed a three-year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a recording contract with Virgin EMI Records to release his debut studio album, Hotel Cabana (2013). The album was supported by the singles "Wonder", "Lifted", and "La La La" ; the latter peaked atop the UK singles chart while the album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom (Nicki Minaj song)</span> 2012 single by Nicki Minaj

"Freedom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 2, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the second single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Matthew Burnett, and Matthew Samuels. Production was helmed by Samuels under his stage name Boi-1da. The song was released for digital download by Cash Money Records in the US and Canada on November 2, 2012 and in other countries on November 6, 2012. It was serviced to US urban radio on November 27 and to mainstream radio in the United Kingdom the following day. "Freedom" is a downtempo hip hop and R&B song that features a "sonically breezy" soundscape, complied with ambient riffs, pop-inspired synths, and soft pop choruses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Simz</span> British rapper (born 1994)

Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known by her stage name Little Simz, is an English-Nigerian rapper. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums: A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the last of which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakka (singer)</span> Musical artist

Shakka Philip, known simply as Shakka, is a British singer, songwriter and record producer signed to Pitched Up, Columbia Records and Sony Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dvbbs</span> Canadian music production duo

Dvbbs is a Canadian production duo formed in 2012, composed of brothers Christopher van den Hoef and Alexandre van den Hoef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabrielle Aplin discography</span>

The discography of British singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin, consists of four studio albums, 17 extended plays, three live albums and 20 singles. Her first release was the 5-track Acoustic EP which was released on the iTunes Store on 13 September 2010. Her second EP Never Fade was released on 9 May 2011 and saw Aplin expand her sound, showcasing a more folk rock sound and playing all instruments herself. In April 2011, Aplin was invited to perform for BBC Introducing at Maida Vale Studios, where she played 3 tracks from Never Fade and a cover of the Coldplay song "Fix You". Aplin released her third EP, Home, on 9 January 2012. On 29 February 2012, Aplin announced that she had signed to Parlophone. Aplin was confirmed as the soundtrack to the John Lewis 2012 Christmas television advertisement, covering Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "The Power of Love", the song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nao (singer)</span> Musical artist

Neo Jessica Joshua, better known as Nao, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from East London. Her sound has been described as soul combined with electronic music, funk and R&B. Nao coined the term "wonky funk" to describe her style. She released her debut album, For All We Know, in 2016, her second album, Saturn, in 2018, followed by her most recent album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, released in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallant (singer)</span> Singer

Christopher Joseph Gallant III, known professionally as Gallant, is an American singer and songwriter from Columbia, Maryland, signed to Mind of a Genius Records and Warner Bros. Records. He first began to gain recognition after self-releasing his debut EP, Zebra in 2014. His debut studio album, Ology, was released worldwide in April 2016 to critical acclaim, earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia O'Brien</span> American singer

Olivia Gail O'Brien is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in 2016 after collaborating with Gnash on the single "I Hate U, I Love U", which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number one in Australia. The success resulted in a recording contract with Island Records, with whom she released two extended plays, three mixtapes, and her debut studio album Was It Even Real? (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahalia (singer)</span> British singer, songwriter and actress

Mahalia Burkmar, known mononymously as Mahalia, is a British singer, songwriter and actress. Mahalia has released several EPs and three albums, Diary of Me (2016), Love and Compromise (2019) and IRL (2023). She also acted in the film Brotherhood (2016). She had her breakthrough in 2017 with her performance of "Sober" for the YouTube channel Colors. In 2018, she was ranked number one on YouTube's Ones to Watch list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">070 Shake</span> American rapper (born 1997)

Danielle Balbuena, known professionally as 070 Shake, is an American rapper and singer. She is best known for her guest appearance on English singer Raye's 2022 single "Escapism", which peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked atop the UK Singles Chart, and won Song of the Year at the 2024 Brit Awards.

Octavian Oliver Lanoire, known mononymously as Octavian, is a French-British rapper, singer, and songwriter from London. In 2019 he won the BBC's Sound of Award, their top award for new artists. He has appeared on tracks produced by Diplo, Mura Masa, Take a Daytrip, JRick and A2. He has collaborated with Skepta, A$AP Ferg, Gorillaz, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefflon Don discography</span> Recordings made by a British singer

British rapper and singer Stefflon Don has made numerous recordings since 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slowthai</span> British rapper (born 1994)

Tyron Kaymone Frampton , better known by his stage name Slowthai, is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, politically charged lyrics, especially around Brexit and Theresa May's tenure as British prime minister. Slowthai placed fourth in the BBC Sound of 2019 and followed up in the same year with his debut studio album, Nothing Great About Britain. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize; at Slowthai's 2019 Mercury Prize ceremony performance, he held a fake severed head of British prime minister Boris Johnson on stage, prompting controversy. Ensuing years saw the releases of his second and third studio albums, Tyron (2021) and Ugly (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slayyyter</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1996)

Catherine Grace Garner, known professionally as Slayyyter, is an American singer and songwriter. She started her career independently releasing songs through SoundCloud. Her single "Mine" reached number 38 on the iTunes pop chart. The song was included on her self-titled debut mixtape which was independently released in 2019. Her debut studio album, Troubled Paradise, was released in June 2021 under Fader. Her second album, Starfucker, was released on September 22, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JP Cooper discography</span>

The discography of JP Cooper, an English singer and songwriter. His debut studio album, Raised Under Grey Skies, was released in October 2017 and peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. The album spawned seven singles, most notably "September Song", which peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.

References

  1. "Rita Ekwere". Companies House. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  2. Bassett, Jordan (2 November 2018). "The Big Read - Ray BLK: "There is no better revenge than success"". NME. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  3. "Ray BLK named winner of BBC Music Sound of 2017 | Rap | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  4. "Ray BLK: 'Same artist, different person'". BBC News. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Mark Savage (6 January 2016). "Sound of 2017: Unsigned soul singer Ray BLK wins". BBC News.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mark Savage (6 January 2016). "BBC Sound of 2017: Ray BLK interview". BBC News.
  7. 1 2 "BBC Music Sound of, 2017 – 1st Ray BLK". BBC Music.
  8. "Ray Blk bags a ticket to stardom with BBC Sound of 2017 award". London News Online. 6 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  9. Flash, Oprah (15 March 2019). "Nicki Minaj reviewed in Birmingham - technical issues and empty seats". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  10. "Ray BLK & Chip Team Up For "Action" Packed Visuals". www.newwavemagazine.com. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  11. "On The Cover - The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. "Access Denied by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 17 September 2021.
  13. "Durt by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 28 October 2016.
  14. "Empress by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  15. "A Forest Fire - EP by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  16. "5050 - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 17 December 2015.
  17. "My Hood (feat. Stormzy) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 5 May 2016.
  18. "Chill Out (feat. SG Lewis) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 29 September 2016.
  19. "Patience (Freestyle) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 6 January 2017.
  20. "Doing Me - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 8 June 2017.
  21. "All Or Nothing - Single by Naughty Boy, RAY BLK & Wyclef Jean". iTunes (UK). 18 April 2018.
  22. "Baby (feat. Kid Ink) - Single by Yogi, Maleek Berry & Ray Blk". iTunes (UK). 2 May 2018.
  23. "Run Run - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 8 August 2018.
  24. "Empress - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 13 September 2018.
  25. "In My Bed - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Apple Music. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  26. "Ray BLK links with Chip on new single "Action"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  27. "Lovesick - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  28. "Games (feat. Giggs) - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  29. "Dark Skinned - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  30. "MIA (Acoustic) - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  31. "Over You (Beenie Man Remix) - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  32. "Sunshine - Single by RAY BLK". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  33. "Gorillaz Release New Song 'The Apprentice,' Featuring Zebra Katz, RAY BLK & Rag'n'Bone Man". Billboard. 24 April 2017.
  34. "Flat Champagne EP by Dan Caplen". iTunes (UK). 30 June 2017.
  35. "Scared of Love (feat. RAY BLK & Stefflon Don) [Preditah Remix] - Single by Rudimental". iTunes. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  36. @JPCooperMusic (10 January 2022). "I'm very excited to announce that my final single from SHE, "Need You Tonight" features the incredible @RayBLK_. This is one of my favourite moments on the record.. first release of 2022.. let's gooooo! 😁 Out Friday, presave here" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 January 2022 via Twitter.
  37. "Mama (Acoustic Room Session) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  38. "LOVE. (Acoustic Room Session) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). 28 December 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  39. "Paradise (Acoustic) - Single by RAY BLK". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  40. "RAY BLK - full Official Charts History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  41. "April Showers 2 by TE dness". iTunes (UK). 19 April 2015.
  42. "23Winters by Kojey Radical". iTunes (UK). 1 March 2016.
  43. "Get Some Courage, Vol. 1 by Courage". iTunes (UK). 12 August 2016.
  44. "New Gen by NEW GEN". iTunes (UK). 27 January 2017.
  45. "Crop Circle by Nines". iTunes (UK). 20 April 2018.
  46. "Side Tape - EP by RAYE". iTunes (UK). 4 May 2018.