Razah: What’s up homie?

MiddleChild: Nothing much right now. How is everything going with you?

Razah: You know man. Just working hard, man. Working hard.

MiddleChild: That’s what’s up. Well my first question is since you’re a new artist. Can you tell us who Razah is?

Razah: Razah is just a young kid from Kingston, Jamaica that lives in Brooklyn. I love to make music. I write my own songs. I’m real simple. I’m a real simple guy. Nothing too complicated about me. I just love doing what I do.

MiddleChild: Okay. Well you got this single out called “Rain” and I apologize for just now listening to it today, but I heard it and was like “Why have I been sleeping on this? This is hot.”

Razah: Oh man. So you haven’t even seen the video yet.

MiddleChild: Naw man. I got the links though. I get so much stuff a day that I’m always like “I’ll look at this later” and the more I put it off, the more time passes by. But I promise I’ll watch it today. I like the song.

Razah: Yea. I appreciate that, man.

MiddleChild: No problem. I know you been working hard on this album and all. We know you had the song out a few years back, but I found out that it was just an independent release. Something to sort of test the waters I guess.

Razah: Yea. Actually I had a deal over at Virgin Records, but things didn’t pan out. We put the single out and we didn’t think they were working the record the way we thought they should have been working the record and we just parted ways. There are no hard feelings or anything. You know?

MiddleChild: Okay. I hear you. Now in your bio you mention the fact that no one likes to cry on a record anymore.

Razah: They scared. I don’t know.

MiddleChild: (laughs) They ain’t scared are they? Why you think they scared?

Razah: That’s why records ain’t selling no more because people are scared to show they emotions. They scared. That’s why I’m showing my emotions, know what I’m saying. Everybody cries. Everybody falls in love. Everybody gets their heart broken. I’m just putting it out there.

MiddleChild: So was that intentional for you to put the emotion out there or is that a natural part of your character?

Razah: That’s just natural. I want to stand a part from everyone else. I want to be different. So I’m just doing what I’m doing.

MiddleChild: Okay. Tell me about this track called “Dear Dad”.

Razah: It’s just a record… actually that was a letter that I wrote to my father. I don’t know him, but that was a letter that I wrote and it just turned into a song. It’s just a real simple record. It’s not bashing him or nothing. Saying I hate him or anything, but it’s just like asking him why. Why did you leave? Know what I mean?

MiddleChild: Okay. So you’re from a single parent home. Your mom raised you and your siblings and whatnot, by you watching her drive and determination did that give you your work ethic?

Razah: Of course. That gave me that extra. That just let me know I have to work hard. I got to do whatever I got to do to get the name out there and get my music out there and put that extra work in it. Know what I mean?

MiddleChild: Right. So was there ever a point and time where you didn’t think this would happen for you?

Razah: Naw man. I always... I’ve never worked a job a day in my life and this is all I ever did. I’m a strong believer in God and whatever he has planned for me is going to be. My mama raised me in the church and had me in the church every Sunday until I started acting like I was grown. But I know I have a strong belief in God and whatever he has planned for me, that’s what it’s gonna be.

MiddleChild: Alright. So being raised in the church, I know you had to have had a solo or two. What was the first song you performed in church?

Razah: I never sang in church.

MiddleChild: Really?

Razah: I never sang in church. I’ve never been in a choir. (laughs) None of that. That’s why people ask me when I started singing, I just started singing. It wasn’t like…I mean I didn’t go to class for it. I never sang in church. I was too shy for all that.

MiddleChild: Wow. Okay. Well what’s going to set you a part from all of the other guys besides the fact that you will cry on a record. What’s going to set you a part from the Trey Songz, NeYo’s, and Chris Brown’s of the R&B world?

Razah: I got that Carribean feel to my music. When I first sat down with Jay Z in his office, he told me he didn’t want to make me into an R&B artist. He wanted to make me into a universal artist. Meaning that I can go to England and do a tour like Rihanna and Kanye because those are the artists he invested in. He wanted to make me a worldly artist where I can go to Australia and do concerts. I can go to Japan and do concerts. I can go back to Jamaica and The Islands and do shows instead of just focusing on R&B in America. Know what I mean?

MiddleChild: I feel you. Well speaking of Rihanna, you hooked up with her on a track. How did that go down?

Razah: That’s actually how I got my deal at Def Jam. I had the record, “Where Do We Go”, out by myself. We put it out in New York and we actually had over 500 spins on the record and I guess Rihanna was in town and she heard the record played on the radio. She was like “Who is this? I like this. Can I get on the record?” So my homeboy, Lenny S, who works ar Def Jam hit me and was like “Yo, Rihanna wants to get on the record. Meet us at Rock The Mic studios tomorrow at nine.” So I go there and I meet Rihanna – who was looking fine as ever. I just have to say that. – and we in there doing what we doing. I wrote the record so I was helping her with the words and she was in the booth singing the song. I was helping her with the melody and helping her with the keys and stuff and Jay Z walks into the room. He said a few words to me and was like “Wassup Young’n you good? Everything cool.” and I was like “Yea. I’m good.” And that was it. So about an hour later me and my manager were getting on the elevator and he was like “Yo. Jay Z wanna sign you.” And I kind of brushed it off. I was like “Word?” Because when Jay came in he said what’s up to me and he told my manager “let me talk to you out here right quick.” So they went out in the hallway and they were talking and whatever, so when we were leaving that’s when he told me and I just kind of brushed it off. So the next day about 8 o’clock in the morning my phone was ringing. I’m not even up at 8 o’clock in the morning. My lawyer called and was like “Yo, Jay Z up here in the office with the contract.” So I went over to the office, we sat down and did the whole one two thing back and forth with their lawyers and my lawyers and then the next day it was done. This was like in June of last year. And now here we are with the first single. Working.

MiddleChild: Okay. Sounds cool. Well you’ve been in this thing for a little minute now, so what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far in the industry?

Razah: Just stay focused man. You’re gonna hear a lot of “No’s” and people are gonna hate. You know haters are everywhere so you can’t focus on that. You just gotta stay focused and believe in what you’re doing. That’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned. And ain’t nobody your friends in this game, yo. For real.

MiddleChild: Right. Well besides penning songs for your album, are there any writing or production teams you’ve hooked up with?

Razah: I mean I’ve wrote records for other artists before that are coming out. Like known platinum artists, but that’s not gonna be my cliché. I’m not gonna be talking about that like that because Ne-Yo does that. That’s Ne-Yo’s thing. Like “Oh NeYo’s popular because he wrote this big record for this artist or Dream wrote this for this artist.” And we’re all on the same label so I don’t want it to be another kat…you know what I mean? I don’t want it to be another kat from Def Jam that’s writing for other artists. I have wrote for other artists, but I’m not going to make that my thing to talk about. I want people to be into Razah for Razah’s music and not because he wrote this big record for this other artist.

MiddleChild: Alright. So what track on the album is your favorite right now?

Razah: My favorite right now would have to be “King of the World”. It’s a record about my swag. I’m just talking junk on that record. (laughs) I’m just talking junk of that record. We played that record for L.A. Reid and he loved that record. It’s actually going to be the second single off the album. The title is “King of the World”, so I was just feeling like the bomb coming from nothing and now I’m feeling like “I’m here now!” Know what I mean? It’s one of those kind of records.

MiddleChild: Okay. I see. I see. So when can we expect this album in stores?

Razah: Right now they’re saying April 1st.

MiddleChild: Okay. We’ll be on the look out for that and I promise you I’m going to watch the video today.

Razah: Yea man. Check the video out. We put a lot of hard work into that. Twenty-eight hours.

MiddleChild: Twenty-eight hours?

Razah: Straight. No break.

MiddleChild: Man! You ain’t get tired? (laughs) You good with that?

Razah: Yea man. That’s part of the job. Ain’t no complaining. Just hard work. You gotta put in that hard work. For all the new artists that’s coming up you gotta put that extra hard work in.

MiddleChild: That’s what’s up. Well we’ll definitely keep them in the loop over at MiddleChild Promotions on your project. So don’t worry about that.

Razah: Alright. Appreciate it man. Thanks a lot.

MiddleChild: And we’ll be in touch. Have a good day Razah.

Razah: You too.