I recently spent the day with Ray Rizzle, the homie from my neck of the woods, while visiting NYC promoting his EP "In Due Time". Hailing from Alabama, deep in the south, his music is fresh and innovative. He continues to pay homage to his southern roots by staying humble and connected to his team but don't expect your typical southern sound. I asked Ray a few questions so you too have the opportunity to get to know this upcoming Alabama artist.

Me: I want to welcome you and your team out to NYC. We've been shooting all day. Downtown, uptown did a little mini tour of the city but you're out here doing some work.

Me: Introduce yourself and tell us a little about why you’re out here on the East coast.

Ray: I'm Ray Rizzle from Huntsville, Alabama. I'm here reporting live from Harlem right now. I've got a showcase at Black Thorn 51 in Queens.

Me: Is this your first trip to NYC?

Ray: Naw, this is my second trip. My first trip was back in March for a radio interview at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in Manhattan.

Me: It’s like another world out here, right?

Ray: Man it's crazy! I love it though! Every time I'm out here I get nothing but positive vibes.

Me: I know you're from the south but how would you describe your music?

Ray: I describe my music as something any body can relate too. I’d say genuine and with a purpose.

Me: What’s your most recent release?

Ray: “In Due Time” EP which I released back in February on Live Mixtapes. It's my first solo project since parting with my group. On that one you really get a clear view of whom I am.

Me: What was the vibe or inspiration behind "In Due Time"?

Ray: Most of “In Due Time” was made at a dark moment in my life. While creating the EP I was without a job. So I would wake up writing and go to sleep writing. That's all I would do until I found another job. The inspiration just came from life in general.

Me: Who are some artist you're listening to right now?

Ray: Like anybody?

Me: Anybody…maybe some cats from Alabama whatever you got in your iPod

Ray: It's pretty spread out. I got some Drake, J Cole. Some Joey Badass. I really like that kid Joey, he works hard. I like how he grinds and shit.

Me: Word, he started young. He must have gotten some game from somewhere. He came in with a vision.

Ray: He does his own thing so I can respect that. Building something from the ground up, is what I plan on doing with this DTR (Deeper Than Rhymes) movement.

Me: What exactly is the “Deeper Than Rhymes” Movement?

Ray: Right now people see it as a label, but my goal is to cover all aspects of the industry. I’m gonna cover fashion, video, photography, design. Wrapping everything into one big business.

Me: What's going on with your music in the future? New music, video, album?

Ray: Yea all that & more. I got some songs in the works right now I'm just thinking about how I'm gonna release them. Some singles leading up to a bigger project. This new shit is gonna be something totally different from In Due Time. I’m creating a new sound!

Me: Any notable producers or features that are gonna help shape the new music?

Ray: I mean I'm reaching out to new producers everyday, I got a couple tracks produced from some people in NY and some from around my way. Couple features from some MC's in NY too. So yea this new music is lit!

Me: I see you brought the team with you.  

Ray: I got my Manager, Chenequa & Dj Rozza but they been around since day one so that ain’t nothing new.

Me: no doubt homie. I appreciate you spending some time with us today. Where can we connect with your music online?

Ray: You can find my latest EP "In Due Time" on LiveMixtapes/ Indytapes. Follow my soundcloud for new music via : soundcloud.com/ray-rizzle_dtr
Instargram- rayrizzle_dtr
Twitter- rayray_256
Facebook- Ray Ray Russell

Ps: S/o to my homie Shed for the interview & the hospitality since I been up here, and if you ain't got that "In Due Time" EP go cop that now, because a new wave from Ray Rizzle is approaching soon! ###