Born and raised in Austin, Texas, LeRaye moved around several areas of Austin throughout his childhood, giving him a diverse background and many life lessons at an early age. LeRaye was first introduced to hip hop in pre-K , after school, with "Ambitionz az a Rydah", a song playing from his mom's new Tupac cd that she had purchased earlier that day. LeRaye says of the memory, "I think at that very moment music settled inside of me. Something about the beat and the way his story was from real life got to me without me knowing." From that moment, LeRaye was tuned into hip-hop. He would listen to the radio "back when they played real hip-hop" but didn't consider becoming a hip-hop artist himself until the summer of his 7th grade year. He was at the park with some friends and they started freestyling. When the circle came around to LeRaye, "I just started rapping. I didn't even know I knew how." Once LeRaye discovered his new hidden talent, he began to freestyle at parties and at lunch when he would vibe with other people. In 10th grade, LeRaye joined a group SSB. It was with this group he advanced from freestyling and begin to develop his song writing and producing skills. But he confesses, "Now, I wasn't just a great rapper off the bat. No, not at all. I needed lots of work and had a lot of learning to do." But as LeRaye developed so did the group itself. SSB became so large that eventually the members broke off and went their own way.
The Birth of New Discovery...
Once everyone parted ways with SSB, LeRaye started his own label with his own, unique sound, New Discovery. LeRaye makes it a point to stay true to hip hop. "I really think music is taking a downfall in the hip hop area. I am not saying you gotta be tough or rap about drugs and guns and all that. I mean, the meaning of hip-hip is to express your life through music to connect to those who are listening." And that's just what LeRaye does. Whether you are vibing with the track or moved by the lyrics, LeRaye is telling you a personal hip hop story on every track.
