Music
Press
" I received a copy of the Skillz, 4 song CD at the Mid-Atlantic Music Conference. I was one of the panelists of the afternoon panel on Music for Film and Visual Media.
This is a courtesy email to you to let you know that I have listened to the CD. I dig your voice, the production of the CD is great, and I particularly liked track #4 - KARMA
It is rare when I find a CD with good lyrics, production value, and a hook. Keep up the good work!"
Sincerely,
Beth Krakower
CineMedia Promotions
Film Music Media Group
New York - Beth Krakower, CineMedia Promotions
Straight outta Gananoque, Will Wright (a.k.a. r.a.w.child) is ready to launch himself onto the Canadian hip hop scene.
Mr. Wright headlined a recent music showcase and was the big draw.
Armed with an array of mad rhymes and a smooth flow, r.a.w.child is diving head first into the music industry. He is letting is music speak for itself, hoping to carve his own niche in a highly competitive market.
r.a.w.child is careful to stay within his boundaries on his promo disc Skillz, rapping about his own life experiences rather than building up a false persona. - The Reporter, Gananoque
Best Served r.a.w.
R.a.w. child, Will Wright, is rapping his way to the top, and breaking performance records along the way. His recent performance broke the peak performance record on eaTV.
Will continues to rock the stage, whether it being in music or acting.
Performing in lead roles in plays with other actors is one thing, but when it comes to music, Will has found his niche as a solo artist. Having been a drummer in his high school rock band and an R&B singer in an all-boy band, Will has tested the waters and realized that he shines much brighter alone.
Will says that he is r.a.w., "ready, able and willing," to take on anything. When it comes to performing on stage, he has been a natural since an early age.
One of the greater challenges that Will has to face is that being white and in the rap scene can be a bit harder to gain acceptance and/or recognition. At one particular show in North Carolina, "I was the only white kid there," explains Will.
Although he wasn’t taken too seriously at first, once r.a.w. child began his performance on stage, heads were turning and minds were changing. Life experiences like this help fuel the fire in Will’s lyrics.
"Skillz," a song off of r.a.w. child’s demo CD, describes a young, white rapper from the Canadian suburbs, who gets respect for his talent.
Will’s lyrics and songs have strong meanings, whether they are make you nod your head in understanding, or jump out the seat in anger.
One song, "Speedbag," hints to an influence of Eminem and 2-Pac. It starts off slow and builds up to a hard-hitting beat of aggression. R.a.w. child explains that this song is about when, "the time for talking is lost," and all that’s left is to fight.
According to Will, "Tears," is, "the most meaningful" song that he wrote. An unfortunate car accident took the life of a close friend of his. The lyrics reveal how Will deals and copes with the tragedy. Although it’s a song of sad emotion, it ends with a positive outlook, "I’ll see you again."
The diverse style and sound of r.a.w. child places him in a category of his own. - Zack Hochmuth
The 1st Annual Toronto Independent Music Awards, known as the TIMA’s, took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday, October 5, 2005. It was hosted by Josie Dye of The Edge/102 FM. This diversified music extravaganza was held at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. In August 2005, the Stones performed a surprise concert at the Phoenix, prior to their 2005 World Tour.
Martin Brown, originally from Britain (and still retaining a very-George Formby-sounding accent), founded the Orange County (California) Music Awards in 2002. Based on its success the past three years, Brown’s founded the TIMA’s here in Toronto along the same lines. The show was co-produced with Daniela Oliva from Toronto. Brown says the purpose is to “Bring awareness to the public of all the great talent that’s out there.” By the looks of things, this admirable goal seems to have met its altruistic objective.
The TIMA’s were in 21 categories covering a wide music spectrum from R&B to blues, jazz, country, folk, World, Urban, Hip-Hop and rock. The 13 live performances this night showcased this diversification in music styles, with everything from heavy rock to country/folk/blues, jazz, hip-hop and more.
One of the highlight performances was that of hip-hop artist r.a.w. child who was nominated in two categories. He won for Best Hip-Hop Artist. R.a.w.child with backup singer JC, and really had it together with their tight vocals and background rhythms. R.a.w.child’s intense performance of his original track “Speedbag” really got the crowd pumped. Watch out for this artist.
- Joe Curtis
Discography
r.a.w.child recently released his debut album in the fall of 2006.
Original songs include:
"Don't Hate Me" - a cocky club track with a steady beat. Promises to get you on the dancefloor.
"Skillz" - a laid back track with a thick beat about trying to make a name for yourself in the music business -- have the right skills but not the right background
"Tears" - slows it down to reality - a musical portrait of a tragic accident that killed a friend
"Karma" - an intense up beat song about being naive and being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people in the music industry and about rising above it
"Why U Wanna Go and Do That" - a definite club anthem a with catchy hook about a girl heading down the wrong path in life
"Speed Bag" - an agressive track with several build ups about what it's like to be pushed to the point where you lose you mind and fight
"Cursed From The Beginning" - a track with an ol'skool vibe about a kid that grew up and never stood a chance in life
"Played" - a smooth track with a very catchy hook about a night in the life of a playa
Photos
Bio
He hails from a small town -- far away from the established hip-hop culture and stereotyped artists. Yet r.a.w.child is becoming recognized as a talented and respected hip-hop artist. You don’t have to have a troubled upbringing, or come from the ghetto, to be able to produce and unleash rhymes about life experiences that everyone can relate to – death, anger, love. His passion for hip-hop music is reflected not only in his music but in his performances with such dramatic flair.
As a matter of fact, r.a.w.child’s upbringing is not newsworthy in itself. He was raised in a middle class home in a good environment. He had the usual traumas experienced by adolescents but nothing overly significant. What is newsworthy, though, is how this average, small town boy, got hooked on hip-hop music and developed into a reputable rapper.
R.a.w.child’s interest in hip-hop music originates back to when he was 11 years old. “My older cousin gave me an old NWA tape, NWA and the Posse actually, and once I listened to it, I was hooked. I was intrigued by the whole gangster lifestyle and the situations they rapped about. I had never heard this provocative kind of music before. The beats and the ruthless lyrics just blew me away”
He started listening to numerous artists such as Westside Connection, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre, but his biggest influence was Tupac. “Even though Tupac rapped about his gangster lifestyle, I found I could relate to many of his messages. He was so diverse in the feelings could instill in his music - from motivational, sentimental to angriness. I can remember sitting in detention so many times during school for rapping Tupac word for word in class --- the kids loved it --- not my teachers though.”
R.a.w.child did not discover his niche for writing and performing hip-hop music until his late teens. But he did realize that music and his other passion, acting, would become major focal points in his life.
At the age of 12 he was linked up with an acting agent in Montreal and landed a few small parts in film and television. Throughout the next 6 years, r.a.w.child also performed in numerous theatrical performances enjoying acting in roles as the “bad ass” character, or as the comic relief which demonstrated his humorous side.
R.a.w.child balanced his acting pursuits with his music endeavours. At the age of 15, he joined a rock band as the drummer and sometimes took centre stage to spit a few tracks over drums and bass. His group, called Zero Hour, stayed together for two years, performing at local clubs, school dances and private parties.
He got his first big break in 2002 at the age of 17. He met up with 3 guys from the Pickering /Toronto area with a similar musical passion and they formed an R&B group called Drop 4. He became one of the lead vocalists, mainly writing and rapping for selected verses of their songs. They became an instant hit with the ladies.
It seemed that Drop 4 was on their way to stardom. They released two singles with accompanying videos and produced numerous other tracks. Their songs were played on radio stations across Canada and their videos were aired on YTV, where they remained in the top 10 for weeks. Drop 4 performed at various venues, in Ontario, at nightclubs, colleges, fundraising events, and cruise ships. The group was signed to EMI Sextant in 2003 and they toured eastern Canada with Shawn Desman. However, in 2004, the group disbanded due to internal conflicts.
But r.a.w.child already knew that he had a knack for writing and performing hip-hop music and the break up simply opened another door for him to continue his musical interests as an independent hip-hop artist. R.a.w.child -- (r.a.w. --- ready, able and willing) has recently released his first album - r.a.w.child CHAPTER ONE.
While balancing his acting and music career, r.a.w.child strives to make his mark in the entertainment industry. He has been referred to as the "Brad Pitt" of hip-hop with his dashing looks, devilish charm and lots of attitude. Although flattered by the reference, he would rather be known for his hard hitting tracks and fast flowing rhymes. His rapping sound remains very distinctive, yet you can catch influences of Tupac, Eminen and Dr. Dre. He performs with such dramatic passion and energy.
When opportunity knocks r.a.w.child will be there to answer.
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