Rayko/KRB

Rayko Pipes; Reader's Choice Best Hip-Hop Vocalist 2007

[Posted June 1, 2007]
- New Times

Miami Beach, Florida 02/23/06 – Flow, groove, cadence, wisdom - the chosen words to describe the sounds of RAYKO and the KENNY RYAN BAND (KRB). A captivating blend of divergent sounds characterize this band, which is quickly establishing a loyal fan base in South Florida as well as in countries as distant as Japan, Italy, and Germany, just to name a few.

Now living in South Florida, vocalist Rayko Pipes and guitarist Kenny Ryan started their musical experiment in New Jersey, heavily influenced by the diverse musical styles and attitudes of an equally diverse population. Rap and rock perfectly coexist in their compositions, which range in temperament from the absolutely poetic to the most mundane of moods. The influences of classical music, blues, Latin music and reggae are also present.

RAYKO/KRB is already a strong performer in the Podcasting world; they have been featured on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Podshow, hosted by former MTV VJ Adam Curry. Also, the band has been presented on Blade Radio in Germany, RockCast in Italy, Fumiakiy Podcast in Japan and Clever Little Pod in the United Kingdom, amongst many others.

You can personally experience the highly energetic and pleasurable music of RAYKO/KRB this Saturday, February 25 at the Seminole Hard Rock. For more information please call 866 502 7529. The band will also perform February 27 at Cheers in Fort Lauderdale, and March 6 at Turn 3 Sports Bar in Boca Raton.

For more tour dates, music downloads, or to get “Six”- the first production for RAYKO/KRB with BinaryStar Music, please go to www.binarystarmusic.com.
- BinaryStar Music, Inc.

Thursday, March 02, 2006
by Colin Meeks (Editor at Indie Launchpad)

I've heard a few Rayko/KRB tracks, but never really listened to them that well. I think it was the Accident Hash podcast where I first heard them and then again on the Binary Starcast podcast, which also happens to be the bands label. It was only a week or so ago that I heard "Idea Gone" again and actually listened to it properly. Everything then clicked into place. I've listened to the EP a few times now and I have to say, although this isn't to my usual taste in music, it is now.

I've seen Rayko/KRB, a collaboration between Rayko and the Kenny Ryan Band, labelled usually as pop and rock, but there's quite a few other influences, that really enrich the overall sound. There's a soulful groove, with an occasional R&B thing happening, not forgetting the occasional rap infusion (although I would have to admit I wish they would).

The first two tracks, "Shady" and "Idea Gone" are the tracks I've heard most on various podcasts and prove a great introduction to the bands sound. The fourth track "Miss Marianne" really takes things up another notch. "Reality TV" takes a more laid back, rap turn and it's actually not that bad, and that coming from someone that's not a big rap fan. I think the nearest I ever got to liking rap was with De La Soul, now that was a band that knew how to take rap to a whole different level.

I think the one driving force behind this EP is attitude. Yes there's a few things your granny probably wouldn't appreciate, but you can just make her a cup of tea and plug your cans in and pump up the volume. Seriously though, there's a parental advisory on the CD for a reason, but for us grown ups, there's nothing on here that's going to shock.

The production on this EP is excellent, not at all getting in the way, allowing you to concentrate on the music. That being said however, there's still a raw energy to the EP, which is what makes it.

Track 6, "Equanimity" for me is the standout track, but I have no doubt nearly everyone who buys this EP, is going to have a different favorite. I also have to say I have a bit of a soft spot for Track 7, Flicker... or is it Track 8? *smile* A big nod to GH wherever you are.

Conclusion : The more I play this EP, the more I am blown away. I keep discovering new sounds and influences and it does the cockles of my heart the world of good, to hear such great music from new bands/artists.

Direct Link:
http://www.indielaunchpad.com/2006/03/ep-six-raykokrb.html
- indielaunchpad.com

Kenny lives!

Get familiar with the name Rayko/KRB. The group will be playing soon at a club near you. The KRB stands for Kenny Ryan Band, which was started by guitarist and sitar player Dan Rainey (a.k.a. Kenny Ryan) while attending Caldwell College in New Jersey. Rainey, now 27, met singer Rayko Pipes, 25, in music theory class and they immediately began jamming together. They dropped out of college and moved to Florida a year ago to pursue a career in music.

"I always turned to music in my life," says Pipes, an avid poet who once wanted to be a journalist. "I didn't realize I could do it until I met Dan." The two have since teamed up with drummer Sandor Davidson, rapper Jae Conway, guitarist Brad Pawlak and his upright-bass-playing brother, Ron Pawlak.

Pipes -- who this year started his own record label, Hoodie Match -- writes all the lyrics for the group, which has just released its self-titled debut album. "Our music is a blend of blues, hip-hop, funk, rock and reggae," Pipes explains. "We're coming from a wide variety of influences like Robert Johnson, Bob Marley, Green Day, James Brown, Eminem, Guns N' Roses and many more."

The band has several upcoming shows, including tonight (Wednesday) at Alehouse Rock Café in Margate (954/974-4420), Saturday at SunFest (see Best Bets), Monday at Turn 3 Sports Bar in Boca Raton (561/483-1964) and May 11 at Tavern 213 in Fort Lauderdale. "We want to get to as many people as we can with our music, and we love to hang out after our shows," Pipes says. "There's always an afterparty with the KRB." Visit Raykokrb.com.

-- Joanie Cox
Staff Writer
City Link Magazine
[Posted May 3, 2006]
- City Link Magazine

Rayko/KRB "Six" (BinaryStar)
By D. Sirianni
[Posted May 18, 2006]

When you throw the new Rayko/KRB release Six in the old stereo, the first thing that comes to mind is the halcyon days of the 1990s — rolling out with your homies, scoping for hotties, rocking out to Sublime, and likely packing that pipe full o' weed. The mix of hip-hop and alt-rock of Six will surely please fans of that bygone era. Fronted by the vocal talents of Rayko Pipes, the six-song EP is the product of Rayko's pipes and the Kenny Ryan Band, whose namesake handles guitar and sitar duties. Lyrically, Rayko's rhymes are reminiscent of Eminem and Tupac, with the Miami-based MC proclaiming that he is "a dirty little rebel." This often includes a bit of white male angst (and misogynism) as Rayko spins tales of a young man without a "money stack," making heavy use of urban vernacular.

Although Pipes claims that his lyrics have "evolved" — beyond what, we're not sure — they sure seem retro in practice. "Shady" contains the quarto, "Left her number on my sidekick/Sweet lips, thick hips, and silent/Till I got her in the bedroom and boom.../Little rich girls screamin'." "Miss Marianne" continues in the same vein: "Now thank you in advance for the chance you're giving me/You'll thank me later for favors in your security/Your broken watch is reading that it's 1:13/Let's take this shot, we can bounce and we can hit the sheets." It's not that such lyrics are necessarily bad in today's bling-obsessed world. But they don't match up with the band's claim of enlightenment. The melodies are definitely there, though not as stick-in-your-throat catchy as they could be. On the plus side, the musicianship is topnotch. Fans of Incubus, Hoobastank, Smash Mouth, and G. Love would do well to drop by Rayko's website at www.raykokrb.com.
- New Times Broward-Palm Beach

From the hood to the woods
Fed up with being fed up, rap-rocker Rayko Pipes found a new life—and a host of inspiration—in the Ocala National Forest


By Colleen Dougher
City Link Metromix
January 20, 2009





Last summer, Rayko Pipes was at odds with his life. His Lake Worth neighborhood was getting rougher by the day, his rap-rock band, Rayko/KRB, and its label had par ted ways, and his bandmates had begun working on other projects without him.

So when Pipes went to Ocala to help his horse-trainer father with a job, he and his girlfriend/manager, Marianne Backmann, looked at a small cabin in the unincorporated town of Salt Springs. Apparently, that cabin was more appealing than their place on Lake Worth's E Street, and a month after Rayko played SunFest, he, Backmann, her two daughters and their five pets packed up and headed north. By October, they had decided not to return to South Florida and moved into a rundown property in the middle of Ocala National Forest.

Pipes considered keeping his new home a secret, but eventually revealed on his MySpace profile that he'd grown tired of his day-to-day existence and needed an artistic refuge to work on new projects. "I will be living on a small pond and living a simple life. I am bringing my gun and my guitar," he wrote. "I like to say I went from the hoods to the woods. … I'm just going to let my heart and mind guide me and fuck the rest of it. … Who knows what the future brings, but right now, I'm heading out to my chunk of land in the forest and getting to work."

His friends were surprised, including Camilo "Milo" Velandia, who played with Rayko/KRB and is now guitarist for the Latin rock act Arenazul. "Ocala Forest? Rayko Pipes is a crazy mother effer," he says. "But I still love the guy. I guess that's how he gets all those good songs, with that crazy head of his."

Moving into a forest may seem extreme, but Pipes says he's been a risk-taker since he was 18. "I just fly by the seat and see what happens," he says. That's the strategy that brought him to South Florida in 2005 from Newark, N.J. "I just needed to get the hell out of there," Pipes says.

Within two months of settling here, Rayko/KRB (Kenny Ryan Band) signed to the Miami-based label BinaryStar. The band opened for Fiona Apple, Omarion and even Michael Bolton, and released the CDs "Six" and "The Rockstar Poor."

While Pipes certainly had more success here than in New Jersey, the songs on "The Rockstar Poor" allude to the harsh realities of trying to make a living as a musician. On the album, Pipes raps about chilling at a club and drinking Grand Marnier with Diddy while the paparazzi flash cameras. He brags about having legions of friends on MySpace but laments not having enough money to eat. Another song addresses feeling out of touch, facing hard times, trying to kick bad habits and moving forward. The alb um seemed to foreshadow the transition Pipes would soon make. After a few years of playing South Florida clubs, he'd grown tired of the late-night party scene and was ready to move on.

Pipes, who turns 28 this week, watched the film "Into the Wild" six times before relocating. "I was like, 'If that guy can do that, I can definitely do this,'" he explains.

Inside his refurbished farmhouse in Ocala, Pipes has created an indoor garden that includes about 100 plants. He's building a chicken coop and a paddock for a horse that he expects to acquire in March. He is expecting another arrival in July. Backmann is pregnant with a baby—they don't know the sex—they've already named Lyric. Their menagerie is also growing, with regular visits from a bear named Chicago and a fox known as Jim.

In his downtime, Pipes has been reading Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" and Jack London's "The Call of the Wild." He's also been fishing and hunting. He hasn't shot anything yet but recently killed a rattlesnake to protect his cats. "He was in a tussle with Llama and G," Pipes explains. "Had to do it. Meat's in the freezer."

For now, Pipes and his girlfriend are buying their groceries at a Super Wal-Mart in Palatka. "[Hunting] is more about being out in the woods," he says. "I'll sit out there all day and not see a damn thing but a squirrel and still have a great day.

"Since I've shrugged my shoulders at the whole 'business' of music," he adds, "I have been doing better all around, on a personal level, career level and just overall quality of life. I see everyone around me complaining about the world today and I understand why, but I guess I made my life expectations so simple since the move that life seems easy now no matter what the newspaper says."

The musician, who describes himself as "a Charlie Hustle kind of guy," earns money by working odd jobs in construction and catering. Backmann works at a restaurant.

Pipes' new environment has spurred his creativity; he is working on several projects, including a screenplay about racism, a memoir titled "The History of Penner Pond" and songs about a life that's far removed from clubs where Diddy might drink Grand Marnier. "Guns-n-Guitars," a 13-song hip-hop album Pipes plans to release this June on his own label, GreenLynx Entertainment, will include "Rhyme Farmer," a song inspired by his indoor garden, and "Hoods to the Woods," which concerns his new lifestyle. In March, he will record a folk and country album titled "Empty Pockets" with the Americana band Myrus Jones in Nashville. The title track was inspired by the nation's rising unemployment rate, and an older man who's been teaching him about the woods and life.

Pipes is discovering there is more to life than music, though he remains devoted to his craft. After reading that Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker got highly visible tattoos so he wouldn't be able to land a 9-to-5 job and turn his back on music, Pipes did the same. His seven tattoos include a "13" on one wrist (in honor of his grandmother's birthday and his lucky number) and a large tattoo on his right forearm of his mantra—sacrifice, vision, focus—surrounded by stars, moons, musical notes and the Arabic symbol for "everything is God."

"I say my religion is nature," he explains.

Passion is tattooed on the inside of his right arm. "I guess that's what I'm about," Pipes says. "I don't always have the most talent or the most presentation or whatever you want to call it. But I always come from my heart and passion."
- City Link Magazine