A Chat with Cloud Ray (12.06.24)
Pushing the boundaries of modern-day hip-hop, musician Cloud Ray carves a niche with his unique blend of pop and hip-hop. With his pulsating rhythms and sensational melodies, the US-based artist not only moves you with his music, he evokes raw emotion with each chord. We speak with Cloud Ray about his new single ‘Drip’, collaborations, upcoming plans and more.
OSR: Why did you choose to become a musician? What drew you to music?
Cloud Ray: I chose to become a musician after my first 16 years of life. I made the decision through gaining valuable life experience and witnessing how music directly affected my life as well as those around me. Growing up, I was always drawn to music and I was always surrounded by it. Whether I was at home, in the car, at school or even in a public setting, music was a recurring theme. I remember in elementary school I would be given the option to go outside for recess or to stay indoors and colour or read a book but instead, I would often stay indoors and write the full lyrics of my favourite songs on the radio at that time. Looking back, I jokingly judge myself as being odd for doing that but I’m truly grateful that my life purpose ignited within me at such a young age.
OSR: I read that your debut album, Urban City Elegance, made a name for you but did you begin creating music in 2021/2022 or have you been part of the scene for a while? Can you tell us about it if that is the case?
Cloud Ray: Urban City Elegance was such a great project to work on! I actually started writing for that project in late 2019, began production on it in 2020, and wanted to release it that same year. COVID halted those plans but I believe it was for good reason. I had so much more to learn about patience and sedating the pressure to release music. I have been writing original songs since I was 16 and eventually went to school to learn more about music production, engineering, and recording. It was only until 2020 when the Cloud Ray brand developed and my artistry became the focal point of my career.
OSR: You recently released your single ‘Drip’. What can you tell us about it? Is there a particular theme or backstory to it?
Cloud Ray: ‘Drip’ is an anthem for high-class, independent, boss women who don’t need a man to feel security or stability. I grew up in a single-parent household and my mother worked three jobs to provide luxury for me and for herself. I have always been surrounded by strong independent women who have shown me what it means to be a boss and to live lavishly within my means, ‘Drip’ testifies to that experience.
OSR: You collaborated with Tati Dior on ‘Drip’. Why did you choose to collaborate and are you interested in working with more artists?
Cloud Ray: Featuring Tati Dior on ‘Drip’ was a no-brainer! She not only represents what the song’s message is but in her own catalog of songs, she is leading the way for females in pop and hip-hop music. Initially, my team pitched her the song to see if she would like it and I remember hearing back that she was all in. Knowing that she would bring the perfect energy and creativity to this record left me feeling nothing but pure excitement. Currently, I am in what I call my ‘collaboration era’ because I am actually working with several artists on my songs as well as theirs. New and exciting things are definitely coming over the horizon! I am very open to working with more artists as long as the collaboration makes sense and the artist cares for their work as much as I care for mine.
OSR: As well as being a musician, you founded Cloud Ray Music LLC to “push the boundaries of excellence in the industry”. What can you tell us about the organization and why do you feel it’s important to have this type of organization nowadays?
Cloud Ray: Cloud Ray Music LLC is the record label that has been established to oversee all things that pertain to my music and delivering fans a high-quality experience. Recently, the company has debuted new apparel overseas at my live shows. We are also working on building relationships with charities that have a special place in my heart. I think it’s important to have a connective and identifiable brand as well as a clear mission when thinking of any organization. When people think of Cloud Ray Music, I want them to be reminded of the quality provided, community service work, and the overall relatability to people’s everyday lives.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Cloud Ray: My hope is that people have experiences in their lives that resonate with the music in a healthy way. I want people to feel a release or to feel comforted, supported, included, and connected to anything I put out. I hope my music becomes so digestible and identifiable that their first impressions or interactions with my songs give them a desire for more. Music did all of those things for me so really, I just want to give that back into the world and maybe another kid who is just like me can be inspired to create.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
OSR: What makes you unique as a musician?
Cloud Ray: I love this question! What makes me unique as a musician is that I combine singing and rapping against EDM and hip-hop tracks, I am spiritual so I incorporate different elements of that into my productions, and how I choose to express my perspective of the world or life experiences is unique to me. I think these things make the perfect ingredients for any individual to be distinctive.
OSR: Random questions: what is your opinion on tattoos and piercings?
Cloud Ray: Cloud Ray is all for getting tattoos but piercings live in my trauma. My first ever piercing was my earlobe and I completely passed out so there wasn’t much to remember from that experience. When I woke up on the floor, I suddenly had an earring, amazing! Tattoos on the other hand have become a fine dining type of experience for me. There is so much creativity with what can be done in this field and also getting to work with other creatives is always especially exciting for me. My pain tolerance here is surprisingly placated. I find the tattooing process to be extremely relaxing for me. In hindsight, it is such a strange parallel to getting a piercing.
OSR: What is your greatest achievement, and it doesn’t have to be music-related.
Cloud Ray: My greatest achievement so far is actually musically related. Over 1 million people have streamed my first ever released project ‘Urban City Elegance’ and I continue to get traction on it every day. I totally did not expect to garner that much attention being as new to all the streaming services as I was! Thanks to my team and all the amazing opportunities they provided me as well as all the opportunities that the music itself has provided, I was able to tour in all the markets where people were listening to that project. As an artist, it’s truly a great accomplishment to know that your art has connected to people.
OSR: What can we expect from Cloud Ray in the future?
Cloud Ray: You can definitely expect to see me on tour in the US until the end of the year with new dates dropping soon! To stay updated on all the tour dates you can visit my website at www.cloudraymusic.com/events or search ‘Cloud Ray’ on Songkick or Bandsintown. I have about 3 songs that will be releasing this year and on one of them, I am a featured artist. As always, I will continue to drop new content so stay on the lookout. I am active on all social media @cloudraymusic.
OSR: Do you have a message for our readers?
Cloud Ray: I want to thank Nicole Mendes from The Other Side Reviews so much for interviewing me and inquiring about my upcoming single release ‘Drip’. I had such a great time answering all of these questions and it has truly been an honor. For every reader that’s tuned in, thank you for your new or continued support and I hope to connect with you all at a show or even through social media. If there was anything in this interview that you can relate to that I talked about, please do reach out and let me know! Until next time – stay blessed, stay lit, and one love.
Many thanks to Cloud Ray for speaking with us! Find out more about Cloud Ray on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
