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BHS Alumn Rexx Life Raj Discusses Inspirations and New Album

Entertainment

Photograph Courtesy of Faraji Williams

Thanks to the streaming age of music, there are many young and talented artists on the rise. It’s easier than ever to become the next big name in the industry. However, that doesn’t mean that hard work isn’t required. Rapping requires finesse, knowledge, and mastery of verbage. The Bay Area is known for breeding notorious rappers with politicized views and true integrity, often rejecting big labels and sticking with self-taught producers. The most important thing for Bay Area rappers is community, and Berkeley High’s very own Rexx Life Raj (Faraji Williams) is no exception. With hundreds of thousands of listeners already, he’s very well on his way to hip hop stardom. With his latest album, Father Figure 2, dropping on November 17, we got the opportunity to sit down with Raj and ask him a few questions.

After graduating from Berkeley High in 2008, Raj went on to play Division I football for Boise State University, though he never made football a dream of his. “Never in my mind was I like ‘I’m going to the NFL.’ That wasn’t my goal. After I graduated, I came back and started doing what I was always doing.” Being from Berkeley helped him a lot throughout college, allowing him to navigate through the diverse landscape more smoothly than his peers. He described, “When I went to Boise and played football with guys who went to schools that were all black and going to Boise was their first time seeing white people or white guys from small town Idaho who had never seen black people. It’s a blessing because it taught me how to maneuver through the world and understand that you might have this painted picture of people or prejudices but you until you go up to people, you don’t really know them. Berkeley really helps you open up to that.”

While Berkeley helped him during his developmental years, he gives lots of credit to the Bay for assisting him now in his musical career. The Bay Area boasts a lot of rap icons, and Raj has worked with a couple of them. Bay Area natives such as Nef the Pharaoh and G-Eazy (another Berkeley High alumnus) have collaborated with him in the past. While you’d think that the Bay rap scene would be pretty competitive, Raj had this to say about how the Bay Area has personally assisted his career: “It’s helped a lot. I think in the past couple years the Bay Area rap scene has become a lot more cohesive. People are working with each other more and helping each other a lot. It’s a circle of people, and once you get to that certain echelon you’re tapped in with everyone.” The tightness of the Bay Area music scene is alive and well, and it’s a reaffirmation that we’ll have quality music pumping out of here for years to come.

Berkeley High has a large roster of young, talented artists looking for their big break. When asked for a message to give any BHS artist looking for their come up in the industry, Raj said, “If you’re thinking about a music career, just really go for it. Understand that we live in the time of the internet and everything is possible. Back in the day you needed a record label or a big platform or a lot of money to put you in the public spotlight, but now everything is on YouTube, from marketing to PR, from social media strategy to starting your own brand from scratch. It might take you a while, but you can learn how to maneuver through the internet and touch millions of different people.”

While both Raj and his musical career are still young and fresh, he’s not fretting too much over becoming a rap superstar. In fact, it seems like it’s the least of his concerns. Often, many young artists are focused on becoming famous and losing touch with themselves and their art. It’s refreshing to see a new artist that’s more focused on making music rather than the fame. One of his goals? Happiness. When asked about his aspirations for the future and what he plans to achieve as an artist, he said, “As cliche as it sounds, it’s being happy. You see a lot of people with a lot of money and a lot of fame and they’re not genuinely happy. I’m learning that the more money you get, money doesn’t get you happiness. As long as I’m putting out music and it’s helping people get through what they’re going through, and I’m providing for my family, then I’m happy, and that’s success for me.”

While Raj’s musical career is still in it’s early stages, his future looks bright. With lots of potential, experience under his belt,  and help from his musical peers, there’s no doubt that he’s soon to be a household name in the world of hip-hop. His newest album’s melodic hip hop/R&B stylings are sure to make it a hit, so show this Berkeley native some love and go pick up Father Figure 2.