DC Singer-Emcee-Songwriter R.A.E. Showcases her 'Real & Explicit' Content Driven from Her Love for Hip-Hop

By Miriah Stacy
Staff Writer

R.A.E. is the next upcoming artist; hailing from the DC Metropolitan Area, 22-year-old upcoming recording artist, R.A.E. (pronounced Ray); an acronym for ‘Real And Explicit’ is breaking the barriers in music.

R.A.E. previously went by Blu Rae. She changed her name to R.A.E. because her previous music name did not resonate with her anymore and she wanted to be more real with herself. When she wrote out the acronym, the words came to her and she knew it was meant to be. By ‘real’ she means she is showing the real her. Furthermore, by ‘explicit’ she means that she is giving a raw version of herself- unedited and undefined by the ‘standards’ people set for her in life or music.

Her music career began winter ‘16 when she remixed Desiigner’s “Panda.” In ‘17, her freshman debuted single “Flexxin” was released, an edgy but catchy track. R.A.E.’s dedication to her music and social platforms is a testament to how widespread she has been received. From there, the grind has been nonstop. The DMV,meaning the Washington metropolitan area, would never be the same. R.A.E.’s first music video, “YDKBM” has many eye-catching visuals.

The next music video released was “Let Em Know.” from January 2020, showing a more sensual and raw R.A.E.. As an artist, R.A.E. does not fit in any box concerning her style and she is always finding ways to redefine herself. Emotions and love for colors are used to convey R.A.E. message in her music videos.

R.A.E. originally hails from Maryland Prince George’s County but she has mainly performed in the city of D.C.. The performances have always been great experiences and teaching moments for the budding R.A.E. as she garners more support. R.A.E. always felt unique and different than other young people around her, growing up in a small neighborhood with church-going parents made her feel set apart from them. She didn’t feel discouraged by the stereotypical people around her; instead she embraced her originality.

“I had friends more so from the private school I went to which kind of made me more sheltered from a lot of things.” R.A.E. also notes that her “story is what gave her sound that edge.”

She feels like there are too many trendy and fabricated sounds in the industry now and it is time for some ‘RAW and EDGE to be added to the flavor of music,’ R.A.E. explains. She didn’t want her sound to be like anyone elses’.

“I did not want to write, rap or sing about what everyone else was doing so I wanted to change my perspective in music to be able to be relatable and allow listeners to hear and feel true emotions in music.” R.A.E. states.

The girl is a free-spirited young lady and it has started to show in her sound. Some of R.A.E.’s inspirations in music are Rihanna, Rico Nasty and Missy Elliott. She appreciates and can resonate with the fact that they went against the grain with their sound as pioneers and still made it on top.

R.A.E. has much to offer in the future. She is always posting content on her instagram and youtube. She hopes to create a different and unique vibe for the next generations of music. She shows people that its ok to be unique and original. Embracing yourself is the most important task you can ever do.