what can you call it; a blend, a blend of music that you hear everyday either on your local gospel station or on your hip hop and r&b station. The message is what set the music in it's genre - Ray'mond never wanted to be classified.

14 MP3 Songs
GOSPEL: Contemporary Gospel, URBAN/R&B: Rhythm & Blues



Details:
"Yawl Ain't Ready"
For the Newest Ray'mond Hit

After bobbing our heads to a virtual "praise party" in 2004 with his Underground Project , Gospel's hip-hop prophet, Ray'mond, has returned with a vengeance, determined to speak Words the Pen Didn't Write to the hearts and minds of God's people.

Pounding with eclecticism, The Words the Pen Didn't Write (Released Oct. 30, 2005) shifts the gospel paradigm. The Nashville native fuses a blend of cultural, musical, and instrumental styles in a way few artists can. He derives his influence from such gospel artist as Tonex, Fred Hammond, Lamar Campbell, and even secular artist such as Anthony Hamilton. In fact, this project probably would not be here today if it were not for Hamilton. Ray'mond admires Hamilton because he "sings soulful music and all of his songs have stories to them." Ray'mond (26) claims to have given up on the music business until he went to one of Hamilton's concerts.

"It wasn't until I went to an Anthony Hamilton concert that I decided to go back into the studio and create this project. I went to the concert expecting to hear a secular singer, but instead, Hamilton started ministering the message of Jesus Christ."

Keeping with his Lone-Ranger approach to vision, Ray'mond produced the entire CD, save one. This new project introduces DarkLight Productions, Ray'mond's younger brother going by the name of CD, who produced the last and one of the hottest tracks on the disk, "Servant."

With a growing trend and need for fluffy, inspirational songs that put life at ease, Ray'mond breaks tradition with tracks like "War Song," declaring his commitment to serve Christ, even if Satan "takes all my food and I end up hungry, take all my friends and I end up lonely." With Tracks like "Your Blessing," "He's My Friend," and "All in God's Hands," Ray'mond projects a message of personal responsibility. If you're looking for a pitty-party-CD that tells you that you're the victim, you won't find it here. Instead, Ray'mond produces a jam of inspiration, exhortation, reproof and correction.

Still growing in his trade, Ray'mond is laying groundwork of powerful, meaningful music that is sure to achieve his goal of impacting the body of Christ through music.

Ray'mond has been singing since age 7. As an undergrad at UT Knoxville, he was an intricate part of the University Choir, Love United Gospel Choir. After leaving the Choir he began traveling with an untitled group of 4 brothers. It was with this unnamed group of singers that Ray'mond learned the music business. After graduating from UT, Knoxville, with a degree in Architecture and Design, Raymond returned to Nashville, Tennessee. On February 13, 2004 Raymond : An Underground Project was released.

For more info on Ray'mond or to order his CDs, contact (615) 390-0330