SPEAKER_00 1:45

Welcome back to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we have the talented pleasure. Today we have the pleasure of speaking to the talented Bey Ray, a music artist and photographer hailing from South Carolina. Bey Ray has accumulated a dedicated following of subscribers on YouTube and multiple videos showcasing Columbia's most scenic locations. One of his standout tracks, Lifetime, released two years ago, has surpassed 10,000 views on YouTube. His rhythm and blues sound transcends the speakers, captivating listeners who appreciate the love and intimacy of his lyrics. Bey Ray is celebrated for expressing his emotions with ease and harmony, especially in his heartfelt tribute to lovers called Dreaming of Robins, featuring jazz artist Corey Stone. Stay tuned as we dive into a soulful and electric sound of Bey Ray, exploring the depths of his musical journey and creative inspirations. How are you doing today? I'm doing fine. Looking real cool with the I know in the way I expected him to feel.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

So we like to start off each episode um kind of giving a little bit of history about your background, how you grew up, where you grew up, any siblings. Just give us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Um I was born in uh Dover, Delaware around like two years old. Uh my mom decided to move to Columbia, South Carolina, and I was raised here. Um, you know, I lived all over Columbia from um uh where Starlight is all the way up to uh, you know, in the summit and things like that. I pretty much grew up all over uh Columbia. Um I have multiple siblings. Um shout out to my sisters, my brothers, you know, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Are you the baby?

SPEAKER_01 3:47

I am the oldest.

SPEAKER_00 3:48

The oldest? Wow.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

You can't tell by the way he's moving.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

I can tell. I can't.

SPEAKER_02 3:53

I'm actually the oldest. I can tell by the way he's moving.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

I know he's the oldest. So you know they always hit me and they call me, ask me for advice, or they want to talk to me about you know what's going on. And I feel like I kind of gotta uh, you know, show a path that they could take. You know, you can really do anything that you want, you know, as long as you work hard for it.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Mm-hmm. Talk about that a little bit more. Uh, like as a child, what influenced you growing up or who influenced you since you're the oldest?

SPEAKER_01 4:20

Yeah. Um, so my aunt, I think she's one of the like most incredible singers that I've ever heard. So I always had like a love for like singing, but just growing up in the area, like a lot of my peers and just friends I grew up with, for example, um, shout out to uh, you know, um rest in peace also to uh Derek as well, uh the speaker knockers. He actually taught me how to record um Nico Baby, you know. He actually was in a group called the Loud Team, and they were very popular in Columbia. Um, my neighbor was Pierre Born. I used to hear him make uh, you know, beats through my wall and uh, you know, Hummington uh townhouses growing up when I was going to Richland Northeast. And uh, you know, being around all of this, you know, um having Jetson and Black Jack right there as well, you know, I'm growing up. I'm seeing all of these people just be creative in this way and expressing themselves, and I decided, you know, why not? You know, and I think I got a knack for it, you know. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Now you talked about like expressing yourself and your influences. How did you find your unique sound?

SPEAKER_01 5:24

I think I think the fact that I'm born in the 90s, you know, but just being born in the 90s, I feel like I have uh a love for like the real sound of RB and stuff like that, but also you know, just being uh, you know, exposed to the music as it's changing and being young enough to um to change with it. And I think that's like where I get the uniqueness from. I can I can draw one inspirations from the past, like um, I love Ron Isley, I love like uh Teddy Pinegrass and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

Yeah, I know you do.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

But um, I can still make it sound modern. Yeah, that's what I'm about to say.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

That's exactly what it was when I was listening to the music because I had to do the research for the bio. I was like, oh my God, this is like the Isley brothers before our generation. I'm like, I can I can vibe with this. So that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

It's a good feeling. It reminds me of the time when, because everybody done remember this, but I like that you said 90s and understand RB in the 90s. There was a time when a rapper featured on an RB song. Yeah, not the other way around. And so when I listen to your music, that's what it felt like. It felt like the RB artist is here, and then we have rappers. They'll feature, they'll come on and give some style, put a little sauce on it, but the RB carries it. Makes it smooth. Yeah. I love that, man. I love that. We don't get to hear that at all.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

A lot of RB singers think they're rappers now. Yeah, they're doing the rapidy RB style singing, you know. And how do you feel about it? Um And this is not, you know, people getting their money, you know, get your money how you get it. But you know, just as someone that looks up to like the Marvin Gaye, I look up to singers like Luther Vandross, you know, and you know, extraordinary talents. Yeah. And uh, you know, I myself want to get better at the craft and and be able to sing on those levels. So I feel like a lot of people take uh the easy way out because we have such modern technology. We can manipulate sound so much that we don't really uh practice the art. We just let the computer create create it for us.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

So you went right at it.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Right. So you don't use any of that?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Um, I use like equalizers and stuff like that to mix into the vocals I record myself. You know, so it's some things you can't avoid because you have to get a certain sound because it has to be released.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

But that's normal. That's normal in music production. Yeah, yeah. But the one thing I think that you're getting into, and I'm happy that you bought it, because I hate to be the first person to say it, but sometimes the robot's singing, not the person.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:57

And you can tell in those situations when the robot's singing. And it's not that it always diminishes the value of the music, but for somebody who is an advid audiophile and loves music, I can tell when the soul is there and I can tell when the soul's not there.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

And the the technology is supposed to make uh the talent better. Yeah, you know, because T-Pain can sing extraordinarily well. And, you know, he just chooses to do it, you know. So it's a difference in why you're doing it. But uh, like you say, you know, I ain't gonna say, you know, people gonna get their money however they get it, and no, you know, people that is using it, and that's the best way that they can express themselves, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

As long as it comes out as a good art form, happy with it. You know, but it's nice to see what people like they would say back in the day, people with chops. Like if I go, yeah, like if you go and you see a guy and he's supposed to be playing guitar and he's not actually playing the guitar, you're like, why'd I pay that money? So if I'm going to see somebody sing and they ain't singing. Waste my money, yeah. So it's a little different.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Um, the I mentioned a song that you had with uh Corey Stone. I really like that was my favorite one that I listened to. I was like, okay, I like the sound of this. Um, but how do you what genre do you put yourself in? Like are you do you can identify with?

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Um I rap, I sing, I love jazz. I really feel like um I feel like it's whatever I feel like doing. Like, you know, I have friends, for example, it's a famous country artist named Rashad. He's super popular. Um, he's a country, you know, I can feel like I can really do whatever I feel like. If I feel like I want to do a country song one day, I can do it. So I feel you know, because I look up to mega talents that, you know, no genre, you know, um can contain them. Contain them, you know. The Iestley Brothers and They did rock and roll. Yeah, even Beyonce. They're I'm talking about I wanna, you know, exceed on a level where I feel like no genre can just, I can be described in one genre. You know, I can as long as my talent can allow me to create on that level, I can, you know, merge into anything.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Well, that's good. You don't put yourself in a box because you know, with the music industry, that's it's easy.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

It's easy. Yeah. Especially once you start finding a way to make money, you'll get real comfortable in that one area instead of like growing your talent. I keep I like that you keep saying that. I want people to understand you keep saying growing and developing that talent. As you do that and you get better as an artist, you should be pretty much open in whatever you want to do. You should be able to just make a product.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

Art, which is your music, make your art, and then you should be able to put your art out and stand for itself.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

And to um say something on that too. A lot of people don't realize, too, as artists and creators and brands in general, we don't realize that we are masters at creating where we want to create, which is our art and our product. But just because we know how to create them, and this is why we everyone needs a team to be successful. Just because we know how to create a good product doesn't mean that you know how to distribute it or market it or give it to the masses properly. And you can have an amazing product and uh have it fail because you don't know what you're doing. You don't know how to push it right. You know, so you know, I feel like a lot of people have to uh understand that, you know, it's a reason why, you know, not all successful people always go up there and they think God, their religious, you know, whatever their belief is, and their team. Sometimes they think their team before they think their family. Yeah. You know, and um, you know, we gotta realize that, you know, we can create anything that's amazing, but we need people that have the resources to uh help us succeed.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Now talk about your team.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:35

I know you're not a one-man show. So talk about your team.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

So um, I'm not a one-man show. I do a lot of things by myself. I I write it, I sing it, I record it, you know, but um I have a lot of people I uh I reach out to, you know, um, that I have made network and, you know, just network with and made connections with um from my beautiful uh queen, man. She has a marketing agency called Elevate with Robin and stuff like that. Awesome. Yeah, she uh is also I'm performing at the Marketplace Networking Vic October 5th. Oh, this is the camera I need to look at? Yeah, right there. October 5th, I'll be performing in Columbia, South Carolina at the Marketplace Networking Conference. Make sure you be there, man. Make sure you be there. Make sure you be there. Make sure you be there.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Especially for the folks that listen to this, you know you need to be at the networking conference anyway. So get your behind up and go get your ticket. You know? And then check out Bay Ray.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Already. It's for all brands, entrepreneurs, businesses, anyone that really wants to take their, you know, skill, creativity to the next level. I really um hope to see you there. You know, not because I want you to see me, but because, you know, if you really care about your brand, if you really care about pushing yourself, this is a great opportunity for you.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Man, you sure you don't do marketing? She's already on them. She's already on them like that. That was good. Yeah, that's how you do it, man. We'll make sure you guys drop the game.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

I didn't even hear about the networking conference because I usually care about stuff, so uh yeah, so I'm gonna have to check it out. Somebody at least one of us can go to the house.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Hey, you know, Bay Ray, hey, you know, I really think yeah, man. We really support y'all, man. We really support y'all movement, man. So we can speak on our on our talents and our you know, whatever we have going on. So, you know, major salute to you guys for this as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Yeah, we appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

We really do, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Yeah, now I want to um transition into your actual music and your writing process about how you become vulnerable to actually write these words and display it for the world to see.

SPEAKER_01 13:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

So what's that process like?

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Um, usually it's crazy. Usually I gotta, a lot of people they think artists gotta be surrounded with a lot of people and just, you know, sometimes drugs or whatever they, whatever it gets them in that zone. But a lot of times I like to be, I like to be isolated. You know, I like to be by myself so I can be really just sink into my thoughts and my feelings and just analyze and reflect on anything I wanna um put on the record, whether it's uh a life situation I'm going through or whatever my friends, my peers may tell me they're going through, or whatever emotion I feel like I receive from them. Because I'm a Leo, so I feel like I re, you know, I got a big heart. I receive a lot of things. I I feel a lot of empathy, sympathy for people. I feel a lot of things. I feel very well, you know, I feel a lot. So it's very easy for me to express it, especially um when I sing. So I reflect on uh even movies. Movies, I might watch a movie and something get inspired, but it's just drawing from inspiration from my life, my peers, my family, my friends, the news, the TV show, and just trying to reflect uh that feeling on a song. You know, a song is only three minutes, you know, when uh I got three minutes to try and make someone else feel a whole experience.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

That has to be therapeutic.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

Man, the way you put that, God darn it. That does make sense. You do, yeah, it's a short amount of time to make people feel. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Remember back in the day when a song used to be seven minutes.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

It would be quiet. Yeah, they say that they say that um music captures energy. So however I'm feeling, whether it's angry, sad, emotional, if I'm feeling vulnerable, then however I'm speaking it onto the song is gonna capture it. You know, you can hear pain in people's voice for a reason when they're singing. You know, if someone has had a heartbreak and they sing a song, uh they can sing the same song from a happy feeling and a heartbroken heart feeling, and the feeling of how they deliver it will be different. So I think that's uh just how I get into it. I gotta literally be in by myself so I can be vulnerable.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

How did you come to understand that? Right, because I I always um wondered that specifically with people who write songs, um, and if you perform specifically like RB and stuff, I always how do you how did you like how do you understand that? Like it's it's a is it I for me, I don't write songs, but I understand where you're coming from with like the energy and it going into there, but it always got me how do you connect that from here to your hand to the pad, pan of the pad? Like, and you get that that out on paper. It seems it's it's a different type of synthesis than I'm than I'm used to.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

Well, when you create, I feel like and it's every artist, some people are able to get vulnerable around large amounts of people, some people have to be by themselves. But I think when creating the music, the ability to just be open, you have to be okay with saying whether it's wrong or right, you have to be okay with saying whatever you truly feel.

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

So a lot of times when you're making, if you're making really um relatable music, you have to really reflect on things. You have to really understand things, whether it's wrong or right. You know, you have to understand sadness, love, you have to understand passion, hate. You have to really understand and reflect on these things, you know? And um that's really wearing your heart on your sleeve.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

And really being like, But this is why we need people like him that do this. Because I'm not gonna, what you're telling me too, what's so cool, is like, you know, especially hearing it from another black man. A lot of us, you know how we walk around all day. Yeah, dugging. All day long. Just tough, right? Rugged, right? But that's not, like you said, that's not the full experience of the human, of the human life.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

And you know what? I think is uh I think it's especially black creators, I think why, you know, a lot of black people succeed in music, especially, is because that very reason, especially black men, we we just now get into a point where it's okay for us to be vulnerable, it's okay for us to say we have feelings and stuff like that. So check this out. If as black men, we always felt like we had to be hard, the one time we get into a space where I can be vulnerable, which a lot of times was what? I can express myself in sports.

SPEAKER_03 18:12

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

I can express myself through singing, I can express myself through rapping and say however I truly feel. Yeah. And it be okay. Yeah. Where because when I'm not playing this sport, when I'm not singing, when I'm not rapping, I have to be hard. I have to be I have to be, you know, the way that we taught to be. Yeah, you know, and I hope those uh those type of norms are like, you know, destroyed so that people understand that, yo, you know, it is okay for you know people to be vulnerable, you know. It's okay to be, you know, you can be you gotta be strong in certain instances, but you know, it is okay for us to be vulnerable and understand how we feel, you know. You know what I'm saying? We don't gotta hold those things in, or you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

So it gives us a full human experience because we are humans. Like I tell people all the time, like it's it's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 19:01

Yeah, we are providers, we are protectors, but we are first before all those things, humans. Yep. You know, humans, of course, child, children of God, but humans. Yep. You know, and that becomes before we anything, before we are husband, before we are fathers, before we are friends, I'm a human first. Yep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Now, are there any other like misconceptions that you can think of that people stereotype you or? Um I think you're like you're like our first RB artist. We've done.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

No, no, this is not a lie. Yes, yeah. I think you are the first RB artist. Oh man. Thank y'all. That's why it's super dope to have you.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Thank y'all, man. I really appreciate it. Yeah. That's what I say. Man, shout out to the Hilltop Podcast. Um what was the question?

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Are there are there any misconceptions or stereotypes that people put on you or RB artists um in general that you can do that?

SPEAKER_01 20:00

I know I can listen. Some stereotypes. I got one right now. I cannot dance. And for some reason, they think that RB artists are supposed to be up there popping and locking. Yeah. I had just performed, oh, shout out to the Sheen family. I just came back from Atlanta from performing at the uh Sheen magazine awards. And like I said, they had an artist up there and he was RB popping and locking. And I said, you know what, Bay Ray ain't up there doing that. You know, shout out Corey Stone. He was playing sex. Yeah, you know, Nick was playing my guitar, you know. See, that's so good. It's a different vibe, T.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

You're not conforming. I like that because it's like most people act like they have to have that entertainment in the background. They gotta have dancers or like, you know, something going on.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Shout out to my girl Chell. She did ballerina for me in the back behind. Again, you different, bruh. So, you know, ballerina dance.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Okay, so it was like a okay, something soft. I'm gonna have to check that out then.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Most definitely. We'll be releasing some stuff from it. And I'm also releasing it, releasing a new single as well. Okay. You know, on uh in the upcoming weeks called Velvet Melodies. For you guys uh that enjoy my music, please go and get that when it's released. It's called Velvet Melodies by Bey Ray, and uh it's the latest single that's coming out. So it'll be out by the time this podcast is up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

It's like a drop-in gems, drop in music.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

That's what you're supposed to do. Nah, that's that's extra dope, man. I and I'll tell you, because like we grew up in the era, my parents they didn't let us listen to hip-hop, hip-hop until later on. We grew up listening to RB, soul music, funk, stuff like that. So we always look for people who are in our age generation who do that music because that's what we grew up loving, right? And it's funny when you hear people like, I'll put this one out because I always think this is interesting, is Snoop Dogg. Whenever you hear Snoop Dogg and he does his little things and he'll be in the background and stuff, and they'll be following him around. They're like, yo, what you listening to, Snoop Dogg? I'm listening to some old funk, some soul music from 1970. They're like, What, really? But you Snoop Dogg, you rap.

SPEAKER_01 21:56

He's like, that's not what I grew up off of. I'ma I'ma I'ma say something. I I don't think I've ever said this in an interview before, but I'ma say this, and this might go back to answer a question y'all asked me earlier about why my style is the way it is. Yeah. And do you just saying that just make me realize something? But um, my grandfather, you know, he passed away. Um, was it last year? Last year, last year. My grandfather passed away in April, I believe.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Rest in power, rest in power.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

And um, my grandfather was a big DJ, just like my uh my actual father was a DJ in Dover Delaware. But my grandfather had a house. Um, then I always stayed with him in his home. And he had an intercom in every room in his home. And uh from the DJ studio he had at the top of his house, from the intercom, he played nothing but funk in uh 70s, well, 60s, 70s, and 80s, funk and RB.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

What? That's amazing to me.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

In every room, in every room, the entire house, through the kitchen, in every room, no matter if I slept or anything. And it was always to like a low volume, so it was like almost in my background noise. But my entire childhood, when I went to my grandfather's house, whether it was for summers, for weekends, or whatever, you know, I always was exposed to artists I didn't even know. I just heard the music. It was always played. And every time I ever asked him who it was, he always told me. He always made me research, he always showed me who it was.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

Oh, he was you were learning early.

SPEAKER_01 23:21

Yeah, Billy Paul's and stuff like that. What?

SPEAKER_02 23:24

I know you know what you're talking about. Now, yo, now again. He knows Billy Paul.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah, Billy Paul, you know, stuff like that, you know. So, yeah, shout out to my grandfather. You know, I I don't think that I don't think if he if he wasn't so interested in just making sure that we were exposed to that type of music, I don't think that I would probably sing. The type of RB I sing. That's true. In reality, I think I would probably be doing what my friends are doing. But because I actually grew up listening to it and I love that sound, that now that I reflect on the question, I think that is why I am I make the music I make.

SPEAKER_02 24:02

That makes sense. That makes total sense. Because yeah, that's not stuff that you're just gonna get popping up on your Pandora unless you're looking for it. Yeah, at the standard.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

It would force them to my Yeah. And then your psyche. Like your psyche picked up on it. Background. Um talk about your collaborations. Like, why is it important you collaborate with certain people with your sound?

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Um, it's super important. I think you you collaborate with as much people as you can as long as the you're creating good quality. Sometimes we just don't jump into a collaboration just because you you think it's gonna um uh I don't know. I don't know, for clout or something. Some people do things for clout and the in the material, the quality of the product they make is horrible. But collaborating is important because just like uh with anything, you know, it's a network. You know, um me having a relationship with you and following you and uh seeing what you got going on, then allows me to see and have access and resources too. You know, whatever you have in your network, and same with me, you know. Um cross-marketing, cross-marketing um and stuff like that, and just uh still sharpen steel. So if you're working with another talented artist, another talented producer or a brand or anything you got going on, you will you want to be on your A game because they're on their A game, you know, no one wants to fumble the ball. So collaborating, working with each other, networking. Again, be at the Marketplace Networking Conference October 5th because this is exactly what we're talking about. Yeah, he's right on the money, yeah. People need to understand that you need people, whether it's a sponsor, whether it's um an advisor, whether it's you know, um a podcast, you know, you need people to support you and help uh give you opportunities that you know you may not have on your own.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

I'm blown away.

SPEAKER_02 25:51

Nah, I'm trying to say you're making this easy, they rate you different, man. Yeah, yeah. And then all the good ways of it. I appreciate it. All the good ways of it. Like you made made my darn day because most of the folks that you would you know run into that do what you do, the I'll put it like this their ego sometimes does not allow them to be authentic. And I can tell you, you're you. Like, I'm not like when you walked in, that's why I said, I already knew. Yeah, that's somebody, older brother right there. I already know how I can tell by the way you're moving and operating, right? And then with you and your relationship here, like I just it's just authentic, right? It makes you feel good, it feels good to be around you. Like, I don't feel pressured.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

She's behind the camera, man. You know, my beautiful queen, Miss April Robin, you know what I'm saying? Founder and CEO of Elevator Robin, man, you know, doing her own thing, man. I love that I have a partner that has her own identity, man, and I have my own thing that's going on, and together it just matches, and we just always benefit and help each other. You gotta have her.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Yeah, yeah, that'd be excellent. So you can see both sides of the equation.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

We love interviewing couples. We do. We actually try.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

We actually try to do that a lot. Yeah, oh yeah, my baby, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Especially people who are like in the arts and you know, they just vibe off of each other to show that it can work if you learn how to make it work. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:21

Because obviously, just to re-always like to reiterate this with all of our guests, our podcasts are for millennials trying to learn how to better be adults and succeed at whatever ventures that they're in. And one of the things we always recognize is that we don't have any guidelines or any books to tell us what to do. So we're like, we're gonna make our own. And that's what this podcast is for. It's so that they can see people like you, see how you handle yourself, how you operate, how you uh make your art, how important your art is to you, how you work with your partner to assist in your art, how you do got a great partnership. Like, you gotta see this stuff. Cause look, especially for folks our age, we got to realize this stuff is possible and that you can attain it. Um, and so this is the reason for us being, and this is the reason why we want to make sure we have folks like you on our podcast so we can continue to push this out and let people see this so that no one feels as if, well, I can't do it, I can't make it, I don't know how, I don't know where to find it. Like, no, there's places to get it done. There, there are literal people that have been doing what you've been doing and you can't succeed. Yeah, so one question based on that, just for our folks who are watching, and they're gonna ask these questions for a lot of folks who are artists and et cetera, that like to listen to our show and share it with other folks. As an artist in today's world of digital media and et cetera, what is one of the most important things that you do for your brand to make sure that you are getting exposure?

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Again, shout out to my baby, man. Here we go. Here we go. I did that on purpose. You have to market yourself, man. You have to market yourself again. Be at the Marketplace Networking Conference October 5th. Get your tickets. But uh, yeah, man, you gotta market yourself, man. You know, whether it's um people check this out. People don't even know basic strategies of pushing and marketing themselves through the algorithm or just regular ad campaigns through Instagram. Yeah. You know, I see people struggling with just learning about that. And that's this goes back to learning about your craft. If you're serious about it, you know, learn about it. You know, it's it's resource for anything for any budget, any for any budget. Thank you for saying about it's really just about learning how to push yourself. You know, um, no one says that you're going to get a million followers in a day or something like that, but you have to want to be consistent, you have to have a plan, you have to come up with strategies, and you have to, you know, look at your analytics, look at the things that you have going on with yourself. Some people shy away from looking at, you know, a lot of the numbers and stuff like that, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

Intimidation factor? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Yeah, yeah. But it is important to look at those things as the creator because you know, no matter what, you always going to uh move further along, you know. No matter what. I started a long time ago. I started a long time ago making music. Um probably been too long, I say around 2000 and like 17, 18. So it hasn't been too, too long, but from just that amount of time, yeah, I've gone from, you know, just trying to figure out how am I going to perform in Columbia or where I'm gonna perform, who am I going to talk to, how can I, you know, do these things. And now, you know, I'm performing on stages with people like, you know, Young Jock and Tiffany Evans, and and I'm in rooms with like Ray Ross and stuff like that. You know, and you know, uh it's just motion, you know, no matter if it's a step or if you run it or just keep moving, you know, and um market yourself. Always push yourself, always post yourself, always, you know, be consistent. Even if you post in the same thing, you know, posting the same thing consistently is better than posting nothing.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

That's what Tyler the Creator said. No, that's so real. Yeah. He said I think this is a bit from a uh conference that we had, and they were asking him about what you're talking about with marketing. Like, how do you do it? Like, what are you supposed to do as like uh an artist coming? He said, Hey man, I'm Tyler the Creator. I'm gonna tell you this. I was pushing the same song for two years until it hit. He said, once it hit, it's good then. Yeah, it was good then. Yeah, but he said, it's time, it's me. He said he was like looking at look, this is me. And I had I had to push the same song for two years. And I had to think about that. I'm like, yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, you really have to stay with it. Yeah, it's hard for a lot of people to do that though, because you know, life's happening, etc.

SPEAKER_01 31:48

And that's because we think so small. Like we don't realize, like, you know, there are billions of people in the world. So that means no matter how many, there's check, there's somebody that has not that does not know who Cardi B is.

SPEAKER_03 31:59

Gosh, good point.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

There's someone that's not know someone does not know, there's someone that doesn't know who Usher is. There are billions of people in the world, you know. So, and it's not about, you know, you're not, it's about building your audience, your fans, you know, everyone can be a fan of everyone. You know, you're not fighting with no one, but it's about taking your time, being consistent, building your audience, being your fans, and just connecting with your fans one by one. You know, Usher might got two million fans, or Dell might got a hundred million fans, Rihanna got a billion followers, you know. Yeah, but you know, it's about just your reach. Your reach, your audience, the people that love you.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

You gotta touch them.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

But talk about your audience, your support. You how do they support you? Or do they they how do they show up for Bay Ray?

SPEAKER_01 32:48

They show up with sharing. This is how you show up for anyone. Share, like, comment. A lot of people do this stuff, you know, and this is why a lot of my audience they do, they do share all the time. They do like, they do comment, they do, you know, show that kind of support. You don't always have to support someone by sending them money. Gotcha. Because we're in the age of the algorithm. So, you know, you don't you don't want to know how many times I hear people say, oh man, I see you got it going on. I see that you doing this. And guess what? They ain't never liked anything, shared anything. If I ask them what song they heard, it's probably something from four years ago or three years ago, you know. But they don't people don't understand. It's an algorithm. Share my stuff, like myself. Even if you don't listen to it, just do it. Yeah, throw a comment. Yeah, people don't understand that the algorithm for social media for us to get discovered, Instagram makes it so that way if you post something, you have a certain amount of minutes that people have to engage in your post before they give it to a certain amount of people within your followers. So check this out. If enough people are not sharing and engaging in your content, when you post it, Instagram's gonna say, I don't want to push this to the rest of your followers. So when you first post something, they're actually only showing it to maybe 30, 40% of your following. Who 30, 40%? And if those 30, 40 percent are people that say, I don't care to like, share, or comment, Instagram's gonna decide, uh, we're gonna push this lower and we're gonna try and see what happens with other pieces of content. So that's why it's super important it's super, super important. If you support a creator, if you support a brand, if you support a business, you must share, like, and comment on their on their content. Because if you don't, you might be one of the reasons they fail. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

So is that why you see people's um comments or pictures like two days later? Like you see when somebody posts something it's like two days ago, and it's like, but I'm their friend. How did I not see this?

SPEAKER_01 34:46

How did that come up with my own? Yeah, the first day. Because the algorithm pushes it lower. They don't think they said, you know, because it's a business. Instagram is a business. There's a billionaire running it. Yep, shareholders and everything. Yeah. So we gotta understand that it's a whole business. That's why this is called a everything is a business. You know, just because we have a passion and we have a purpose and stuff like that, don't mean we don't have to include ourselves in the business portion. You know, I'm a I love music, but everyone as a musician says I hate the music business.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

That is real. They do say that real. They like music, they love music, but nothing.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

We love being an entertainer, but they hate the entertainment business. One, because they either don't understand it or everyone is trying to get over on them, which means too, if you don't understand the business and I get over on you, that just means that you didn't understand. It's in the business. That's it. Yeah, just like in the business.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

Like ignorant in some areas, but you can be taught.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but people gotta understand a lot. That's why support and learn about marketing, support and learn about the business part of where a crash or the craft it is. You know, whatever you're trying to do, you know, it's super important to be proactive, you know, for the best future that you can create for yourself.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

I think that's very important for the audience to understand. Yeah, because a lot of them they be they're very talented folks, but they don't get a chance to make it because they on that end they do drop off. Don't keep moving from it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

Talk about your um your music videos. I've seen a lot of them here in Columbia, South Carolina. What's your favorite? What has been your favorite music video? And um tell us about shooting it.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Uh, my favorite music video, uh my favorite video that I had shot was shot by my boy Cam. Uh Cam who shot it. He's actually a videographer from Columbia, South Carolina. He shoots pretty much all my work uh for the last couple years. He's been shooting a lot of my stuff. Um but my favorite video would be Are You Down? Shout out to my baby again. She starred in it. Yeah. Don't she look familiar?

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Um That was gonna be my next question.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

That's my favorite music video that I've shot. Uh I also have a video of Dreaming of Robins, which is obviously about how she we have her name. Uh her name is April Robin. The song is called Dreaming of Robins.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

I love that. A play on words.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Yeah, it's a play on words. So uh that was actually shot by Sheen uh Sheen uh Media Group.

SPEAKER_03 37:09

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 37:09

So they're affiliate of Sheen magazine as well. Oh wow. So that's a I didn't shoot that, but it's actually a video that they shot for, like a performance video they shot for me for their actual uh magazine company. Cool. So uh that was really much love to the Sheen family, uh Kim Chapman, uh Darren, Martin, uh thank you very much for everything that you guys do. You know what I'm saying? And showing support to uh Bey Ray and my family and brand over here as well.

SPEAKER_00 37:35

Are there any dream collaborations or who would you like to work with in the future? Who's on your radar?

SPEAKER_02 37:45

Um, Usher. Oh, I ain't angry at that.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

I ain't angry at that. Go ahead and shoot. I wanna make a song with Usher, I want to make a song with Ron Osley. I want to make a song with um man. I think for me, Usher, Ron Osley, I would hope to get one with Erica. If Lauren can get it together, I wanna make some stuff for Lauren Hill. You know, but I think those are my big ones. You got some good big ones. Yeah. Those are like my if I seen them and it was like, oh man, I get to make a song on it, I'll be, I would, I wouldn't be able to sleep for nah, I wouldn't be able to sleep. You'd be like waiting for Christmas when you're a kid. Yeah, I I probably wouldn't even want to do this. I'll be like, you just make the song and I'll sing on it. You make the song. Tell me what I'm singing. It's your song now.

SPEAKER_03 38:39

Featuring me.

SPEAKER_02 38:44

I know if it's romanticly featuring Bay Ray, it's all good. It's all good.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

I would just be ecstatic to be a part of it. Like, it's your song. Nobody is it? Is it my song? It's our song. Yeah. Yeah, but yeah, those are my dream collaborations. You know, I love Eric Abadu, I love Usher, I love um, you know, believe it or not, man, I love Young Dolph too, man. I'm not an angry dog too, man. Sometimes sometimes, you know, I'm from the I'm from, you know.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

Yeah, come on. You know, you don't even listen to it. Come on, you can know the nigga. I talk about the time. You listen to ratchet music. I'm like, where you think I'm from? I listen to sometimes ratchet and ratchet. I listen to the feeling sometimes. Yeah. Um, another question I think, and I know we're gonna get ready to wrap up, but gotta ask this question. The most important question, and I because you got your lady sitting here too. How do you balance work and life? And that's very important for our audience because a lot of us millennials, we are out here really living life and we got things we want to do, but we also want to grow ourselves, develop our own talents and skills, and also have something outside of if you work in nine to five, you want to have something outside that nine to five because hopefully it'll take over and be your nine to five. But the one problem that we have is balancing that time to experience and making sure that we're good with our relationships, that we're taking care of our, in some cases, taking care of our children, we're taking care of responsibilities, whether it be with parents or whatever that is, and then also pouring into ourselves properly. How do you do it and then make sure that you ain't like dying out here and looking old and turning gray?

SPEAKER_01 40:23

Well, you know, we got 24 hours in a day, you know. We are partners all day, 24 hours. We are fathers and mothers 24 hours, you know. So those, this, you know, Bay Ray is a persona that you guys see, you know, but my partner and my family get James. They get who I am.

SPEAKER_02 40:45

That's real.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

You know what I'm saying? So that's what we gotta realize. Like, you know, I don't put Bey Ray before my partner. Like, I don't care about I don't care about it that much. You know, I don't care about Bey Ray more than I care about my family. You know? So that's what we gotta realize, you know. And I, you know, it's also that me and my partner have a great understanding about just our identities. You know, she has her own thing going on, I have minds, and it always comes together. But when it comes to also our brands and, you know, what we're going for ourselves, yes, we can have our own opinion on what each other's business and brands. Yeah, but at the end of the day, that's her brand and her business, and this is mine. And I don't fight, she doesn't fight me when I have my final uh decisions on things I want to do, and I don't fight her. You know, I give my opinion on things, she gives hers, and it's up to me and it's up to her and what happens. And you know, we realize that, you know, no matter what, you my partner. So if that's your decision, I have to support your decision as your partner because I'm your partner before I am an entertainer. And you are my partner before you are an entrepreneur, you know? Like you're my partner, you know. That's solid.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

Yeah, that is. That's solid.

SPEAKER_01 42:06

You know, you a father before you anything. You a mother before you anything. You were, you know, a child to your family, you know, your father and your mom before you are anything. So we gotta always remember that. Before I became this person that I am, before I became this persona or this character or the thing, this this mask that I show the world, you know, I still have responsibilities, obligations, and I still have to be aware of the people that's affected by how, you know.

SPEAKER_02 42:34

Man. I tell your older brother, man, your perspective, man. Again, you're not like most people that we get to speak with that do what you do.

SPEAKER_00 42:44

That just made me think um when you was labeling out, because you know, some people say they put God first, then themselves, as the husband and the wife, and the kids, but it's like as you grow through life, those things can shift, you know what I'm saying? So you just gotta keep reevaluating, asking yourself what's the most important.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

And love is love, man. We gotta realize this. Stop trying, people gotta realize this. Stop trying to categorize and rank love. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, asking a man, do you love your child more than you love your wife? is like asking me like some some stupid scenario question. Like, if your wife was hanging off a bridge with your child, who would you pick? You know what I'm saying? Like, I can love my wife and love my son my my child without having to depreciate. Yeah, because if I, you know, why do I have to go through, you know, now if God comes before me and asks me this question, I will have to answer it. That's good. But no human should ever feel like they are entitled enough or or or they can ask me that, you know, that question because, you know, I might, and like you said, feelings change. My girl might make me upset right now for and then I might be, you know, a good in five minutes. Yeah, you know, but it's like, you know, the love that the love and and having love for someone because love is a feeling. You know, we've gotta stop ranking it, you know, because that's what hurts people.

SPEAKER_03 44:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:08

You know, why is there a, you know, that's like if I ask you, you know, you love your, do you love your grandma more than you love your mama?

SPEAKER_00 44:15

Yeah, I can't answer that.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

You can't answer that. Mm-mm. I ain't sacrificing neither one. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

We ain't doing that over here.

SPEAKER_01 44:21

You know? I agree. Asking women too. You know, a lot of times we have this thing, women, a lot of our society like to make it seem like women care about their children more than they care about men. Yeah. Or the men they wit. And that's a whole perspective that's out in the world where that shouldn't even be a thing. You know, why is it a thing? You know? You shouldn't have to decide who you care about more, just care about who you care about. And and reciprocate and show them that you care about it the right way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:49

You know, it's the right way to show love too. It's a right and a wrong way to love somebody.

SPEAKER_00 44:54

We're gonna have to have you for another episode.

SPEAKER_02 44:56

Nah, man, you you on point, yo. Yeah, bruh.

SPEAKER_00 44:59

We have to have you net for another episode. Yeah, we need some more time with you.

SPEAKER_02 45:01

And then we gotta wrap it now. We need more, we gotta get more time with you. And we gotta uh make sure that we get um the half. On the podcast, I think that's because we've done it before. Awesome. Yeah, it's an awesome conversation every time. So we'll we'll we'll make sure to set that up. But we are going to uh get ready to wrap up before we do so. And you've already been doing an excellent job thus far of handling this. Want to make sure that you drop your socials.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 45:29

Shameless plug time. Let everybody know what you got going on, what's upcoming. Outside, whatever it may be that you want to share with them, it's your time to shine.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

What's going on, man? I am Bay Ray, an artist from, of course, Columbia, South Carolina. You can follow me on Instagram at Bay Ray, B-A-Y-R-A-Y 803. You can find me on all streaming platforms at just Bay Ray. B-A-Y-R-A-Y, one word. It's well, come and see me, man. Come and see me. Come and grow your brand, come and grow your business at the network conference, man. The marketplace in Columbia, South Carolina. And I actually switched those words. It is the Marketplace Networking Conference in Columbia, South Carolina, October 5th at 1 p.m. Come and follow me on Instagram. DM me. I can send you an actual code to make the price lower for those that may not got it but still want to push themselves. So you have no excuse. Hope to see you there.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

Awesome. Man, you're too good.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

You gotta bother you. Too good.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

Man, this is DJ and what?

SPEAKER_00 46:37

Tamaya.

SPEAKER_02 46:38

In the back. Yep. And Mike. And then our esteemed guest. Oh, Bay Ray. What's going on? And the lovely. Thank you for robbing.

SPEAKER_01 46:47

My beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful queen.

SPEAKER_02 46:50

Man, it's been a pleasure having you here today. Thank you for real.

SPEAKER_00 46:55

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 46:57

I appreciate you guys.

SPEAKER_00 46:58

Thank you. Much love.

SPEAKER_02 46:59

Until the next time, please tell somebody next to him that you love them, that you appreciate them. And we will see you at the next Hilltop Club podcast. Peace.