MP3: Rexx Life Raj – “Young Wardell”

The Berkeley Rapper’s Father Figure Album Comes Out June 26th

05.26.2016

Critical Praise:

“Rexx Life Raj is a rapper from the Bay Area with an elastic flow and a keen ear for production” – Noisey

The Song:

When the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry steps on a basketball court, incredible things happen. He pulls off seemingly impossible plays, like game-winning halfcourt shots, no-look behind-the-back passes and off-balance three pointers, with effortless ease. However, Berkeley rapper Rexx Life Raj reminds us that Curry was once merely a kid shooting hoops in his backyard on his woozy Ian McKee-produced new track, “Young Wardell,” premiered by SF Weekly. A former athlete himself, Rexx Life Raj understands the mindset required to succeed in sports and music, applying the same work ethic to his rhymes and melodies as a professional athlete puts into his game. Explains Rexx Life Raj, “I made this track to pay homage to the yellow-god Wardell ‘Steph’ Curry! Steph was never the biggest nor most athletic player on the court. He became great by continually perfecting his craft and taking shots, literally. Every shot is a risk. It’s not a guaranteed bucket, but you’ll never know until you shoot. On the track ‘Young Wardell,’ I used the metaphor of Steph taking shots to symbolize that you have to take a chance in whatever you do. You have to risk not making it to know if you can.”

“Young Wardell” is the latest single from Rexx Life Raj’s upcoming album Father Figure. Hitting storesJune 26th, Father Figure uniquely illustrates Raj’s awareness of being a young, black male while also maintaining a sense of humor and joie de vivre. Rexx Life Raj explains his relationship with his own father to SF Weekly: “He worked hella jobs for companies like Coca-Cola and Kaiser Hospital before coming to the realization that he wanted to have his own business. He took all the money he’d saved and put it into building his vision. He never went to college, had no mentor, no one helping him. He took a shot and it panned out. He’s been running a courier service for 30+ years based out of Berkeley. I took this same approach with music. I invested all my money into building my own studio, acquiring a team of people, throwing events, and selling merchandise. Although it was a risk, with hella ups and downs, the pay-off has been priceless. I’ve been able to do what i love and connect with dope people. ‘Young Wardell’ speaks to all of these things. Take your shot or you’ll never know.”

Last week, The FADER debuted the hypnotic video for Rexx Life Raj’s “Moxie Java,” featuring Nef the Pharaoh, the first video from Rexx Life Raj’s upcoming album Father Figure. With his ability to shift seamlessly from rapping his ass off to singing his heart out, Berkeley, California rapper Rexx Life Raj has become one of Bay Area music’s most unique voices. From the land of the Hyphy where slaps are king and going dumb is encouraged, Rexx Life Raj stands out by making music for the brain and the heart that’s still pleasant to the ears. Born and raised in Berkeley, Rexx Life Raj earned a football scholarship to Division I powerhouse Boise State University, playing on the offensive line. Despite his aptitude for athletics, football was not Raj’s true passion; music was. After graduating with a degree in Communications, Raj moved back to Berkeley to focus on music. Featuring contributions from artists such as Mikos Da Gawd, Julia Lewis, ymtk, and more, Father Figure hits stores on June 26th.

Listen to “Young Wardell”: https://soundcloud.com/rexxliferaj/young-wardell-prod-by-ian-mckee

Check out the SF Weekly Premiere: http://www.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2016/05/25/premiere-berkeley-rapper-rexx-life-raj-pays-homage-to-steph-curry-in-his-spacy-cavernous-new-song-young-wardell

Pre-order Father Figure: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/father-figure/id1115464867?ls=1&app=itunes

Father Figure Tracklist

OMG (prod. Ian McKee)
Far2Easy (ft. Christian Crow) [Prod. Ian McKee]
Helium (prod. Ian McKee)
The Plug (prod. Cisco Cortez & Ian McKee]
Shit N Floss (prod. Kyle Betty)
Scraper With The Rims (prod. Cisco Cortez & Rexx Life Raj)
Handheld GPS [prod. by Julia Lewis]
OJW3 (Prod. by Rexx Life Raj)
Young Wardell (prod. Ian McKee)
Double Back (prod. Ian McKee)
On Ice (ft. Ymtk) (prod. by Mikos Da God, Ekzakt, Ian McKee)
Moxie Java (ft. Nef The Pharaoh) [Prod. by Eli Unorio]
Father Figure (prod. Kyle Betty)

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Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Rexx Life Raj.

Rexx Life Raj Background:

From the land of the Hyphy where slaps are king and going dumb is encouraged, Berkeley, California’s Rexx Life Raj stands out by making music for the brain and the heart that’s still pleasant to the ears. Raised by a God-fearing mother and Black Panther father in the mecca of progressive politics, Raj’s music uniquely illustrates his awareness of being a young, black male while also maintaining a sense of humor and joie de vivre.