Raz Simone
{{Short description|American rapper}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Raz Simone
| image = RazSimone2020.png
| caption = Simone at the June 2020 Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
| image_size =
| birth_name = Solomon Samuel Simone
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|1|15}}
| birth_place = Seattle, Washington, U.S.
| other_names = Razpy
| occupation = Rapper
| children = 1
| website = {{URL|razsimone.com}}
| module = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| years_active = 2014–current
| genre = Hip hop
| instrument = Vocals
| label = Black Umbrella
H1ghr Music
| associated_acts =
}}
}}
Solomon Samuel Simone (born January 15, 1990), known by his stage name Raz Simone ({{IPAc-en|r|æ|z|_|s|ɪ|ˈ|m|oʊ|n}}), is an African-American recording artist and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. A hip hop artist who started under the name Razpy, he built his brand by releasing EPs, touring, and filming music videos through his company Black Umbrella.{{Cite news |last=Markman |first=Rob |date=January 21, 2014 |title=Meet Raz Simone: 300's First Artist |language=en |work=MTV News |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1720851/meet-raz-simone-300s-first-artist/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724212343/http://www.mtv.com/news/1720851/meet-raz-simone-300s-first-artist/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2014 |access-date=2017-05-25}}
Simone gained recognition after releasing his debut solo EP, Solomon Samuel Simone. He became the subject of media coverage for his association with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, part of the George Floyd protests in Seattle, in which he distributed a gun to a protester amid rumors the Proud Boys were gathering nearby.
Biography
= Early life =
Simone attended a private elementary school. In 2007, he worked for the Boys & Girls Club and was in the Running Start dual enrollment program.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
= Music =
Upon release of his debut solo EP, Solomon Samuel Simone, Simone garnered the attention of 300 Entertainment executives Lyor Cohen, Todd Moscowitz, and Kevin Liles which resulted in a partnership between the newly established 300 Entertainment and his Black Umbrella Imprint.
After the debut EP, Simone toured and released his first full-length album Cognitive Dissonance. In 2016 Simone released Trap Spirituals. He was nominated for XXL's Freshman List. In June 2016 Simone played shows in seven cities, opening for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}
In May 2020, at a parking lot at Seattle Center, Simone held a "pop-up, drive-in concert" (a type of concert developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to allow for social distancing). {{Cite web |last=Rietmulder |first=Michael |date=2020-05-10 |title=Seattle rapper Raz Simone threw a pop-up, drive-in concert at a Seattle Center parking lot. Here's how it went. |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/seattles-first-drive-in-concert-in-coronavirus-era-one-of-the-first-in-america/ |access-date=2020-06-11 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}
= Controversies =
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in Seattle, Simone emerged as an active member of the self-declared Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.{{Cite web|last=News|first=Patrick Quinn {{!}} KOMO|date=June 10, 2020|title='Property of the People': Protesters set up camp outside SPD East Precinct|url=https://komonews.com/news/local/property-of-the-people-protesters-set-up-camp-outside-spd-east-precinct|access-date=2020-06-10|website=KOMO}}{{Cite web|last=Markovich|first=Matt|date=2020-06-10|title=Police make allegations of intimidation, extortion inside Capitol Hill's Autonomous Zone|url=https://komonews.com/news/local/police-make-allegations-of-intimidation-extortion-inside-capitol-hills-autonomous-zone|access-date=2020-06-11|website=KOMO}} CNN described him as the "de facto leader of the autonomous zone."{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/seattle-autonomous-zone-protesters-leaving/index.html |title=Leader of Seattle's 'autonomous zone' says many protesters are leaving |publisher=CNN |date=June 24, 2020 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |author=Toropin, Konstantin}}
Conservative news outlets and publications including Fox News,{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/seattle-autonomous-zone-leaders-warlord-no-cop-co-op|title=Seattle autonomous zone 'leader' denies acting like 'warlord' in 'no cop, co-op'|author= Wallace, Danielle|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=June 11, 2020|work=Fox News}} Townhall,{{cite web|url=https://townhall.com/tipsheet/juliorosas/2020/06/11/cracks-appear-capitol-hill-zone-n2570461|title=Cracks Are Starting to Appear at Seattle's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone'|author=Rosas, Julio|work=Townhall|date=June 11, 2020|access-date=June 11, 2020}} New York Post,{{Cite web|last1=Feuerherd|first1=Ben|last2=Italiano|first2=Laura|date=2020-06-12|title=Rapper Raz Simone accused of being 'warlord' in Seattle's police-free CHAZ|url=https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/raz-simone-accused-of-acting-like-warlord-in-seattles-chaz/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=New York Post|language=en-US}} and City Journal{{cite web |last1=Rufo |first1=Christopher F |title=Anarchy in Seattle |url=https://www.city-journal.org/antifa-seattle-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone |work=City Journal|access-date=11 June 2020}} featured Simone prominently in their coverage of the zone, characterizing him as a "warlord" policing the area with an AK-47 and highlighting an interaction where he allegedly assaulted a tagger.{{Cite web |last=Curet |first=Monique |date=November 13, 2021 |title=PolitiFact - Facebook post overstates rapper's role in Seattle's police-free protest zone |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/nov/18/facebook-posts/facebook-post-overstates-rappers-role-seattles-pol/ |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Politifact |language=en-US}} A Facebook video shows Simone distributing a firearm to a protester.{{Cite web|last=Kasprak|first=Alex|date=June 23, 2020|title=Does This Video Show Raz Simone Handing Out Guns in Seattle's CHOP?|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/raz-simone-guns/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Snopes.com|language=en-US}} According to Snopes, on June 15 Andy Ngo presented a video clip from Simones’s June 8 Facebook feed where Simone takes a rifle from the trunk of his car and hands it to another protester after "rumors developed that members of the right-wing group Proud Boys were going to move into the protest area to set fires and stir chaos."
Simone refuted the characterizations of him made by media outlets. {{Cite web|last1=Read|first1=Bridget|date=2020-06-11|title=What's Going On in CHAZ, the Seattle Autonomous Zone?|url=https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/whats-going-on-in-chaz-the-seattle-autonomous-zone.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612172928/https://www.thecut.com/2020/06/whats-going-on-in-chaz-the-seattle-autonomous-zone.html|archive-date=June 12, 2020|access-date=2020-06-12|publisher=The Cut|language=en-us|df=mdy-all}}
Sexual abuse and assault allegations
In January 2021, two women stepped forward to publicly accuse Simone of coercion and repeated physical abuse.{{Cite web |last=Hiruko |first=Ashley |date=2021-01-11 |title=2 women accuse Seattle hip-hop artist Raz Simone of abuse, coercion |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/2-women-accuse-seattle-rapper-and-activist-raz-simone-of-abuse-coercion |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=KUOW |language=en}} In 2022, Simone was sued by five women alleging sexual abuse and assault. Four of them say that he sex trafficked and abused them. One of the alleged victims, claims Simone sex trafficked her in Las Vegas for over a year, until she finally broke free in 2017. She stated that Simone held her captive for three days within a confined space and that more than once he forcibly had sex with her and strangled her. Court documents reportedly state Simone targets "young, vulnerable women" who are involved in sex work or susceptible to it. Simone has denied these allegations.{{Cite web|last=Eustice|first=Kyle|date=2022-01-20|title=Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Sued By 5 Women Over Sex Trafficking + Violent Threat Allegations|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.67388/title.seattle-rapper-raz-simone-sued-by-5-women-over-sex-trafficking-violent-threat-allegations|access-date=2022-01-23|website=HipHopDX}}{{Cite web|last=Hiruko|first=Ashley|date=2022-01-19|title=5 women sue Seattle rapper Raz Simone, 4 say he trafficked them|url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/five-women-sue-seattle-rapper-raz-simone-four-say-he-trafficked-them|access-date=2022-01-23|website=KUOW Radio|language=en}}
Discography
- 5 Good Reasons EP with Sam Lachow (2012){{Cite web|url=https://206up.com/2012/09/24/new-music-5-good-reasons-sam-lachow-raz-simone/|title=NEW MUSIC: 5 Good Reasons – Sam Lachow & Raz Simone|last=CG|date=2012-09-24|website=A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG|access-date=2017-05-31}}
- Samuel Solomon Simone (2013){{Cite news|url=http://www.respectmyregion.com/raz-simone-ep/|title=Raz Simone - Solomon Samuel Simone - Black Umbrella & Dream & Produce|date=2013-03-25|work=Respect My Region|access-date=2017-05-30|language=en-US}}
- Cognitive Dissonance pt. 1 (2014){{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/03/02/283937330/first-listen-raz-simone-cognitive-dissonance|title=First Listen: Raz Simone, 'Cognitive Dissonance'|website=NPR.org|access-date=2017-05-30}}
- Baby Jesus (2014){{Cite news|url=http://uproxx.com/smokingsection/raz-simone-baby-jesus-new-music/|title=Raz Simone's 'Baby Jesus' Will Give You Goosebumps|date=2015-03-15|work=UPROXX|access-date=2017-05-30|language=en-US}}
- Macklemore Privilege & Chief On Keef Violence (2015){{Cite web|url=http://upcominghiphop.net/2015/03/28/album-review-macklemore-privilege-chief-on-keef-voilence-raz-simone/|title=[Album Review] MACKLEMORE PRIVILEGE & CHIEF ON KEEF VIOLENCE - Raz Simone{{!}} more than a hip hop blog|date=2015-03-28|website=Upcoming Hip-Hop {{!}} more than a hip hop blog|access-date=2017-05-30}}
- Cognitive Dissonance pt. 2 (2015){{Cite web|url=http://djbooth.net/albums/review/raz-simone-cognitive-dissonance-part-2|title=Raz Simone - Cognitive Dissonance: Part 2 {{!}} Stream {{!}} Hip Hop Albums - DJBooth|website=DJBooth|access-date=2017-05-30}}
- Trap Spirituals (2016){{Cite news|url=http://www.vibe.com/2016/01/raz-simone-delivers-trap-spirituals-on-new-mixtape/|title=Raz Simone Delivers Soulful, Trap Tunes In His New Mixtape "Trap Spirituals"|date=2016-01-29|work=Vibe|access-date=2017-05-30}}
- Closer (2018)
- Drive Theory (2018)
- Still Love (2019)
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Simone, Raz}}
Category:Activists from Seattle
Category:Musicians from Seattle
Category:Rappers from Washington (state)
Category:West Coast hip-hop musicians
Category:American male rappers