Rexx Life Raj

Faraji Omar Wright grew up in Berkeley, California. His mother was in a gospel group called The Marshall Quartet with his aunts, uncle, and grandmother. His father was a Black Panther. In middle school, Wright began recording his own music, making the beats on a Casio keyboard and singing with a karaoke machine, making CDs he sold at school.{{cite news |last1=St. John |first1=Matt |title=How Rexx Life Raj Went from Being a Delivery Man to Hip-Hop's Next Big Thing |url=https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/how-rexx-life-raj-went-from-being-a-delivery-man-to-hip-hops-next-big-thing/Content?oid=11372559 |accessdate=June 6, 2020 |work=East Bay Express |date=December 6, 2017}} Wright went to middle and high school with G-Eazy.{{cite magazine |last1=Saponara |first1=Michael |title=Rexx Life Raj Is Back in Control of His Happiness & It's Paying Off in the Music |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8543797/rexx-life-raj-father-figure-3-interview) |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |magazine=Billboard |date=November 26, 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=Charles |title=REXX LIFE RAJ AND G-EAZY WENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL CLASSMATES TO COLLABORATORS |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/3047499/rexx-life-raj-g-eazy-collaborators-interview/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118075005/http://www.mtv.com/news/3047499/rexx-life-raj-g-eazy-collaborators-interview/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 18, 2018 |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=MTV.com |date=November 17, 2017}}

In 2010, he played offensive tackle and guard for the Fiesta Bowl-winning Boise State University football team.{{cite news |last1=Payne |first1=Ogden |title=3 Hip-Hop Artists Colleges Should Book This Semester |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ogdenpayne/2017/08/31/3-hip-hop-artists-colleges-should-book-this-semester/#2addeddc2a43 |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=Forbes |date=August 31, 2017}} After graduation, Wright returned home to California to pursue music while working at his parents' package delivery business.{{cite news |last1=Voynovskaya |first1=Nastia |title=In the Algorithm Age, Rexx Life Raj Charts a Path Without Gimmicks |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13869513/rexx-life-raj-father-figure-3-empire |accessdate=June 4, 2020 |work=KQED |date=November 7, 2019}}

"Neo-soul music became my favorite when I could begin to appreciate it. I was into Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Musiq Soulchild. [Kid Cudi's] Man on the Moon: End of Day is one of, if not my favorite album of all-time", he told Billboard.

Wright adopted the professional stage name Rexx Life Raj for his rap and singing career. He released his first EP for sale, Hidden Clouds, in 2014, which featured the single "Put On". That same year, he released the Portraits EP with producer Tele Fresco.{{cite news |last1=Casagrande |first1=Tim |title=Three Must-See Acts This Week — 11/14-11/21 |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/three-must-see-acts-this-week-1114-1121/ |accessdate=June 6, 2020 |work=SF Weekly |date=November 14, 2019}} In 2015, he released another two projects, the full-length album, The Escape, with guests Iamsu!, Will Fraker, City Shawn, and the EP, Dreamland: Telegraph Ave., with YMTK, Ellen Purtell, and Lolo Zouaï.{{cite web |title=Rexx Life Raj |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rexx-life-raj-mn0003549675/biography |website=allmusic.com |accessdate=June 6, 2020}}

In 2016, with his second album, Father Figure, Raj developed his sound, combining rhymes with singing "confessional" and political lyrics in tracks like "Handheld GPS" and, the album's first single, "Moxie Java" featuring another Vallejo-area rapper Nef the Pharaoh.

Raj's sequel album, Father Figure 2: Flourish, came out in 2017 with features from G-Eazy, Russ, and Iman Europe.{{cite news |title=Rexx Life Raj's 'Father Figure 2: Flourish' Is Perfect for The Long Weekend |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rexx-life-rajs-father-figure-2-flourish-is-perfect-for-the-long-weekend/ |access-date=June 10, 2020 |work=Vice |date=November 22, 2017}} That year he toured with Mr. Carmack.{{cite news |last1=Trewn |first1=Pranav |title=Rexx Life Raj – "Handheld GPS" Video |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1933158/rexx-life-raj-handheld-gps-video/video/ |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |work=Stereogum |date=April 6, 2017}}

In 2018, he released EP California Poppy, produced entirely by Kyle Betty,{{cite news |last1=Dandridge-Lemco |first1=Ben |title=Rexx Life Raj pays homage to a Bay Area classic with help from E-40 on "Sprinkle Me" |url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/11/21/rexx-life-raj-e-40-sprinkle-me-premiere |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |work=The Fader |date=November 21, 2018}} and toured twice in support of both Marc E. Bassy and Bas, as well as his first headlining tour in Europe in 2019.

In 2019, Raj released Father Figure 3: Somewhere Out There produced by Sango, Kenny Beats,{{cite magazine |last1=Saponara |first1=Michael |title=Rexx Life Raj Connects With Kehlani for Woozy 'Your Way': Listen |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8541592/rexx-life-raj-kehlani-your-way |accessdate=June 11, 2020 |magazine=Billboard |date=October 30, 2019}} JULiA LEWiS, Avedon{{cite news |last1=Rindner |first1=Grant |title=Rexx Life Raj Hopes Rap Never Becomes a Job: Interview |url=https://djbooth.net/features/2019-11-26-rexx-life-raj-father-figure-3-interview |accessdate=June 12, 2020 |work=djbooth.net |date=November 26, 2019}} and Bay Area producers Kyle Betty, DTB, Wax Roof and Drew Banga.{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Deion |title=Rexx Life Raj Drops New Album "Father Figure 3: Somewhere Out There" |url=https://power1051.iheart.com/content/2019-11-07-rexx-life-raj-drops-new-album-father-figure-3-somewhere-out-there/ |accessdate=June 11, 2020 |work=Power1051.iheart.com |date=November 7, 2019}} Songs included "Burgundy Regal," about his two childhood best friends, one of whom was eventually killed, the other incarcerated; "Your Way", an acoustic duet with Kehlani that also featured. Russ, and was premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show. Father Figure 3: Somewhere Out was recorded most of the vocals in hotels and Airbnbs on the road touring as opening act for Bas.{{cite news |last1=Dandridge-Lemco |first1=Ben |title=Rexx Life Raj connects with Kehlani for new single "Your Way" |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/10/29/rexx-life-raj-kehlani-your-way-father-figure-3 |accessdate=June 6, 2020 |work=The Fader |date=October 29, 2019}}

Raj did a headline tour of the United States in 2019.{{cite news |last1=Espinosa |first1=Joshua |title=Rexx Life Raj's 'Father Figure 3: Somewhere Out There' Has Arrived |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2019/11/rexx-life-raj-father-figure-3-somewhere-out-there-stream |accessdate=June 10, 2020 |work=Complex |date=November 6, 2019}}

In 2022, he released his fifth album The Blue Hour with features from Wale, Larry June, Russ, and Fireboy DML.{{Cite web |title=Rexx Life Raj Returns With New Album 'The Blue Hour' |url=https://www.complex.com/music/rexx-life-raj-the-blue-hour-stream |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=Complex |language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.facebook.com/RexxLifeRaj/ Facebook]

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Category:Rappers from California

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Berkeley, California

Category:1990 births