Upcoming rapper Ryan Audron Hurry better known by his pseudonym “RACS”, has quickly transformed his childhood nickname into a well recognized professional alias within his home country of Guyana.
His obsession with music and perfecting his craft has pushed him to make waves not only in his hometown but in his adopted home of New York, which has birthed some of the biggest iconic rap stars.Racs, humble to fame but assertive to success, is working hard on his 1st anticipated mixtape “The Multiple Personalities of RACS”, in which he hopes will tell his story and perspective through the musical diary of his mind.
Early LIfe
Racs born in Georgetown, Guyana, grew up in the Stevedore housing scheme of Georgetown. Living an uninhibited childhood, young Racs grew fond of the casual lifestyle he lived. He very much enjoyed the company of his large family in the one small home and the simple things that many fail to appreciate. He attended both Tucville Primary School and Central High School in Guyana before moving to the US.
By the transitional age of 13, Racs mother had chosen to migrate to the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NY with his 2 older sisters and 3 year old brother. This new place quickly raised the young boy into a man. By this time Racs was of age to attend his final years of school at Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn. Still going through puberty, in school the kids would refer to him as “raccoon”. He adopted the childhood name that was used to make fun and it was soon shortened to just “Racs”. There he began to listen to more hip hop and began to practice his own musical flows. Still new and self-conscious about his craft, Racs made no strong attempts to let his peers know he was talented in the skill.
At 17, during his senior year in high school he was asked to read Macbeth and summarize the Shakespeare play as a requirement to graduate. He and his friends chose to rap about the popular play and it wasn’t until that moment that he realized he could eventually make something of his talent. He went on to graduate from Tilden, and began to work regular blue collar jobs. After working those jobs for about 3 years he realized that he should return to his passion, which is music. Now at the age of 24, Racs is dedicating himself solely to his music and building his career.
Music Career
By January of 2011, Racs like many had created a fresh start for the new year. He began writing his version of the popular rap song “Black and Yellow”. The song by WIz Khalifa was very popular at the time and several remixes were made but it was Racs instant hit that made this once unknown guyanese rapper into a respected artist. As soon as his music video was uploaded to YouTube it took only 5 days to reach approximately 15,000 hits. The song was soon an anthem for the Guyanese community. WIth a short span of 4 months, Racs was back in Guyana performing his hit, known as the “Guyanese Black and Yellow” onstage as an opener for musical icon Beenie Man. Now at over 90,000 views the anthem is still found in the playlist at many guyanese parties and events. Surprised by the sudden popularity, Racs used the uplifting and inspiring words from fans as motivation for his second hit. On his second single “You’re Alone”, Racs uses his music to tell the struggle of an artist attempting to find his own success in the music industry. Currently with his new mixtape, The Multiple Personalities of Racs,
Which is available now at datpiff.com, Racs hopes to find his music in heavy rotation through the fall. The mixtape exposes the world to the different sides of his personality and the versatility of his musical style. You can find Racs traveling throughout the U.S. and Guyana to promote his music through performances, competitions, release parties, and online throughout the end of 2012 & the beginning of 2013.
Influences
Racs as a young child grew up listening to soca, reggae, calypso, dancehall, R&B, soul, and many mo-town hits. The musical melting pot triggered an appreciation for all genres of music. WIth his father also being a musician, the gene was unknowingly passed to him. He began performing onstage at the age of 5 singing and dancing to several hits from big artists like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. By the age 10, he began listening to his neighbor’s west coast hip hop.
Artist like Tupac, Snoop Dogg and even the once popular Coolio were influential in his early adaptation to rap music. Playing around with the words to songs, he began to write. The more he listened, the more he became fascinated with it. Music was always a passion for him growing up but Rap chose him. As he got older he became influenced by rappers like DMX who creatively told stories about their life and experiences. It wasn’t until he was in Brooklyn that he was exposed to heavy lyricist like Jay-Z. Now impacted by words, lyrical content became important in the music he listened to and the music he wrote. Still having a strong love for many different genres, Racs’ own music is not just catchy but also meaningful. He hopes to expose the world to his perspective of music through his new mixtape.
Future Plans
WIth big dreams of his success Racs wants to use his future wealth to give back to his hometown. Having several businesses that create jobs for the Guyanese people are one of his biggest aspirations. Not wanting to use his wealth and celebrity for selfish gain, he hopes to inspire and promote other local guyanese talent from music to sports. As cleverly told in many of his rap songs RACS continues to put Guyana on the map.