Hip Hop Momma

Rayoe is wearing a heavy mink coat in the hot desert of Joshua Tree, California in the opening scene of his new video. The song is called ‘Extra’, and it’s safe to say he’s referring to his over-the-top style and outlandish behavior.

Born in Ghana, the neighboring country to Afrobeats epicenter Nigeria, Rayoe had been recording raps since a young age. Living back and forth between West Africa and New York during his formative years gave him a unique perspective on hip-hop culture during the height of rap icons such as Jay Z, 50 Cent and Dipset. He has since relocated to Los Angeles, where the palm trees make him feel a bit more ‘at home’, though he admits to missing life in Harlem at times.

“‘Extra‘ is kind of an ode to my Harlem-influence in a low-key way: being African, I’m naturally extra — we love to get fly. But Harlem really takes pride in pushin’ it to another level, being competitive about showin out. The clothes, jewelry, cars.. Extra!” he explains. “We had a lot of fun making the video, and the production company had some cool ideas like having the horse. I’m a bit tight cause we had a scene [that involved the car] I really wanted in the video, but I got the Benz stuck in the sand and we had move on without it.”

The song is produced by Rayoe’s longtime collaborator Bug Dinero, who is based in Ghana. It samples Moroccan instrumentation complimented by bouncy drums and a deep, rolling bass line.