New Artist Spotlight: Ray Vaughn
By: Noah Weinberg
This past summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Music Industry A&R intern. It was a sweet gig, and as part of my internship, I was tasked with listening to new music from up-and-coming artists and writing my thoughts on their work.
On a random Wednesday in July, my boss messaged me: “Noah, I need you to listen to and write about “Mannequin” by Ray Vaughn.” My expectations were pretty bleak, as most of the content I was consuming was “underdeveloped,” to say the least. Nevertheless, with my silver Bose headphones atop my head, I pressed play on “Mannequin,” and about a minute later, I couldn’t help but be blown away by the chorus hitting my ears:
“I’m a fool for some chicken and some candied yams! (ayy)”
Now I could relate to this line because I, too, am a fool for some chicken and candied yams. But it was more than that. I simply could not find a flaw in Ray Vaughn’s artistry after diving into his limited catalog. Hailing from Long Beach, CA, the newly signed Top Dawg Entertainment rapper sounded polished and more mature than his 26-year-old age would suggest. Vaughn’s nasally vocals remind me of a more grizzled Baby Keem, while his delivery, cadence, and flow are eerily reminiscent of label mate Schoolboy Q.
Ray Vaughn’s most endearing character trait is his authenticity. On his semi-viral LA Leakers freestyle, Vaughn spends the latter half of the performance detailing his bleak origin story. In the video, Vaughn consistently snarls around like a pitbull while captivating the listener through his vividly descriptive lyrics:
“Yeah, too many questions, I just wanna ask my daddy/Like why you fuck with my mama and bring me into this family?/Ain't expected to have me address it, like, ‘send the addy’/16, you 32, if you ask me, that shit is nasty.”
It’s an undeniably breathtaking eight-minute performance, one that left experienced hosts Justin Credible and DJ Sourmilk visually and verbally in awe.
This past August, Ray Vaughn released his latest single, “Dawg House,” with fellow TDE member Isaiah Rashad. “Dawg House'' is more subdued and laid back than the typical Ray Vaughn track, as the pair calmly trade verses over woozy production.
It’s clear that Ray Vaughn has a bright future ahead of him. He has all the talent, charisma, and charm necessary to succeed in this competitive industry. A record deal from an iconic label like TDE can go a long way, and combined with his sharp writing and punchy delivery, Ray Vaughn’s worldwide fame is a matter of when, not if.
