Notty Ras

Notty Ras aka Niyahbinghi Notty Ras a native of the South Side of Chicago, and the East Heights of Illinois moved to Oakland with his family at the age of 6. What does the name Niyahbinghi mean? Niyahbingi is translated to mean “destruction of all oppressors” which was given to him by his family because of his rebel swagger. Hip Hop was on the rise when Notty Ras was a child; and it was being scrutinized by the world but this was never a factor with Notty Ras. The rhythm and the rhyme scheme, and culture, naturally spoke to Notty Ras soul. So with in the chaos of the streets and the ghetto he found a voice that not only interpreted the spirit of the streets and the heart of a survivor. His influences came from rappers with hardcore lyrics, the abstract beauty of graffiti artists, burners, and DJ’s cuts all combined to inspire him. R&B and Reggae cuts also fused in to this artists influence. As a child he embraced a lot of the things he heard coming from the east coast which added to his interest in hardcore rap. So there is no surprise that his influences and idols in the industry are B.D.P., N.W.A., Ice T, Too Short, and the Legendary RUN D.M.C. These icons helped him understand Hip Hop and its diversity, passion, drive and how its message benefits our culture. So Notty Ras holds great appreciation for being born in the 80’s when the vision of hip hop was diversifying and intensifying for the world to appreciate. In Notty Ras Niyahbinghi’s youth, he signed a Indie Label which was untimely, because at that time rap was still in the streets and wasn’t played as frequently on the Radio. He never gave up and continued to rap about getting paid, and the violence that surrounded the bay. But, soon he understood that the hip hop culture and rap had a much bigger picture for his self and his audience, so after finishing High school and experiencing life’s ups and downs. He was led back to the Studio and he focused his drive to provide a message, and a story, and r

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Notty Ras