Rye Rye
Encyclopedia
Rye Rye is the stage name of Ryeisha Berrain, an American rapper
and dancer from Baltimore
, Maryland
, United States signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings. She is currently finishing work on her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!
, slated to be released some time in 2012.
, Rihanna
and Jay Z as well as a Disney Channel
artist to reach out to child audiences. She says "Of course I want to work with artists that can dance so in saying that I have to say that Ciara
is someone I really want to work with, as that girl have moves. Not forgetting Ms. Missy Elliot of course as I think her videos are crazy."
She met the musician Blaqstarr
, a friend of her sister's, and worked with him on her early material after leaving a rap verse on his answering machine. She says her music output began out of boredom, telling "I used to like to write poetry and stories. One day I was home, bored, and started to compose songs. Her song "Shake It To The Ground," produced in collaboration with Blaqstarr, was a club hit in 2006, leading to local speculation that Rye Rye could be a fresh, new female success within hip hop
music. A meeting between Rye Rye, M.I.A. and Diplo in a studio in 2006/2007 was arranged by Blaqstarr after the song caught M.I.A.'s attention. Blaqstarr had told Rye Rye somebody wanted to meet her, but refused to say more. Although upon meeting them Rye Rye did not know who they were, M.I.A. told the rapper that she had been looking for her. At the time, Rye Rye was in her junior year at Dr. Samuel L. Banks High School. She toured with M.I.A. during the KALA Tour in fall and winter of 2007, which included opening for her during the CMJ Music Marathon
and dates in the United Kingdom in 2007, the People Vs. Money Tour
in early 2008 and briefly with Afrikan Boy
. They both appeared in M.I.A.'s 2007 music video for the song "Paper Planes
."
. Her debut album, titled Go! Pop! Bang!
was set to come out in March 2009, but its release was delayed. In the interim, she recorded guest verses for other songs. She performed the song "Get it from my Mama" with Blaqstarr and M.I.A. in live performances; other recordings completed but not confirmed for her album included "Gangsta Girl" with Zakee, "Bang
" with M.I.A.
, "Wassup Wassup" with DJ Diplo, "Hardcore Girls" with The Count & Sinden and "Reasons" as well as "Older Man", a song about falling in love with someone twice your age, and "Quit Swinging." A music video for "Shake It To The Ground" was made. Rye Rye appears on M.I.A.'s remix of Busy Signal
's "Tic Toc" and she performed in Sweden in summer of 2008, featuring on the rapclash remix of Adrian Lux's single "Strawberry". She features on a remix of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" with Afrikan Boy, which she performed during her 2007 live dates on the Kala Tour and appears on the Paper Planes - Homeland Security Remixes EP. In an interview with Nylon
during the making of "Bang", M.I.A. described Rye Rye as "the voice of Baltimore". Rye Rye also worked with The Neptunes
while recording her debut. In October 2008, she performed the song "Paper Planes" with Pharrel Williams and a pregnant M.I.A. at the Diesel XXX party at Pier 3 in Brooklyn.
The LA Times described her music as a "hardcore club sound." Rye Rye collaborated on the album with executive producer and songwriter M.I.A.. Rolling Stone described Go! Pop! Bang! as "the hip-hop album most likely to set the club on fire" while Paper
stated the album "will take over car stereos one impossibly ear-catching kinetic party jam at a time." Bust
described her debut album as "Baltimore grime at its best." Rye Rye is styled by M.I.A., who Rye Rye describes as her fashion icon. She told Rap-Up TV
that her favourite clothing designer is Jeremy Scott
.
Rye Rye's single "Bang" (featuring M.I.A.) appeared on the Fast & Furious motion picture soundtrack, and she released her video for the track, written, produced and directed by M.I.A., in 2009. Rolling Stone
called the track "gloriously showoffy". Rye Rye's performance at SXSW in 2010 was well received by critics and festival goers. She performed at the Winter Music Conference
in Miami before opening for indie rock band The Gossip
in April 2010.
After several date changes, an official release date was announced for February 22, 2011. However, the album did not come out and is presently slated for a Fall 2011 release. Rye Rye performed at the 2010 Alexander Wang
fashion week after party. The first single to be lifted from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang! entitled "Sunshine
", was released on October 5 and leaked online a day earlier. A music video with M.I.A. was shot in September 2010, and released on October 8. Rye Rye has recently joined M.I.A. to perform on her tour of international shows in 2010.
On June 7, 2011, she released a second single "Never Will Be Mine
" featuring/sampling Robyn
. The video featuring the two artists came out on June 15, 2011 and had two days later, on June 17, 2011 been viewed 2,740,998 times.
Rye Rye released her single "New Thing" in 2011, which showcases and soundtracks fashion designer Prabal Gurung
's collection and an Adidas
advert.
debut album, Tons of Friends
, rapping on the track, "Hip Hop Changed".
Rye-Rye also appears on a track by Tel-aviv based Soulico called "Exotic On The Speaker"
On February 9, around midnight, Rye Rye put up her highly anticipated pre-album mixtape, "RYEot PowRR" for download.
Rye Rye is featured on the track "Have You Heard?" by Ceci Bastida, produced by Diplo. The music video was directed by David Herrera
In 2011, she sings on the song "X Girl" for the electro-duo Teenage Bad Girl's second album "Backwash".
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and dancer from Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings. She is currently finishing work on her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!
Go! Pop! Bang!
Go! Pop! Bang! is the upcoming début studio album by American rapper Rye Rye. It is to be released on N.E.E.T. Recordings, an imprint of Interscope Records. The album was originally scheduled for release in 2009, however has since been delayed several times....
, slated to be released some time in 2012.
Early career
Rye Rye began performing at the age of 16. She wanted to join the music industry because she "honestly felt there was potential there." "I love performing, singing, dancing, all of that and I felt that given the opportunity I would destroy it." Speaking of the ease at which writing her lyrics comes to her, Rye Rye notes that listening to her songs' beats repeatedly in the studio helps her to focus. Rye Rye has spoken of her intention to work with Chris Brown, Lil WayneLil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and Jay Z as well as a Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
artist to reach out to child audiences. She says "Of course I want to work with artists that can dance so in saying that I have to say that Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
is someone I really want to work with, as that girl have moves. Not forgetting Ms. Missy Elliot of course as I think her videos are crazy."
She met the musician Blaqstarr
Blaqstarr
Charles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore, Maryland area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ...
, a friend of her sister's, and worked with him on her early material after leaving a rap verse on his answering machine. She says her music output began out of boredom, telling "I used to like to write poetry and stories. One day I was home, bored, and started to compose songs. Her song "Shake It To The Ground," produced in collaboration with Blaqstarr, was a club hit in 2006, leading to local speculation that Rye Rye could be a fresh, new female success within hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music. A meeting between Rye Rye, M.I.A. and Diplo in a studio in 2006/2007 was arranged by Blaqstarr after the song caught M.I.A.'s attention. Blaqstarr had told Rye Rye somebody wanted to meet her, but refused to say more. Although upon meeting them Rye Rye did not know who they were, M.I.A. told the rapper that she had been looking for her. At the time, Rye Rye was in her junior year at Dr. Samuel L. Banks High School. She toured with M.I.A. during the KALA Tour in fall and winter of 2007, which included opening for her during the CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival is put on by CMJ Network. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2010 is scheduled for October 19–23 and will be headquartered at New York University and other downtown NYC venues.- History :...
and dates in the United Kingdom in 2007, the People Vs. Money Tour
People Vs. Money Tour
The People vs. Money Tour was a 2008 M.I.A. concert tour in support of her studio album Kala. Concerts also featured songs from her debut album Arular. It began on 26 April 2008 and ended on June 13 in Manchester, Tennessee....
in early 2008 and briefly with Afrikan Boy
Afrikan Boy
Olushola Ajose, better known by his stage name Afrikan Boy is a grime MC from Woolwich, London, England, originally from Nigeria. He made a guest appearance on the track "Hussel" from the M.I.A. album Kala, and is one of the initial artists M.I.A. wanted signed to her label in 2007, then titled...
. They both appeared in M.I.A.'s 2007 music video for the song "Paper Planes
Paper Planes
"Paper Planes" is a song recorded by musician M.I.A. for her second studio album Kala released in 2007. The song was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer and produced by Diplo with additional production by Switch...
."
Go! Pop! Bang!
Rye Rye is the first artist signed to M.I.A.'s record label N.E.E.T., imprint of Interscope RecordsInterscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
. Her debut album, titled Go! Pop! Bang!
Go! Pop! Bang!
Go! Pop! Bang! is the upcoming début studio album by American rapper Rye Rye. It is to be released on N.E.E.T. Recordings, an imprint of Interscope Records. The album was originally scheduled for release in 2009, however has since been delayed several times....
was set to come out in March 2009, but its release was delayed. In the interim, she recorded guest verses for other songs. She performed the song "Get it from my Mama" with Blaqstarr and M.I.A. in live performances; other recordings completed but not confirmed for her album included "Gangsta Girl" with Zakee, "Bang
Bang (Rye Rye song)
"Bang" is a song and single by rapper/dancer Rye Rye featuring M.I.A.. It was recorded in 2008 and is possibly set to appear on her 2011 album Go! Pop! Bang!. It was released in 2009 on N.E.E.T. Recordings and Interscope Records. The single was released first, followed by an EP of remixes, Bang –...
" with M.I.A.
M.I.A. (artist)
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
, "Wassup Wassup" with DJ Diplo, "Hardcore Girls" with The Count & Sinden and "Reasons" as well as "Older Man", a song about falling in love with someone twice your age, and "Quit Swinging." A music video for "Shake It To The Ground" was made. Rye Rye appears on M.I.A.'s remix of Busy Signal
Busy Signal (artist)
Reanno Gordon, better known by his stage name, Busy Signal, is an artist from St Ann, Jamaica. He has also lived in Tivoli Gardens, Papine, Spanish Town and other areas in West and East Kingston Jamaica and is a past student of Brown's Town Comprehensive High School...
's "Tic Toc" and she performed in Sweden in summer of 2008, featuring on the rapclash remix of Adrian Lux's single "Strawberry". She features on a remix of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" with Afrikan Boy, which she performed during her 2007 live dates on the Kala Tour and appears on the Paper Planes - Homeland Security Remixes EP. In an interview with Nylon
Nylon (magazine)
Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel...
during the making of "Bang", M.I.A. described Rye Rye as "the voice of Baltimore". Rye Rye also worked with The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
while recording her debut. In October 2008, she performed the song "Paper Planes" with Pharrel Williams and a pregnant M.I.A. at the Diesel XXX party at Pier 3 in Brooklyn.
The LA Times described her music as a "hardcore club sound." Rye Rye collaborated on the album with executive producer and songwriter M.I.A.. Rolling Stone described Go! Pop! Bang! as "the hip-hop album most likely to set the club on fire" while Paper
Paper (magazine)
Paper magazine is a New York City–based independent magazine covering and discovering cultural movements with a focus on fashion, design, pop-culture, nightlife, music, art and film. The magazine covers trends, new creative talent, urban American lifestyle as well as international lifestyles and...
stated the album "will take over car stereos one impossibly ear-catching kinetic party jam at a time." Bust
Bust (magazine)
Bust is a bi-monthly United States-based women's lifestyle magazine. It was founded in 1993 by Debbie Stoller, Laurie Henzel, and Marcelle Karp.-Content:...
described her debut album as "Baltimore grime at its best." Rye Rye is styled by M.I.A., who Rye Rye describes as her fashion icon. She told Rap-Up TV
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
that her favourite clothing designer is Jeremy Scott
Jeremy Scott
Jeremy Scott is an American fashion designer born in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, for fashion design...
.
Rye Rye's single "Bang" (featuring M.I.A.) appeared on the Fast & Furious motion picture soundtrack, and she released her video for the track, written, produced and directed by M.I.A., in 2009. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called the track "gloriously showoffy". Rye Rye's performance at SXSW in 2010 was well received by critics and festival goers. She performed at the Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
in Miami before opening for indie rock band The Gossip
The Gossip
Gossip is a three-piece American indie rock band formed in 1999. The band consists of singer Beth Ditto, guitarist Brace Paine and drummer Hannah Blilie. After releasing several recordings, the band broke through with their 2006 studio album, Standing in the Way of Control . A follow-up, Music for...
in April 2010.
After several date changes, an official release date was announced for February 22, 2011. However, the album did not come out and is presently slated for a Fall 2011 release. Rye Rye performed at the 2010 Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang (designer)
Alexander Wang is a Taiwanese-American fashion designer.At age 18, he moved to New York to attend Parsons The New School for Design to study fashion design. After dropping out in his sophomore year, he launched his first women's ready-to-wear collection in 2007...
fashion week after party. The first single to be lifted from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang! entitled "Sunshine
Sunshine (Rye Rye song)
"Sunshine" is a song and single by rapper/dancer Rye Rye featuring M.I.A.. It was recorded in 2008 and released in 2010 and serves as the first single from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang!. The release on N.E.E.T. Recordings was followed by an extended play of remixes, including work by The...
", was released on October 5 and leaked online a day earlier. A music video with M.I.A. was shot in September 2010, and released on October 8. Rye Rye has recently joined M.I.A. to perform on her tour of international shows in 2010.
On June 7, 2011, she released a second single "Never Will Be Mine
Never Will Be Mine
"Never Will Be Mine" is a song by rapper Rye Rye featuring Swedish singer Robyn. Released in 2011 the song serves as the second single from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang!. The song samples the chorus of Robyn's previous hit single Be Mine!. Its release on N.E.E.T. Recordings and Interscope Records...
" featuring/sampling Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
. The video featuring the two artists came out on June 15, 2011 and had two days later, on June 17, 2011 been viewed 2,740,998 times.
Rye Rye released her single "New Thing" in 2011, which showcases and soundtracks fashion designer Prabal Gurung
Prabal Gurung
Prabal Gurung is a Nepalese American Fashion Designer.- History :Prabal Gurung launched his first collection under his own name during New York Fashion Week in February 2009 at the FLAG Art Foundation in Chelsea. For Fall 2010, he staged his first runway show in the Tents at Bryant Park. Gurung's...
's collection and an Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
advert.
Other work
Rye Rye is featured on the CrookersCrookers
Crookers are an Italian DJ/production duo who have worked together since 2003. When the two artists met, both were trying to branch out of their genre and explore dance music. Their first collaboration worked...
debut album, Tons of Friends
Tons of Friends (Crookers album)
Tons of Friends is the debut album by Italian electronic duo Crookers. It was released on March 8, 2010 on Southern Fried Records. Many of the songs feature collaborations, including Kid Cudi, Soulwax, Kelis, will.i.am, Róisín Murphy, Miike Snow and many more.The song "Royal T" featuring Róisín...
, rapping on the track, "Hip Hop Changed".
Rye-Rye also appears on a track by Tel-aviv based Soulico called "Exotic On The Speaker"
On February 9, around midnight, Rye Rye put up her highly anticipated pre-album mixtape, "RYEot PowRR" for download.
Rye Rye is featured on the track "Have You Heard?" by Ceci Bastida, produced by Diplo. The music video was directed by David Herrera
In 2011, she sings on the song "X Girl" for the electro-duo Teenage Bad Girl's second album "Backwash".
Personal life
Pursuing her music career, Rye Rye has also expressed interest in attending college to study child care. Although Rye Rye was slated be part of the A-Trak tour, she had to pull out as she was expecting her first child. She had a baby girl, Kennidi Malaysia Battle, with boyfriend Evan Battle on September 30, 2009.Singles
- "BangBang (Rye Rye song)"Bang" is a song and single by rapper/dancer Rye Rye featuring M.I.A.. It was recorded in 2008 and is possibly set to appear on her 2011 album Go! Pop! Bang!. It was released in 2009 on N.E.E.T. Recordings and Interscope Records. The single was released first, followed by an EP of remixes, Bang –...
" (featuring M.I.A.) (2009) - "SunshineSunshine (Rye Rye song)"Sunshine" is a song and single by rapper/dancer Rye Rye featuring M.I.A.. It was recorded in 2008 and released in 2010 and serves as the first single from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang!. The release on N.E.E.T. Recordings was followed by an extended play of remixes, including work by The...
" (featuring M.I.A.) (2010) - "Never Will Be MineNever Will Be Mine"Never Will Be Mine" is a song by rapper Rye Rye featuring Swedish singer Robyn. Released in 2011 the song serves as the second single from her debut album Go! Pop! Bang!. The song samples the chorus of Robyn's previous hit single Be Mine!. Its release on N.E.E.T. Recordings and Interscope Records...
" (featuring Robyn) (2011)
As featured artist
- "Shake It To The Ground" (2007) (BlaqstarrBlaqstarrCharles Smith, better known as Blaqstarr or DJ Blaqstarr, is a Baltimore, Maryland area rapper, singer, producer, and DJ...
featuring Rye Rye) - "Hardcore Girls" (2008) (The Count & Sinden featuring Rye Rye)
- "Wassup Wassup" (2008) (Diplo featuring Rye Rye)
- "Lovely" (2009) (Johnny Spanish featuring Rye Rye)
- "Exotic On The Speaker" (2009) (Soulico featuring Rye Rye)
- "Hip Hop Changed" (2010) (CrookersCrookersCrookers are an Italian DJ/production duo who have worked together since 2003. When the two artists met, both were trying to branch out of their genre and explore dance music. Their first collaboration worked...
featuring Rye Rye) - "Kawaii" (2011) (Missill featuring Rye Rye)
- "X Girl" (2011) (Teenage Bad Girl featuring Rye Rye)
- "Jello" (2011) (Far East Movement featuring Rye Rye)