THE THIRD STORY features long-form interviews with creative people of all types, hosted by musician Leo Sidran. Their stories of discovery, loss, ambition, identity, risk, and reward are deeply moving and compelling for all of us as we embark on our own creative journeys.
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episode 181: Rexx Life Raj
Raised by a god-fearing mother and a Black Panther father in the mecca of progressive politics, singer, rapper and entrepreneur Rexx Life Raj's music perfectly articulates the beauty and struggle of being a young black adult in 2020.
His voice is soulful, buttery, sweet even. At the same time he’s very real, very honest and confessional, unpacking all of the tragedies and successes of his own life and those around him.
He’s sensitive in his approach musically and lyrically - his vibe is not aggressive even when the subject matter is uncomfortable. At the same time, he’s a big guy. He played Division 1 football at Boise State before committing to music full time.
Raj is prolific and seems to be constantly making videos and releasing singles. One recent single from earlier this year was called Tesla in a Pandemic about he got a new car this year. He uses that image to meditate on the world around him, friends who have not been so lucky or successful, his youth and his parents.
His new EP California Poppy 2 came out recently. Incidentally that is also the name of his new line of Cannabis products. We talked just after it was released about growing up in Berkeley, discovering the world from the back of his parents’ delivery van, managing success & guilt, diversification, finding the lane, building a brand, traveling around the world and giving back to his community.