Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Webb.
Hi Ray, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My earliest memory of music is being 5yrs old living In my Grandma’s House in South Los Angeles on MLK and Hobart hearing my cousin Keisha play the cello upstairs in her room. It enamored me then, but somehow I never got the formal introduction, my first love is Visual Art. Throughout my high school and college life I would freestyle and sing in shows or for fun just having fun, until my second year of college. I released my first project “Mercury Mixtape,” on the University of California Riverside campus, which exposed me to a network of other artist and musicians around the Inland Empire. A home girl of mine had the idea of forming a group with her boyfriend from New Orleans, LA, we called ourselves “The Heat Rock Camp” releasing the mixtape “Planet Heat Rock” not too long after. Differences between the group and management is what made me depart from the group and pursue my solo career. I had no true knowledge of production or recording, up until this point everything I recorded was done by another engineer or producer. My child’s mother NaChè, invited me to her friend’s father house to watch the Mayweather fight and this is where I learned of The Los Angeles Recording School. It took me 6 months of paying back my previous school loans before I was able to attend but my official journey started then. After my initial introduction into Hollywood and the music scene, I decided I need to expand my knowledge more into the actual production side, learning chord progressions/music compositions as a whole, I’ve spent the last 6 or 7 years doing just that.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, I’ve slept on the train sometimes traveling back and forth to Hollywood from Corona. That taught to move on a hard timeline because the train headed back to Corona from Downtown Los Angeles stops running after 7:45pm so yeah had no time to waste. I also chose homelessness for a little over 2yrs to move myself into a better position for my career. I have just recently been traveling around to expand outside of the Los Angeles area and faced a tornado in Saint Louis, Missouri this past May. So yeah I have been through a lot of turbulence in my journey but not enough to keep me down.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ontop of Music Production is the label that I run as an independent artist. Stoney Ray is how you can find me on all platforms, my music is all about turning ambition into action—motivating listeners to chase success and transform dreams into reality. Every song is a testament to resilience, growth, and the power of turning pain into purpose. My
smooth R and B/Soul style is both uplifting and honest, welcoming anyone who’s ever felt held back to find inspiration. The Hip Hop elements in the music are socially and politically driven to keep the culture alive in the best possible way I can.
I believe my intention is what sets me apart from other artist, I feel most are looking for viral sensations to draw in listeners. I understand that’s how the so called algorithm works and is very useful, but I intend on allowing my content and emotional depth to attract an audience who will share my music.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Learn everything you can about your craft that way you can continue with your work when the team falls apart and to make sure you know the language and practices when working with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ontop.biz/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ItzDOPEninja/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/2ueceRAW
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4NNZ8o7-fNBvQeOO8xhPZQ
- soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/otomrecords4vr
Screenshot
Screenshot
Image Credits
Jai Thompson
