Urban Artist Rayko Launches East Coast Tour In South Florida
Venues rock out with barrier breaking, genre defying music from
“The RockStar Poor LP”
Creative Minds at Work
[Posted Sep 06, 2007]
~Download this Press Release as a .pdf document~

Miami, FL – September 6, 2007. Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Delray Beach are all hosting Rayko and the KRB as he brings his chart busting mashup of pop, hip-hop, and rock to the masses. Rayko's tour to support his new release, "The RockStar Poor LP", focuses on crowd pleasing jams, and features a very non-traditional band made up of DJs, guitar players, and sizzling background singers. Glam is back in a big way in their tight, non-stop music set that mirrors the album with intense beats, delectable grooves, and dreamy acoustic ballads.

Rayko/KRB's sound is the sum of his life experience. Rayko was born in Las Vegas, and after a tumultuous early childhood moved to Atlantic City. He was raised in the business of horse racing and gambling, and his approach to his music has much to do with both. His father is a thoroughbred trainer, and instilled in Rayko a sense of discipline and hard work. The gambling nature of the business, however, fueled Rayko's wild side. His adventurous, raucous side was responsible for his early departure from Caldwell College, in New Jersey. In early 2005 Rayko arrived in South Florida, hungry, focused, and (some say) running from his bookie. He hooked up with Miami record label BinaryStar Music, and recorded an EP made up of seven ultra-catchy pop tunes. On the strength of his early success the label re-signed him in 2007, and released his debut album "The RockStar Poor LP". The CD takes a personal look into Rayko's life, and his everyday struggle to balance the good, the bad, and the Devil.

Rayko/KRB's live show brings "The RockStar Poor LP" to life in sensational and inimitable style. Fans of all ages will be given FREE Rayko/KRB MP3 downloads at all the following performances:

09/26 City Limits (Delray Beach)
10/04 Tobacco Road (Miami)
10/05 Tobacco Road Oskifest '07 (Miami)
10/06 The Wallflower Gallery (Miami)
10/11 PS14 (Miami)
10/12 Coliseum Night Club (Ft. Lauderdale)
10/13 Jazid (Miami Beach)
 

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Album - The RockStar Poor LP - Rayko/KRB
indielaunchpad.com
Rating : 9 out of 10
by Colin Meeks (Editor at Indie Launchpad)
[Posted August 5, 2007]

I have to admit, even though I really liked the previous Rayko/KRB EP release, I came to this album with some reservations. I'd heard several of the tracks from the album, via a few podcasts and wasn't really struck by them. It's funny then, that I heard the album in it's entirety for the first time and was blown away. This is one of those albums, that has a constant theme running throughout. The other album that comes to mind, and aptly so, is The Streets, "A Grand Don't Come for Free" the tale of a guy who loses a grand and begins to blame his friends. Thrown into the mix is a combination of drugs, sex and the odd punch up. Here the album deals with a guy who wants to be a rock star, while also getting in to trouble with his bookie, owing him 10 grand and the odd dalliance with the ladies.

The 13 track album is definitely for a more mature market, with more bad and lewd language than you can shake a stick at, but instead of being nasty and vile it works, however you may want to think first and consider who is around, before putting it in on your stereo. The album opens with "The Devil and Rayko Pipes", a real slap upside the head, that gives you the sense of hitting the ground running. Indeed it's not long into the track that the hook grabs you and doesn't let go. The title track follows and again that infectious beat flows on. I don't know why I wasn't into this track first time around, but I think it's the fact that I've seen it in it's natural surroundings or some crap along those lines.

A few of the tracks act as a kind of narrative, allowing the story to progress between tracks. "Identity" is a great track that has an interesting chorus. It sounds like kids providing the backing, almost like the Jay-Z track "Hard Knock Life". It's in the track "Simple Love Song" that we see a different side of Rayko, a side that hasn't surfaced before. Yes it may be a slow ballad, but it's done in the inimitable Rayko style.

I love the track "(She Said) My Name", but maybe not for the reasons that Rayko intended. I listen to that track and I'm taken back to the club scene in the 80's and 90's . Not that I was an ardent clubber, but hey a man has to drink after hours. It's just got that style of music that goes straight through your bones.

There's such a great vibe about this album, that when I got to the final track "...Creepin' Up" and it ended I was like "Is that it? Surely not.". And so the album had ended and it was more an experience than a simple collection of music. Amazing.

Conclusion : Eminently funky, with beats that you'd be hard pushed not to move to, this is an album that has all the Rayko hallmarks, but here there is a stronger sense of bravado. Actually, maybe bravado isn't the right term, I think maybe he's just grown a bigger set of balls. God help us if they get any bigger.

Direct Link:
http://www.indielaunchpad.com/2007/08/album-rockstar-poor-lp-raykokrb.html

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Rayko Pipes; Reader's Choice Best Hip-Hop Vocalist 2007
New Times Broward-Palm Beach
[Posted June 1, 2007]

Rayko has taken the concept of hip hop, kicked it down the alley, beat it to a pulp, gave it a drink
and let it back into the club with brand new respect.
-C.C. Chapman
[www.AccidentHash.com]

Want to get your groove on? You won't be able to stay sitting once you pop Rayko/KRB in your ears. Great lyrics, fantastic beats, and humor mixed with damn good music define Rayko Pipes and his band, and make them a must-listen for anyone in podcasting.
-Christopher S. Penn
[www.FinancialAidPodcast.com]



New Times Broward-Palm Beach
Rayko/KRB "Six" (BinaryStar)
By D. Sirianni
[Posted May 18,2006]

When you throw the new Rayko/KRB release Six in the old stereo, the first thing that comes to mind is the halcyon days of the 1990s — rolling out with your homies, scoping for hotties, rocking out to Sublime, and likely packing that pipe full o' weed. The mix of hip-hop and alt-rock of Six will surely please fans of that bygone era. Fronted by the vocal talents of Rayko Pipes, the six-song EP is the product of Rayko's pipes and the Kenny Ryan Band, whose namesake handles guitar and sitar duties. Lyrically, Rayko's rhymes are reminiscent of Eminem and Tupac, with the Miami-based MC proclaiming that he is "a dirty little rebel." This often includes a bit of white male angst (and misogynism) as Rayko spins tales of a young man without a "money stack," making heavy use of urban vernacular.

Although Pipes claims that his lyrics have "evolved" — beyond what, we're not sure — they sure seem retro in practice. "Shady" contains the quarto, "Left her number on my sidekick/Sweet lips, thick hips, and silent/Till I got her in the bedroom and boom.../Little rich girls screamin'." "Miss Marianne" continues in the same vein: "Now thank you in advance for the chance you're giving me/You'll thank me later for favors in your security/Your broken watch is reading that it's 1:13/Let's take this shot, we can bounce and we can hit the sheets." It's not that such lyrics are necessarily bad in today's bling-obsessed world. But they don't match up with the band's claim of enlightenment. The melodies are definitely there, though not as stick-in-your-throat catchy as they could be. On the plus side, the musicianship is topnotch. Fans of Incubus, Hoobastank, Smash Mouth, and G. Love would do well to drop by Rayko's website at www.raykokrb.com.

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City Link Magazine
Kenny lives!
By Joanie Cox  (Staff Writer)
[Posted May 3, 2006]

Get familiar with the name Rayko/KRB. The group will be playing soon at a club near you. The KRB stands for Kenny Ryan Band, which was started by guitarist and sitar player Dan Rainey (a.k.a. Kenny Ryan) while attending Caldwell College in New Jersey. Rainey, now 27, met singer Rayko Pipes, 25, in music theory class and they immediately began jamming together. They dropped out of college and moved to Florida a year ago to pursue a career in music.

"I always turned to music in my life," says Pipes, an avid poet who once wanted to be a journalist. "I didn't realize I could do it until I met Dan." The two have since teamed up with drummer Sandor Davidson, rapper Jae Conway, guitarist Brad Pawlak and his upright-bass-playing brother, Ron Pawlak.

Pipes -- who this year started his own record label, Hoodie Match -- writes all the lyrics for the group, which has just released its self-titled debut album. "Our music is a blend of blues, hip-hop, funk, rock and reggae," Pipes explains. "We're coming from a wide variety of influences like Robert Johnson, Bob Marley, Green Day, James Brown, Eminem, Guns N' Roses and many more."

The band has several upcoming shows, including tonight (Wednesday) at Alehouse Rock Café in Margate (954/974-4420), Saturday at SunFest (see Best Bets), Monday at Turn 3 Sports Bar in Boca Raton (561/483-1964) and May 11 at Tavern 213 in Fort Lauderdale. "We want to get to as many people as we can with our music, and we love to hang out after our shows," Pipes says. "There's always an afterparty with the KRB." Visit Raykokrb.com.

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EP - Six - Rayko/KRB
indielaunchpad.com
by Colin Meeks (Editor at Indie Launchpad)
[Posted March 2, 2006]

I've heard a few Rayko/KRB tracks, but never really listened to them that well. I think it was the Accident Hash podcast where I first heard them and then again on the Binary Starcast podcast, which also happens to be the bands label. It was only a week or so ago that I heard "Idea Gone" again and actually listened to it properly. Everything then clicked into place. I've listened to the EP a few times now and I have to say, although this isn't to my usual taste in music, it is now.

I've seen Rayko/KRB, a collaboration between Rayko and the Kenny Ryan Band, labelled usually as pop and rock, but there's quite a few other influences, that really enrich the overall sound. There's a soulful groove, with an occasional R&B thing happening, not forgetting the occasional rap infusion (although I would have to admit I wish they would).

The first two tracks, "Shady" and "Idea Gone" are the tracks I've heard most on various podcasts and prove a great introduction to the bands sound. The fourth track "Miss Marianne" really takes things up another notch. "Reality TV" takes a more laid back, rap turn and it's actually not that bad, and that coming from someone that's not a big rap fan. I think the nearest I ever got to liking rap was with De La Soul, now that was a band that knew how to take rap to a whole different level.

I think the one driving force behind this EP is attitude. Yes there's a few things your granny probably wouldn't appreciate, but you can just make her a cup of tea and plug your cans in and pump up the volume. Seriously though, there's a parental advisory on the CD for a reason, but for us grown ups, there's nothing on here that's going to shock.

The production on this EP is excellent, not at all getting in the way, allowing you to concentrate on the music. That being said however, there's still a raw energy to the EP, which is what makes it.

Track 6, "Equanimity" for me is the standout track, but I have no doubt nearly everyone who buys this EP, is going to have a different favorite. I also have to say I have a bit of a soft spot for Track 7, Flicker... or is it Track 8? *smile* A big nod to GH wherever you are.

Conclusion : The more I play this EP, the more I am blown away. I keep discovering new sounds and influences and it does the cockles of my heart the world of good, to hear such great music from new bands/artists.

Direct Link:
http://www.indielaunchpad.com/2006/03/ep-six-raykokrb.html

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RAYKO/KRB SHAKE UP THE SOUTH FLORIDA MUSIC SCENE
BinaryStar Music, Inc
[Posted Feb 23, 2006]

Miami Beach, Florida 02/23/06 – Flow, groove, cadence, wisdom - the chosen words to describe the sounds of RAYKO and the KENNY RYAN BAND (KRB). A captivating blend of divergent sounds characterize this band, which is quickly establishing a loyal fan base in South Florida as well as in countries as distant as Japan, Italy, and Germany, just to name a few.

Now living in South Florida, vocalist Rayko Pipes and guitarist Kenny Ryan started their musical experiment in New Jersey, heavily influenced by the diverse musical styles and attitudes of an equally diverse population. Rap and rock perfectly coexist in their compositions, which range in temperament from the absolutely poetic to the most mundane of moods. The influences of classical music, blues, Latin music and reggae are also present.

RAYKO/KRB is already a strong performer in the Podcasting world; they have been featured on Sirius Satellite Radio's Podshow, hosted by former MTV VJ Adam Curry. Also, the band has been presented on Blade Radio in Germany, RockCast in Italy, Fumiakiy Podcast in Japan and Clever Little Pod in the United Kingdom, amongst many others.

You can personally experience the highly energetic and pleasurable music of RAYKO/KRB this Saturday, February 25 at the Seminole Hard Rock. For more information please call 866 502 7529. The band will also perform February 27 at Cheers in Fort Lauderdale, and March 6 at Turn 3 Sports Bar in Boca Raton.

For more tour dates, music downloads, or to get "Six"- the first production for RAYKO/KRB with BinaryStar Music, please go to www.binarystarmusic.com.

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