Guyanese Ridwaan Razak…Blending an academic career with a talent for music

Feb 25, 2019 News

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By Feona Morrison

Guyana-born music producer, Ridwaan Razak is determined to make a name for himself in the industry. Not only has this 24-year old been actively pursuing a career in music, he recently graduated from Hunter College, New York, with a degree in Biology.
Razak has been actively producing music since 2014.
According to him, “I am the first person in my family to be involved in music. I have always had the support of my parents, siblings and friends since I started and they have always given me the encouragement and support to keep pushing and pursuing my dreams.
“My parents’ love for music and the exposure they gave me to different genres from a young age has heavily influenced my sound and my path. I have always been a music lover also, but my interest in the production aspect began when I got my first Macbook and I started to experiment with a beginner program called GarageBand.”

He explained that as his interest in the art grew, he switched to a professional DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) called Logic Pro X, which he still uses today, and has taught himself how to play the piano, which according to him, is a valuable skill.
“I have worked with Shenseea, Shatta Wale, Vershon, Govana, Teejay, Deep Jahi, Prohgres, Jahvillani, Chronic Law, among others.”
He expressed that these artistes are all very hardworking, talented and focused, which makes the production process easier and the music more authentic.
“I am also working with some upcoming artists like 9tyz from Jamaica and J Derobie of Ghana. I have music releasing later this year with legends like Beenie Man and a few others and a few mainstream names but people will have to wait and see.”
According to him, he was able to connect with some of these artistes as a result of his close work relationship with Tevino Richards, Chief Executive Officer of Young Generation Fraternity (YGF) Records in Jamaica. He said that, together they have been working and building relationships.
He revealed that he is not aiming to work with any specific artiste, but rather, is looking to push the quality of his music production.
“Whatever collaborations come my way, I will put my best foot forward. I am aiming to begin doing consistent work in the mainstream.”
In the next five years, Razak hopes to establish his own record label and is looking forward to working with promising talented young people.
Asked to give his opinion on Guyana’s music industry, he said, “I have been seeing much growth and improvement in the industry over the past few years. There has been better quality of music coming from Guyana and I believe that we are truly beginning to make a mark on the industry.”
It was asked of Razak if he has any favorite musical project he had worked on.
“I don’t really have a specific project that I would call my favorite. All of my music comes from a special place so I have an attachment to all my music. There is a story behind every project that I am a part of. The entire process of going from an idea to a finished product has so much emotions and sentiments behind it.”
He believes that his diversity influenced his sound, since he loves blending different genres of music to give a unique production. He said that his favorite instruments are the flute and piano, adding that, he always tried to incorporate them into every track.
“The piano adds soul and the flute is just ear candy, the flute melodies are very pleasant to the ear,” Razak added. Before migrating to the USA, Razak lived in Berbice up until he finished high school. He then moved to the West Coast of Demerara from where he attended the University of Guyana (UG).
“I have a Diploma in International Relations from UG. I am pursuing my academic dreams at the same time as my musical dreams. The next step is for me to finish my Master’s degree all while constantly working on my music and pushing that just as hard. The two paths ahead of me are very different but I am giving attention to both roads ahead.”
Though he is mostly involved in the production of dancehall music, he has produced everything from pop, edm, hip-hop, trap, reggae, house and is currently positioning himself to branch out into more mainstream types of productions.
Razak has millions of streams on various platforms and his music consistently goes trending and places within the top 5 on the iTunes reggae charts. Besides music, he also has an avid interest in foreign languages, photography and video editing.
People can follow him on Instagram @ridwaanrazak or on Facebook @ Ridwaan Razak.
For business inquiries, his email is mailto:[email protected]. Razak is always on the lookout for new talent; new artistes can always reach out to him.

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