With a series of gritty mixtapes and bone-sticking albums under his belt, Babyface Ray has transcended the Detroit reality rap scene and established firm ground as a solo artist on a national stage.
In the decade since the East Detroit native released his debut mixtape, Ray had become one of the faces of "reality rap" — the de facto sound of Detroit hip-hop. On 2015's MIA Season and each project since, Babyface Ray has shown a knack for melding thudding street rap songs ("Mia," "6 Mile Show" and "Donda Bag") and those that have a more motivational edge ("Summer's Mine," "I Can't Rap Foreva").
That dichotomy — and quite literally the reality for artists and listeners alike — has made Babyface Ray not only relatable, but aspirational.
Ray's authenticity has led to collabs with Westside Gunn, Pusha T, Wiz Khalifa, and Future (Ray appears on the expanded version of Future's GRAMMY-nominated album I Never Liked You), as well as fellow Detroit artists 42 Dugg, Kash Doll, and Big Sean. Ray has continued to show his dedication to the game, releasing projects annually since 2021’s breakthrough Unf—witable. While the Motor City emcee’s high-output and 2022’s XXL Freshman class spot established him a mainstream act, Ray is now on the hunt for chart-topping success and some awards season hardware.
"I know certain artists get ‘too big’ and they front on the GRAMMYs. I’m not one of those guys," the rapper says. "I’m a fan of hip-hop, so the accolades that come with being a rapper is what I appreciate."
On his upcoming album The Kid That Did (out Sept. 13), the EMPIRE signee born Marcellus Rayvon Register hopes to inch closer to his long-standing ambitions. Singles "Wavy Navy University" with Veeze and "Rubberband Man" mirror Ray’s familiar dark and rough-cut musical style; songs like "Money On My Mind" and "Legacy" detail the perils of his past lifestyle and the new opportunities he’s seizing as a rising artist.
Despite the growing fandom, Ray still carries a notable sense of paranoia. On "Guardian Angel" featuring R3exx Life Raj and Samuel Shabazz, he admits he needs protection in moments of uncertainty and triumph. These songs, combined with soon-to-be hustler anthems like "I Need Some Motivation" and the celebratory "High Off Life," demonstrate Ray’s deepening versatility on the 20-track project.
GRAMMY.com interviewed Ray before the release of The Kid That Did. The "Shy Kid" artist talked about navigating the music industry as an independent, his powers of manifestation, and his friendship with superstar sports agent Rich Paul.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity
I know you’re in rollout mode, but what headspace were you in with this new project?
From playing the music for a couple of different people and getting feedback, I’m actually feeling more creative. I’ve been going to the studio just to create more right now. Sometimes I get in a pocket where I can’t create, but I’m feeling good right now.
What inspired the album title The Kid That Did?
I felt like being the youngest out of all my siblings and making it out where we came from, that’s what inspired the title and the music you’re listening to.
On The Kid That Did, you reflect on your upbringing in Detroit and fast forward to your current success. What inspired the direction of the album?
I was just looking at the reality of everything around me — my peers and the people I grew up with. I still stay in Michigan, so I’m around and I see what’s going on.
Just having both my parents in the household was a blessing. Everybody doesn’t get a chance to do what I’m doing, so I just feel like everybody is cursed from birth. And I feel like I broke that curse.
With this album, do you feel you’ve become a staple artist in rap — not just in Detroit?
I definitely feel like I earned the title because I’ve been doing it for so long. Even for me to be on the phone with GRAMMY.com to talk about what I’m talking about, I feel like I earned the title.
In past interviews, you’ve talked about being a "genuine soul." Do you feel the music industry has tried to change or taint you?
The space that I’m in now, I’m not really tripping. When I was first coming into the game, I wanted to be the greatest artist. I wished I could record and be like [Jay-Z] and Ye, and I’ve come to realize that I can only be who I am.
All that other stuff that makes me feel uncomfortable that I don’t want to do, I don’t have to do it to create the music I want to create. It used to weigh me down, but now I’m not tripping too much.
Sometimes I just have to put my game face on. When I get to a point where I feel like I’m overwhelmed, I always tell myself, I could be doing something totally different. It wasn’t always like this.
Do you feel you’re at a point where you can really enjoy the fruits of your labor? Or do you still have your eyes on certain dangers that surround you?
I can definitely enjoy it. I’m a human being so my lifestyle is just regular. I don’t really go about stuff how I should. I could be a bit more private. But every artist – even the biggest artists – have to deal with the evils of the world.
There are a lot of reflective moments on the new album. On "High Off Life" you rap: "Risk taker, I had to stand on the ledge/ At the top looking down, and they say, ‘give me a hand.’" Did you foresee yourself being in the position you’re in five or 10 years ago?
I definitely manifested this. I used to talk to myself in the mirror about this stuff. I went to the studio night in and night out for moments like this. I put my goals in front of me, I wrote stuff down, and I wanted it bad. That was before I knew what the music industry was. I was just a fan of hip-hop, and I knew I wanted to make music.
Another man of manifestation: Rich Paul. How did you get the superstar sports agent on the album?
It was pretty simple. When I first met him it was genuine love. He was like a regular person; you wouldn’t even think it was Rich Paul. When we connected on FaceTime through a mutual homie, we had a conversation and I remember he said, "When you come out to Cali, my homeboy got a studio you can use."
I thought the gesture was just for me to record there, but when I pulled up to the studio he was in there. We talked for three or four hours, and I didn’t do a song until the fifth hour. [Paul] heard the beat, and as I was doing the song, I could see him jotting down something like a quote. I said it would be fire if he laid the quote down. He didn’t go against that. He did it, and the rest was history.
What other plans do you have in mind for the future?
I want to say being a CEO of a label, but I don’t want to say, "a CEO of a label." I just want to be a staple in music, where my name and brand is still flourishing whether I’m rapping or not. I have this dream of having a big state-of-the-art studio where I can help other artists. I’m nowhere near done rapping, but I just know later down the line I want to be thought of as someone who helped Detroit move forward in the music industry.
Where does Detroit rank among the best hip-hop cities?
People are definitely on the Detroit wave, but not like the Atlanta wave. I don’t think it’s as big as it could possibly get to, but I definitely think we’re shining right now.
We just have to keep making solid business moves and be a little more creative with our art. We have to show different things because we can have a wave of music, and then that might fade away. We have to make sure we are on our job to keep everything going.