Roga Raph

Got people who always knock what you're doing? Have to deal with the peanut gallery every time you make a "different" decision in your life? Take a page from Roga Raph's new release, "Fck Wut They Say" – just do you, live your life and strive to be the best you can. Wise words from the Mt. Kisco, New York native, who is making his DopeHouse debut this weekend with the first single off his upcoming project, Visionary Shift. Looking at a late February release, Roga kicks things off with the self-produced, jazz-influenced track about ignoring the haters and pursuing your dreams. Check out the Ques Williams-directed visuals up top, peep the project's cover art below, and grab a free download right here. - Shake

“Being real’s become a dying art.”

Hailing from Mt. Kisco, New York in the heart of Northern Westchester, Roga Raph is a young MC/producer with an old hip-hop soul. And his affinity for spitting dexterous bars over self-made, sample-based beats is purely displayed in this new clip for his jazzed-up single “Fck Wut They Say.” Check out the NYC-shot video above, and stay tuned for Roga Raph’s full-length project Visionary Shift coming soon. - ip

Roga Raph only started rapping when he realized he was better than the amateurs that were using his beats. He started as a producer churning out solid, sample-based beats with East Coast simplicity. Soul and jazz tracks flipped beneath up-tempo drums. You know the sub-genre.

Visionary Shift is Roga Raph’s first full-length project and he raps like he produces, with intentional old-school flair. He’s well aware of the nostalgia-trap that many rappers of his ilk fall into. In the middle of “Destiny,” he goes through the process of figuring out how to respond to someone who, out of the blue, asks him to describe his style. His first thought is “A little old, a little new, I don’t know.” After mulling it over some more, he comes to the conclusion that no idea is original. That’s the most respectable justification any modern New York rapper has given for making this type of music — or at least a good Nas quotable.
The majority of Roga Raph’s lyrics are delivered from a similarly self-aware, analytical perspective. Not all of them land, but there are thought-provoking lines littered throughout. “Signz,” a song about opening your mind, ends with a discussion about how our only connection to the outside world comes from the image that’s created after light sends an electrical impulse to our brain: “Cuz we sort of do live with our heads, true?”

There’s a more lighthearted, nostalgic discussion going on at the end of “Lot to Learn,” but the beat cuts out just as a pitch-shifted voice says “Sometimes you torture yourself with the pain, hold on to it, when really you should just deal with the pain anyways.” In the context of that song’s outro, those words refer to someone (presumably Raph) realizing that they were the cause of a traumatic breakup in their youth. But they also speak to Visionary Shift as a whole. It’s a personal album, the first opportunity for an artist to present his whole self. The first words spoken on the album are “It’s time I express my feelings and stop trying to hide.”

Expressing feelings eloquently is difficult for anyone. There have always been talented hybrids, but a producer-turned-rapper is always really a producer at heart. Raph explicitly states that he is, first and foremost, a beathead. He just couldn’t find someone to flow. He’ll always be a producer; he just happens to be the best rapper he knows. - Will Hagle

For times when the haters try to throw shade at your dreams, take a page from Roga Raph’s playbook. “Fck Wut They Say,” the first video from his forthcoming free release, Visionary Shift, has the New York rapper dropping knowledge darts over his self-produced, jazzy instrumental. The Ques Williams directed visuals constructs an honest glimpse of Raph as he casually meanders through various downtown whereabouts with his crew, while enjoying every bit of the journey. Visionary Shift is set for a late February release date, so mark your calendars and keep this on repeat. - Timothy Anderl

There's a moment, immediately after realizing that jazz hip-hop is a thing, that allows you to embrace its own completeness. Combining smooth jazz-driven beats with equally powerful or subtle rhyme, is an art. It's this art that Roga Raph has expressed throughout 11 tracks, for free. I can't help but hope that making said art available to everyone will expand closed minds. The debut single, Fck Wut They Say, sounds like it's gonna take an extremely commercial and over-used base on paper. When you hear it start and take a turn into smooth brass and echoing backgrounds, you'll breathe the best of both worlds. I think the single's shock value is the reason it's a single. - See more at: http://www.d4am.net/2015/03/roga-raph-visionary-shift-free-download.html#sthash.c53tw5gY.dpuf
I'm sorry to say it, but what threw me off initially was the quality of rhyme coming from the same person who made this slick beat happen. It's almost complete musical control. Granted, these aren't the best rhymes I've ever heard, but I acknowledge the way he's stringing his flow and his beat, on separate accounts, is nothing short of inspiring. He does rap really well, and he can also pull off a beat better than the average beat-smith. He's also willing to share the spotlight as much as his own work. In my eyes, that's what's setting him apart in the long run. He's not doing this for the money, he's doing this (mostly) for the listening public. - See more at: http://www.d4am.net/2015/03/roga-raph-visionary-shift-free-download.html#sthash.c53tw5gY.dpuf
Visionary Shift is consistent in quality, and almost arrogant in execution. Its overall style is very impressive considering its circumstances; and the fact that it's free means there's either minimal monetary investment, or a lot of faith in himself. The latter would be well deserved. Give it a stream on either site above. Soundcloud will give you a great listen, but Audiomack will make a quick album download much more easily. After you've heard and downloaded the work, make sure you share with anyone who might benefit. This is music to share, not be stingy with. You can also support Roga Raph digitally on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. - See more at: http://www.d4am.net/2015/03/roga-raph-visionary-shift-free-download.html#sthash.c53tw5gY.dpuf - D4AM

I don’t normally swear, but fuck I love Roga Raph.

The New York emcee drops the visuals for his first single ,Fck Wut They Say, off his mixtape, Visionary Shift.

Raph showcases smooth vocals, over jazzy production as the Ques Williams directed visual takes us on a tour through NY.

Raph you got mad hops too, peep the video and see.
You can watch the video for Fck Wut They Say below. - N.U.M.B.

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Roga Raph is looking on the bright side, and we’re right there with him. Instead of focusing on the negative, and yeah, there’s lots to choose from, he’s turning his eyes to the light (or, alternatively, the glitter), with “Stand Up”. The scene is set from the start: what initially seems like a chilled-out day at Coney Island quickly morphs into a sharp commentary on poverty, politics, and not letting the bullshit get you down. In two “words,” it’s woke AF, and just what the doctor ordered in a culture that’s feeling weighed down by all sorts of shit.

“I intended for this video to not only stir-up the rebel within, but to also portray that there’s still beauty in our current state, even if it’s not ideal,” he says. “And it’s in our best interest to embrace it.”

“Stand Up” premieres in the lead-up to Raph’s upcoming album, Nostalgiks. Check the full video above.

Featured image courtesy of Roga Raph - Milk

Having gone MIA from the steps of the DopeHouse for nearly two years, following the tail end of his Visionary Shift, New York reared emcee Roga Raph makes his grand reentry with a short but sweet video clip for “The Preface,” which will live on his upcoming new project Nostalgiks — and much like the album’s namesake, “The Preface” will elicit the same emotions. - 2dopeboyz

Mt. Kisco, New York MC/producer Roga Raph comes through with a chin-check for the wack on his new single “Intervention.” From the rhymes to the production, Raph delivers a well-chiseled blend of new school flavor and golden age sensibility, with a confident, effortless flow that hits as hard as the beat beneath it. Straight from the 914, he’s definitely someone hip-hop purists should be watching for in 2017.

Click below to listen to the single, which will appear on his upcoming self-produced album Nostalgiks (available for pre-order HERE). - Nahright

Like many hip-hop fans out there, New York rapper-producer Roga Raph finds more inspiration and authenticity in ‘90s music than current sounds. “[That era] touches you differently than music does today,” Roga says via email. “Not to say there aren’t good artists out here making great music, it’s just a different type of feeling that can’t be described.”
On his new project, Nostalgiks, Roga Raph draws from that feeling to give listeners “a raw experience” of what he loves about the culture. It’s his attempt to bring a sound to life which some people might consider “outdated,” but for many others, is much welcomed. He captures the idea in a nutshell with a trailer featuring a tape dropped into a cassette player.

From the opening salvo “Bring It Back” straight on through to the closing track “Intervention,” Roga Raph is firmly in the driver’s seat to bring listeners on a unique voyage. The project’s based from a ‘90s aesthetic, yet still veers slightly off the path on tracks like “Swimming” and settles into its own pocket on tracks like “Thang Thizzle.” Just hit play and experience the vibes.
Stream Nostalgiks in full below. The project drops tomorrow, April 28, and is currently available for pre-order here. - StillCrew

To say that New York rapper Roga Raph has been on an absolute tear these past few months would be an understatement. And that becomes all the more obvious when you watch his haunting, what-just-happened new video for “Won’t Stop.”

The team behind the video includes director Ameer Kazmi, cinematographer Sachi Bahra, editor Godfred Sedano, and steadicam operator Arthur Woo. With “Won’t Stop” as their soundtrack, they crafted a mysterious viewing experience that’ll leave you scratching your head once the credits roll. We can’t really divulge any spoilers, so you’ll have to figure that one out on your own.

What we can tell you is that Raph’s hustle has been beyond-impressive as of late. The multi-talented artist—he also produces all of his own music—only seems to be getting better with each track he releases, and “Won’t Stop” is definitely one of his best yet. His new project, Nostalgiks, is about to be a serious problem (in the best way possible).

Check out the visuals above, and be sure to redeem an au-gratis download of the .mp3 via HYPEDDIT. Nostalgiks is now available for pre-order via iTunes, Amazon and Google Play, and is due out April 28th through Raph’s 2inphinity imprint, through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms!

“Won’t Stop” Free MP3 Download: http://hypeddit.com/track/sc/86k2tt

Nostalgics (Pre-Order): http://smarturl.it/RogaRaphNostalgiks

Pre-Order Nostalgiks:
• iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesNostalgiks
• Amazon: http://bit.ly/AmazonNostalgiks
• Google Play: http://bit.ly/GooglePlayNostalgiks

Roga Raph Online:
• Website: http://www.2inphinity.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogaRaph
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2inphinity
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/roga-raph - Respect Magazine