Ray Vicks

Born in 1988 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rapper Ray Vicks endured a difficult early life that included multiple devastating losses before he reached age 16: a sister succumbed to cancer, one brother fell victim to street violence, and another received a life sentence for murder. He set aside his own ambitions to support his family, which included a daughter, and turned instead to crime and hustling as a means of survival. In his early twenties he abandoned that path and concentrated on music, issuing early mixtapes such as 2011’s Trapped in the Hustle and supplying featured verses to tracks by numerous other artists. Significant notice arrived with the 2016 single “Yola,” aided by a guest appearance from Gucci Mane. The ambitious 2017 mixtape The Frank White Story followed, boasting cameo contributions from Jadakiss, Jay Lewis, Mista Caine, and others. He then teamed with Mista Caine for the 2018 collaborative effort Values & Morals.