Rye Rye | |
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Rye Rye at WMC 2009 in Miami, Florida
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Background information | |
Birth name | Ryeisha Berrain |
Also known as | Rye Rye |
Born | November 25, 1990 |
Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, US |
Genres | Hip hop, dance, Baltimore club |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer, dancer, actress |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | N.E.E.T./Interscope |
Associated acts | M.I.A., Blaqstarr, Diplo, Robyn, Crookers, The Count & Sinden |
Website |
Rye Rye Myspace Rye Rye official website |
Ryeisha Berrain (born November 25, 1990), known by her stage name Rye Rye, is an American rapper, singer, dancer and actress. Signed to N.E.E.T. Recordings, she released her first mixtape RYEot PowRR in 2011 and her anticipated debut album Go! Pop! Bang! on May 15, 2012. In early 2009, MSNBC listed Rye Rye as one of the "5Top: Top of the pops! Up-and coming young singers." In 2011, Rye Rye was named one of Billboard 's "21 Under 21". Rye Rye made her acting debut in the 2012 film 21 Jump Street.
Rye Rye began performing at the age of 16. She wanted to join the music industry because she felt there was potential there, adding "I love performing, singing, dancing, all of that and I felt that given the opportunity I would destroy it."
She met the musician Blaqstarr, a friend of her sister's, and worked with him on her early material after leaving a rap verse on his answering machine. On this process she notes "I used to like to write poetry and stories. One day I was home, bored, and started to compose songs."
Her song "Shake It To The Ground," produced in collaboration with Blaqstarr, was a club hit in 2006, leading to local speculation that Rye Rye could be a fresh, new female success within hip hop music. A meeting between Rye Rye, M.I.A. and Diplo in a studio in 2006/2007 was arranged by Blaqstarr after the song caught M.I.A.'s attention. Blaqstarr told Rye Rye somebody wanted to meet her, but refused to say more. Although upon meeting them Rye Rye did not know who they were, M.I.A. told the rapper that she had been looking for her. At the time, Rye Rye was in her junior year at Dr. Samuel L. Banks High School. She toured with M.I.A. during the KALA Tour in fall and winter of 2007, which included opening for her during the CMJ Music Marathon and dates in the United Kingdom in 2007, the People Vs. Money Tour in early 2008 and briefly with Afrikan Boy. They both appeared in M.I.A.'s 2007 music video for the song "Paper Planes."