It all started in Indianapolis, Indiana AKA “Naptown”, where three guys, three different personalities three very different paths became the eccentric rap trio known as SumBoyRay.
Sum of All grew up the only son of a hard working single mom who worked 2 jobs to take care of her 3 kids. He was diagnosed at 15 having multiple personalities, something counselors and doctors were intrigued with. He was able to talk and even sound different sometimes within the same sentence. Doctors worked with him on keeping him grounded with his condition but it only seemed to affect him creatively.
While growing up he saw his mom struggle to put food on the table to help pay for his medication so feeling bad he was the cause he found ways to hustle to get extra money. But one night would change his life as he was arrested for a petty crime and almost shot when the police officers didn’t understand his mental condition. When his mom arrived at the police station she responded by whooping him with her shoe but also preaching to the officers about restraint and love. The speech was so powerful the police let him go and one Sargent vowed changes.
With his mother not wanting him to fall into his fathers hustlers shoes she challenged him to be a better man and find other ways to earn money. He stumbled on a talent show that paid $100 for the winner. He always was told he had a gift of flow but never took it seriously but he entered and spent weeks crafting his rhyme. He would blow the judges and audience away with his rap remix of Killing Me Softly by the Fugees. He honed his craft at cyphers and other talent shows. His ability to change his style, his voice and even flow stunned the crowds. He started developing a following and used mix tapes and winnings to buy equipment to record his demos but ended up learning how to produce for others as well as mix and master others music, allowing him finally the chance to help his family full-time.
He chose the name Sum of All because depending on his mood and the vibe of the song his voice and style could change on different songs and sometimes even the same song. He called it his SUPERPOWER since he became the sum of all those inside him.
Lil Boy D grew up in the suburbs in a strict religious family where rap music was condemned and only certain types of music or TV was allowed to be watched. But not all was well at home and he used music and the arts to escape home life.
He would enter talent shows and music contests without his parents knowing, and even though he never won he loved entertaining others. Other kids thought he was a sellout for his music taste and style. Others thought he was too short and constantly teased him always being the shortest guy and picked last. They made fun of his voice being too high, said his rap style was too laid back and his subject matter too eclectic but it didn’t matter to him, hip hop was his passion.
He never let others get to him and embraced his lil boy moniker while honing his craft and slowly developing his own clout. He started honing his craft to a point he was part of a three man rap group that had a contract on the table with a music label when one member and best friend was shot and killed the same night celebrating. Taking it as a sign and devastated he would continue to write but not perform again until much later.
Big Ray grew up south of downtown with his grandmother in a very rough area. Blessed with height and strength Ray never had much issues as he always intimidated others. Ray played football since peewee days and by High School was on the radar of three BIG 10 teams for a scholarship. Ray was the most popular player on the team and would constantly put the team at ease performing rap songs from the radio on the regular. Nicknamed “Switch” because of his nice almost teddy bear personality off the field and aggressive psychotic behavior on it.
His football career unfortunately ended his junior year when he found out he had a heart condition that risked his life playing football. His dreams of not playing in the NFL and helping his family out their area crushed him. Depressed about football he fell into alcohol, got into trouble and only seemed to be able to get gigs as bouncers or security.
One night while at a bar a guy bumped into him. Being in a bad mood a fight broke out that involved most of the bar, but both men left before the cops got there. Big Ray was too drunk to drive so he called Lyft for a pickup, The driver told him he had another passenger to pick up heading his direction but when the car stops the passenger is future group member Sum of All… the same man who he got into a fight with at the bar. Insults and words fly with Big Ray stepping out the car to continue what he started when the Lyft driver canceling the ride and driving off in fear.
Realizing they were both in an area they didn’t want to be in they squashed it, laughed it off and called another Lyft . On their way they realized they had a lot in common. So much so they became best friends and Big Ray eventually would serve as security for Sum of All events and occasionally drop a verse or sing a hook for his tracks.
One day they decided to form a production and rap group and wanted to add another member. They went though many rappers, and non stood out until a short guy who called himself Lil Boy D came in and impressed them with his own vibe and style. His laid back and mellow style was opposite of Sum of All’s style and Big Ray flow and hooks give a and a change of pace.
And the rest is history. Goodieboyz Music only had to hear them once before signing them. We welcome this trio to our label as not only artist but Sum of All as one part of our production team collaborating with other artists. We hope their rap vision, vibe and sometimes eclectic style become part of your favorite playlist.