We were lucky to catch up with Rama Kazi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rama, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I decided on the name, “Rama Kazi”, during a drive down I-285 East sometime around early Fall of 2019.
At the time, I was a 27 year old corporate professional working in tech recruiting. Music had been a lifelong hobby of mine but most of my community only knew me as Ramesh Annamraju; according to them I was just some remarkably brilliant, dashingly handsome, 6-foot, Blindian Que with 86% lean mass and a beard that connects. Now a decent amount of my friends were aware that I could rap. Only a few knew that I had also recorded more than 60 songs and 7 mixtapes over this past decade under the moniker “Raj”, since much of that music hasn’t seen the light of day.
I loved music growing up and spent much of my childhood learning how to make it but my career goals as an 18 year old were to become a psychiatrist. A couple factors played into this decision (Indian father) so music remained as a hobby while I spent the next 7 years completing my two science degrees. Due to graduating with more student loans than med school acceptances (the ratio is something like 100000:0), I eventually had to take a non-healthcare job to start paying them back. Raj had still been attending recording sessions and open mics, but passing out mixtape CD’s to the front desk employees on Music Row wasn’t exactly a marketing plan.
During the Fall of 2019 however, I had been working on a song called “Bollywood Swing” which was very personal to me. The idea was beginning to show international hit potential and my stage name needed to match that energy. I had cycled through variations for one of my nicknames, “Ram”, and got stuck somewhere between Ram Shanti and Rama Sita. While heading home on I-285 one day, the word “Kazi” came to me and I looked it up to mean “work” in Swahili. The Sanskrit word “Rama” has a few meanings but essentially my full stage name means “work that is pleasing to the mind”. This moment represented a major shift in self-confidence as my re-introduction to the world.
Most of my past regrets prior to Rama Kazi came from impatience and pride. It’s not easy to trust the process during uncertainty when the people around you are starting their careers and getting some real money. I’ve definitely fantasized about what could’ve been if I had chosen the music business during college and really put myself out there (beyond Datpiff). But that’s the thing about the Butterfly Effect…hindsight isn’t 20/20. Being young and talented in the music industry also makes you a target and understanding the business is crucial to avoid getting taken advantage of. I could as easily have become a victim to my vices if not scrutiny since my ego was a tower of wet cards back then. My Hero’s Journey has shown me that these “unfortunate” life experiences were all necessary for my success, from lifelong relationships to once in a lifetime opportunities. As of now, I wouldn’t change a thing about the timing of my music career because one thing became clear to me:
Raj was not ready for “Bollywood Swing”.. but Rama Kazi was.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Rama Kazi (born October 30th) is an American rapper and record producer. His mother is Gullah Geechee and his father is Telugu. Born in Atlanta and raised in Lawrenceville, Kazi initially gained recognition as a rapper in 2020 after the release of his song “Bollywood Swing’ was well received by critics. This single along with subsequent tracks from his debut album earned placements on programs such as BBC Radio, Blindian Project, Brown Girl Magazine and Chai Again. He went on to release a few more solo projects and collaborative works throughout 2022 with performances on many notable stages throughout Atlanta.
Much of Kazi’s childhood was dedicated to performing in church, learning classical instruments and writing rhymes. He would sometimes spend hours in his room creating fake concept albums with cover art. He began to channel his teenage creativity through freestyle cyphers, voice recorder snippets and message thread rap battles. Kazi recorded his first complete song in 2009 as a remix to “Throw It In The Bag” under the name “Raj”. His young adult years were spent between pursuing a career in medicine and casually making music with his friends. His passion for songwriting mixed with the struggles of a perpetual pre-med applicant eventually led Kazi to take his opportunity seriously. Kazi began working closely with his longtime friend and co-producer, ANiMAL, to craft his unique sound.
Rama Kazi prides himself on his lyricism and understanding of music theory. His unique background and life experience creates a captivating landscape while his charisma punches Hip-Hop in the mouth with a new flavor. Most importantly however, the insight and honesty of his music shine through to connect with audiences from various walks of life. Kazi is currently working on his next studio album and various projects to be announced soon.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I was taught to be a competitive child growing up. Even as a victim of gifted kid syndrome and the model minority myth, there was a time where healthy competition brought out the best in me. I used to compete with the homies on test scores, sports, spelling bees, and even how fast we could read books. That energy was a system of accountability back then; the problem was that it didn’t have a limit. Eventually, my confidence started becoming dependent on the size and frequency of my accolades. Getting a “B” on a test would send me on a downward spiral but getting the gold in a track meet would just meet my expectations. I developed an over critical inner voice which started to chip away at my happiness. After a while, the milestones began to seem smaller and smaller until it felt like achieving my end goal was the only way to reach happiness.. all signs of a dopamine addiction.
My ego came crashing down after I got a Master’s degree and was still waking up on my mom’s couch thinking something was wrong with me. The feeling of being so far away from my original end goal gave me anxiety especially when my friends would talking about work. I found ways to word my story that hid the gruesome details of failure and mistakes until it almost felt like lying. The decision to pursue music was made after some sondering and ultimately accepting the fact that “being a gifted kid” was not an identity. Ironically, this decision pushed me to become the best version of myself. We live in a world of Instagram likes and hustle culture so the comparison complex still haunts me now and again, but my knowledge of self is no longer rooted in external validation. It’s now much easier to support the success of others knowing that at any given moment, we are exactly where we are supposed to be.
“The grass is also slightly brown on the other side too.. Because these folks ain’t cleaning up after their dogs”
– Rama Kazi, 2021
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
There is a war going on between creatives and algorithms. The spontaneous nature of inspiration does not quite fit into the mold of a digital society in its infancy. We are told that the secret to successful social media promotion is consistent high output as opposed to quality. To see maximum results, artists are expected to stay active on social media platforms and post content multiple times a day. Our SEO is affected by everything from video dimensions to popularity. Even if you follow an artist on social media, their content may not show up on your feed if they aren’t following these rules. Therefore a creator’s best chance of going viral is through repetitive and formulaic platform engagement until the timing works.
Don’t get me wrong, I think social media and DSP’s are a great marketing tool for artists. But those are not creator-centric platforms and “digital payola” is a big part of that game. Today the tech bros are getting the biggest percentage of the indie artist dollar. They get our money during distribution, digital marketing and streaming. From A.I. software that can fully automate a generic rap song to A.I. rappers signing with major labels, Big Tech has the home field advantage and the referee. This is all while the majority of artists are having to sacrifice time in the studio for their day jobs or other streams of income.
The best way to support your favorite underground artist in this day is to connect with them directly. It is up to artist to set up their preferred channel of direct connection (listserv, Linktree, Bandcamp, web3) but the goal is to minimize platform influence on the creator’s potential profit margin. In-person transactions are most ideal; buy tickets to their show and cop merch before you leave. Share their music with your network and let word of mouth be the marketing. One day when artists no longer have to pander to algorithms to reach their own fans, we may see an age of innovation that even bypasses the Blog Era.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/ramakazi
- Instagram: @ramakaziraps
- Facebook: facebook.com/ramakaziraps
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/ramakaziraps
- Twitter: @ramakaziraps
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ramakaziraps
- Other: ramakazi.com
Image Credits
Image Credits: AG Dynasty TheYungDragon Tracy Marshall