Top $ Raz: Q&A With Far Rockaway’s Top $ Raz

Steven Ortiz recently covered the M.O.P. concert at Southpaw on April 7, recapping performances by Top $ Raz, Sleepwalkas, Skotch Davis and The Upperclass Men. Before the concert, Ortiz spoke with Raz regarding his recent video release for “The Man,” the response toward his current project, The New Flesh, and his outlook on his career at the moment.

What’s been the reception towards “The Man” video?

Reception has been amazing. I’ve been meeting with a lot of important people off the strength of the video and the song, just like having conversations with people in the industry. I’ve had people that who have a place in the industry, telling me ‘that song is a hit’.

What was your reaction when you saw the completed video?

I was very happy with it, but I trusted Mark [Carranceja, director]. I knew it was going to look great and I seen some of the footage when it was being shot.  I had a lot of faith that it was going to be great, so I really wasn’t surprised that it was good. I knew it was going to be good. I had 100% faith in Noisemaker [Media].

What’s next? Are you touring?

I’m not touring, but we got another show the 23^rd here at Southpaw again.  Everything’s a stepping stone. The video got me something, this show is big. This is the biggest show of my life thus far so, I feel this show is gonna get us more. I feel like once we get on stage, people are gonna know what it is. Important people are supposed to be here tonight, so…

What about your LP, The New Flesh?  How is that being received?

Album reception has been actually, overwhelming. Like. people quoting the lyrics… It’s just been crazy.  I can’t even articulate the overwhelming response I got on the album.  When people are like ‘this is classic,’ or ‘this song is amazing,’ or ‘I listen to this song everyday,’ or ‘this song inspires me’…. People tell me ‘this song is what I get up to in the morning.’ Like “Golden” touches people’s hearts. People tell me ‘I feel like this song is about me, like I walk out and this me’ and it inspires them. That’s exactly what I wanted to do, you know.

How supportive have your parents been of your career?

My mother, father, brother and sister are here. They came out for me because the show is so big. My parents are very supportive. All of friends have been in and out of jail or they didn’t graduate on time. I’m the first son of my mother’s children to graduate, to go to college, because I have both of them there. Anybody from Far Rock will let you know it’s not a nice place to grow up in. I owe that to them, that I made it so far.  They kept me on a straight path, as straight as they could. I might’ve stumbled sometimes, but they kept me on the right path. Which is why like 80% of my songs, I talk about my mother or my father or my brother, because they are a major part of my life.