Issue 001 – Rafeeki – AGHQ Magazine

001 Interviews

Issue 001 – Rafeeki

AGHQ April 14, 2023 0

Rafeeki

RAfeeki is a project that was born out of the depths of Mother Nature.

Jungles to woods & oceans to deserts, You will be taken on a journey through many different realms.

As you experience my travels in this project, Engage with the sounds that lie within our existence.

At First Glance

By Calvin Cyrus

I had walked into the back area of a photo studio a friend owned. There were people drinking and having a good time listening to a dj/mc combo. It seemed they were taking turns, both rapping on
the mic and spinning tunes on the deck, creating a seamless transition between the two styles. What caught my attention was the effortless and natural showmanship that a young Rafeeki
displayed. We became friends and, since then, brothers. I was able to catch up with him and ask a few questions about the man behind Rafeeki.

The Interview
By Calvin Cyrus

BOE. Serious Jorge. Rafeeki. Jorge Perez. What do these names mean to you?

BOE – Rest in Piece to an old rap project.
Serious Jorge – A wild, impulsive version of myself.
RAFEEKI – A new beginning.
Jorge Perez – Who I Am

You had great success with Serious Jorge in Miami. What motivated the name change?
I felt I needed to change in order for the community to take me a little more serious. Throwing a lot of shows under Serious Jorge, some would treat me as a promoter and it was hard to break out of that cycle.

You’ve moved around a lot and see much of the country. What’s it like being on the road so much?
It’s definitely hard at some moments mentally but it’s taught me how to be patient & it’s also allowed me to see just how lucky some of us are to have something as simple as a bed to sleep in or a house to call home. Having a chance to experience life with an uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring is quite the adventure.

This year was huge for you and festivals! As your friend, seeing your name pop up on flyer after flyer has been a treat. What’s that been like?
It’s been sick… but there’s always room for growth ya know? I constantly struggle with feeling like I don’t fit in yet, I always remind myself of why I’m even doing this. It’s such a passion driven project and every performance I can’t help but feel like I need to 1 up myself from the last one.

I want to give our audience a look into the mind of the artist. Tell us about the process of creating music for you, both internally and physically.
All my music is based on a moment in time. It’s something I go through and feel like there was never any closure, so in order to move on I express it through sound. It’s all one story.

Tell us about some of the sounds and genres you’ve been exploring.
I’ve really been listening to a lot of House, & Hip Hop. As far as sounds go, I’m always on the hunt for a sound that gets me going.

Do you have any new projects coming up?
Currently working on an album set to release sometime in March 2023.

Are there any artists that you’d be excited to work with?
Man oh man where do I start? Distinct Motive, Bearcubs, Gorrilaz, Clozee, Griz, Mick Jenkins…
Just to name a few…

What record label are you most closely associated with?
Currently INDEPENDENT.

I remember you telling me once that your first Burning Man was a life changing experience. What happened there and what has happened since?
I was itching to play so bad but it wasn’t working out. The last day I was out there I ate a bunch a psychedelics and ended up playing house music to like around 30,000 people. It taught me how to surrender sometimes & taking that lesson with me has helped me in tough situations. When there’s 2 much going on you have to trust in the process and surrender.

When you were growing up, who was your role model and why?
Stone Cold Steve Austin cause he just stunnered everyone.

If you could go back in time and tell the younger you anything, what would it be?
“Saddle up!”

Any plans for 2023?
To do better.

Anyone you wanna shout out?
I wanna give a shout to anyone who has backed me up throughout the years. Thank you for believing in me when I didn’t.