Ray BLK facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray BLK
Background information
Birth name	Rita Ekwere
Also known as	Ray Blizzy
Born	(1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 30) Nigeria
Origin	Catford, South East London, England
Genres	R&B soul neo soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter rapper
Years active	2015–present
Labels	Universal Island Records
Associated acts	Stormzy SG Lewis

Rita Ekwere (born August 2, 1994), known by her stage name Ray BLK (which sounds like "Ray Black"), is a British singer and songwriter. She was born in Nigeria and grew up in Catford, London. She became famous after winning the BBC's Sound of 2017 award. She was the first artist who wasn't signed to a record label to win this award.

In October 2016, she released her first mini-album, Durt. In January 2018, she signed with Island Records in the UK. Her first full album, Access Denied, came out in October 2021 and was highly praised.

About Ray BLK

Ray BLK's real name is Rita Ekwere. She was born in Nigeria and moved to London when she was about four years old. She grew up in an area called Catford.

When she was 13, she started a music group with her school friend MNEK. They called their group "New Found Content." Later, she went to Brunel University to study English literature. Her final project was about books by Nigerian writers like Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie. Before her music career took off, she worked at an advertising company to support herself.

Her stage name "BLK" stands for "Building Living Knowing." She says these are the three most important things to her in life.

Ray BLK's Music Journey

Ray BLK started releasing her music while she was still studying at university. Her first collection of songs, called an EP, was Havisham, released in 2015. This EP was inspired by a character named Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens' book Great Expectations. The songs told the story of a girl who felt hurt by love and became distant. Ray said she felt that many women around her had similar experiences.

For a while, Ray released music on her own. She chose not to sign a big record deal so she could keep control of her music. In 2016, she released her mini-album Durt. This album included songs with other artists like Stormzy, Wretch 32, and SG Lewis. Her song "My Hood" is about her hometown of Catford. She wrote it after a difficult experience, feeling like she wanted to leave the area.

In 2016, she was nominated for "best newcomer" at the MOBO Awards. On January 6, 2017, Ray BLK was announced as the winner of the BBC's Sound of 2017 award, which was a big achievement.

In 2019, Ray BLK was the opening act for the UK part of The Nicki Wrld Tour. This was a big concert tour by the famous American rapper Nicki Minaj.

In November 2019, she released a song called "Action" with rapper Chip. She then shared small previews of more music from her first album, which was planned for 2021.

In July 2021, she released a song called "MIA" with American singer Kaash Paige. She also announced that her first album, Access Denied, would be released in September 2021 through Island Records. The release was later moved to October 1. When the album came out, it received great reviews and was even named one of the best albums of 2021 by NME magazine.

In 2023, Ray BLK started acting! She played a character named Honey in the BBC One TV show Champion, which is a musical drama. She also helped choose the music for the show's soundtrack, working with Ghetts and the show's creator, Candice Carty-Williams.

Ray BLK's Music Releases

Studio Albums

EPs (Extended Plays)

Singles (Songs Released Individually)

As a Lead Artist