Issue 021
December 2006
Back in Issue thirteen of Fighters Only we featured BJJ practitioner and MMA enthusiast Rakaa Iriscience of rap group Dilated Peoples. Rakaa is a student at the world-famous Gracie Academy in Torrance, California, where he trains with some of the ‘new’ generation of Gracies. In particular is his coach and friend Ralek Gracie.
Fighters Only: You met Rakaa a few years ago at the Gracie Academy. Did your start in music come from him or was it something you had already gotten into?
Ralek Gracie: Before him I would just mess around here and there, writing stuff down, and I really had no idea what I was doing but I knew that I had some kind of talent. It was very unofficial before I met Rakaa. I’d heard of how you make a song, but I had no idea, so I just wrote stuff down and had ideas in my head, and then I met Rakaa at the academy. He’d been there a while, but before I actually went up to him I had a good idea for a song, I’d really thought it out. I didn’t want to just go up to him and just sound like everybody else, you know? So I had done this song, it was the first song I ever wrote, I went up to him and I was like I got this song, and he was looking at me like he was kind of shocked.
FO: He didn’t expect that from you?
RG: No, not at all. I said to him I’ve been doing this for a little bit, but more than anything I know that I got a lot to learn, so I want to see what you think. He was like yeah let’s do it. We ended up sitting in a car outside the academy, he turned the beat on and I started spitting the songs, and I showed him what I had. He was like yeah man, that’s cool. He was completely surprised, like that’s was nowhere he expected it to be, but at the same time we had a lot of work to do. Then he started out just giving me ideas, how to write a song, how to count bars, and kind of went from there. I’d say that Rakaa really helped me set a foundation, and he put it into perspective as well as far as what it takes to really make music. Theres a lot of hard work involved. ow to count bars, and kind of went from there. I’d say that Rakaa really helped me set a foundation, and he put it into perspective as well as far as what it takes to really make mus
I started writing as much as possible. I wrote a couple of songs, and then as I kept writing these songs my skill progressed and I feel as a writer I’ve improved a lot these last couple of years. For me its something I enjoy doing, I don’t consider something I need to do to survive, that’s why I depend on my jiu-jitsu. My jiu-jitsu, my life, my family… My following which, of course, is 80 years of family history. I’m not just gonna throw that away for a music career you know what I mean?
FO: So was there an exchange of skills between you and Rakaa?
RG: Yes, that’s right. The moment he realised ‘Man, Ralek is coming up’ he started to want to help me more, he saw some kind of future in music, and he started to invest his time in it. I felt like man, I’m not just going to have Rakaa help me out for free, so instead of just paying him, I would invite him over and we’d do some jiu-jitsu. se. There’s also Supreme, he’s another one. He’s rapping with me. I would say he’s the most focussed out of anyone I know other than Rakaa or people who already se. There’s also Supreme, he’s another one. He’s rapping with me. I would say he’s the most focussed out of anyone I know other than Rakaa or people who already
FO: So where are you at right now? Are you in the studio or ready to release any tracks?
RG: I’m just having a really good time with it. I got a studio set up in my house, for just making little projects here and there. I can kind of do stuff in the comfort of my own home when I feel like it.
FO: Is there anyone else you’re working with on the production side of things?
RG: Yeah there are a couple of people, one of which is Infamy. He’s a beatmaker and producer. We try to collaborate – he would come in with a beat and play it, I’d listen to it and vibe with it, we kind of work together in a sense. There’s also Supreme, he’s another one. He’s rapping with me. I would say he’s the most focussed out of anyone I know other than Rakaa or people who already have records out and are doing this. He’s very focussed and if anything more determined than I am, I like working with him, he’s a cool guy. All the people I’ve worked with on a musical level I’ve also trained. We all do jiu-jitsu.
FO: So you and your brothers have been pretty active in the BJJ competition scene for the last few years, have you ever thought about MMA?
RG: I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about it a lot. This is what my life is all about man, training, teaching, competing. It’s what we built our history on. For me its something natural, I was born into it. It’s not a matter of if I’m gonna do it, it’s a matter of when I’m ready.
