A ray of musical greatness

It isn't every day that an up-and-coming artist from Ohio hears their music aired on the radio in a large-scale artistic market like California. So you can imagine the feeling when Hadiya Ray, who happened to be interning in California over the summer, heard her lead single, Planetz, played on a major radio station. 

“It felt like the little girl in me had accomplished the biggest dream. It felt like everything I prayed for was coming to fruition, and all the writing and hard work was starting to pay off. To have heard the song on the radio was an incredible and surreal moment, especially since California has a huge music scene.”

The song aired during a session of DJ ABI’s House Party show on KSQD in the Bay Area. This did not happen by chance or sheer luck. It happened because Ray has been on a musical journey since she was little. For her, music has always been an outlet for creative expression. She performs not just because she enjoys it but because the process helped her cope with her struggles. 

“Since I was a little girl, music has always been my biggest passion and outlet. I had a stuttering problem when I was younger, and it was so bad,” she says. “But when I sang, it was effortless. I didn't have to think or worry about anything in the world. Music was the one thing I could be free with. When I started writing, I felt alive because now I wasn’t just singing music, I was singing my own.”

If you heard Ray speak, you wouldn’t believe she ever had a stutter. Those battles are behind her, and she’s reveling in being an artist whose body of work carries a message. Ray, a senior in the Honors Tutorial College majoring in marketing and data analytics, released her debut musical project, Self Love, after hosting a listening party for almost 200 people at the Athena Cinema in Athens.   

Ray has been performing all around Ohio, including a memorable performance at the University’s MLK Jr. brunch, where she received a warm reception. The music Ray worked on for Self Love is inspired by events in her life dating back to 2020. 

“I wanted to create music that inspired people. In 2020, I began my self-love journey, and it was uncomfortable and painful at times. I promised God that if he got me through it, I would make this music to touch hearts the way he touched mine,” she says. I want people to know that their struggles aren’t the end. There’s hope, and every day is a blessing.” 

Ray draws inspiration from many legacy and contemporary R&B artists and believes she is reaching out to the world with a relevant message. She says self-love is a concept that should be relevant to anyone, from our grandparents and parents to artists and athletes. 

“I wanted to create a piece of music that all generations listen and vibe to, much like Lauryn Hill.” Ray says, “She inspired me tremendously, and I love her so much because she was cool, talented, authentic, and her passion bled through her art.”

Ray compares the album-making process to “being on a journey.”

“I began with trying to pinpoint the number of songs I would create,” she says.

The concept for the album was to create an intimate listening experience for the audience by interspersing diary entries with the musical tracks.

Once she settled on her scope of work, it was easier to collaborate with others who had her vision of making the music a reality. Ray had a team of producers, two friends named Raymond Parker and Jireh Burton, who worked together to include elements that were especially meaningful to her.

“I especially love that I had the voice of my grandmother, whom I love so much, make a guest appearance on the project.”

Ray also brings her academic expertise, talent, and passion to the project.

“My major allowed me to take on an internship experience that showed me the importance of representing whatever area in the best way possible,” she says. “My thesis will be on this project, and I hope to continue promoting my album and marketing it in the best way possible to its target audience.” 

Putting together a debut musical album is no minor feat. For Ray, support and love came from three related sources: the Honors Tutorial College, the Center for Entrepreneurship, and her fellow OHIO students.

"The Honors Tutorial College changed my life,” she says. 

“The support they showed me encouraged me to pursue this dream. They didn’t just tell me I could do it, but they supported me financially and emotionally. They didn’t expect me to be perfect. They wanted to see me go for it, and that’s a special kind of motivation. The Entrepreneurship Center also played a pivotal role in making my dream possible through funding and important faculty members such as Paul Benedict and Liz Pahl, who were advisors over my album and believed in me beyond words.”

Pahl, assistant director for the Center for Entrepreneurship, served as Ray's tutorial advisor and mentor for the project.

"Witnessing Hadiya's organization, perseverance and tenacity was an incredible joy for me," Pahl says. "She had every step of her project mapped out week by week.  She managed to produce her EP with Ray and Jireh and record behind-the-scenes footage for her mini-documentary, all while juggling being an RA and fulfilling her other class requirements." 

Pahl adds that in her "downtime," Ray applied and was accepted to be a Presidential Scholar. 

"Hadiya's hard work, dedication and zest for life is something to be admired," Pahl says. "I cannot wait to see how her career flourishes."

Ray also encountered students who helped with the production, mixing and mastering, visuals, and photography. These students, Loriene Perera, Jayla Neal, and Lokeder Natiom, appeared in the documentary that premiered at the Athena Cinema. Lokeder was the editor for the documentary. All these elements came together to make it a success. 

“The collaborative spirit was evident in how people were willing to help,” she says. “I am very blessed to have worked with these individuals on this project because we were able to create something bigger than all of us. We were all able to grow and achieve something special.”

The project took effort, but the vibe is what she remembers.

“It didn’t feel like work when I was with these people. We had fun through it all.” 

Another pivotal point of help for Ray came from the Bobcat Seed Fund. She says that funding, which all OHIO student entrepreneurs are eligible for, was “significant and immense” in supporting this project and making it come to life.  

Ray identifies as a student artist. She says the atmosphere on OHIO’s campus enabled her to maintain a balance. Being a college student is already a demanding experience. Becoming an artist meant Ray had to be on her toes while working with different facets of the University.

“I feel blessed because I created something that brought different parts together. The listening party at [the] Athena drove it home for me because seeing both students and professors show up for it was phenomenal. That’s the kind of support OHIO offers you when you decide to chase your dreams.”  

As she approaches graduation and readies herself for the world, Ray continues to make moves.

“I don't know what is next, but I trust the doors God will open for me, and that greatness and success lie in the direction He will lead me. This also means my next piece of work is going to be different. I worked on self-love, but I’m still growing. I'm a little different than who I used to be. And so with that, the music that will come out next will showcase that growth that I've experienced.”

She shares her last words with the OHIO student community and creatives trying to find a balance between completing coursework and developing their talents. 

"It's not easy, but do it because you want to, not because of success and accolades," she says. "That’s the only way you’ll be free to express your art. Ensure you understand why you're at OHIO because you can lose sight of that. My balance comes from my faith. With that as my focus, how can I lose? That’s real."