Raychi - Interview

Picture Credit: @elzz.exe_

One voice from the inside.

London’s underground rap scene isn’t built in boardrooms or studios with large budgets - it’s built in group chats, cyphers, Pirate Studios, and promoted by short clips posted at the right time. Raychi sits right in the middle of that ecosystem. A Croydon rapper who burst into the world of rap with her own unique style and energy, with her growth reflecting how the scene currently functions: community-led and driven by momentum and passion rather than permission.

Music wasn’t always the plan. Raychi describes it as something that lingered quietly in the background until it couldn’t anymore. “I’ve always been musical, I’ve always loved music,” she says. “When I was a kid I used to write down all the lyrics to my favourite songs in a book just so I could learn them properly.”

But it wasn’t until university, surrounded by other creative people and studio sessions that felt more fun than serious, that the idea was properly introduced.

“I really enjoyed it, but I didn’t think to myself let me lock in and actually do this. I was procrastinating editing one day and it had been in the back of my mind for so long and I was just like fuck it why not. I spent the entire week writing.”

But what acted as the real entry point for Raychi were cyphers.

“Someone asked me to do a show, and they were already in that grime, freestyle kinda lifestyle,” she explains. “After that, I met more people, and it just kept going. ”Appearances on platforms like Rinse FM and Kindred weren’t just performances, they were gateways”. “Everytime I do something like that, I meet producers, event organisers, other artists. If you can catch people’s attention in a cypher, things start unlocking.”

Like many emerging artists today, Raychi’s setup is minimal. Demos are recorded at home, “I plug my headphones in and then just shout at my laptop or phone”, before moving into Pirate Studios or sessions with friends. That DIY approach extends to how her music circulates, these moments from the Cyphers caught on camera become the fuel for growth. Recently, that connection with the audience has become more tangible. “The last two shows I’ve done, I’ve played unreleased tunes and people have been singing them back to me, and it’s crazy. The fact that I can get people to feel so comfortable with me is amazing.”

Picture Credit: @djbabybeatman

Her sound reflects a mix of heritage and instinct, rather than any specific genre choice. With Caribbean roots - her dad from Jamaica and her mum from St Vincent - music in the house was heavy on bass and energy. When I asked her what she grew up listening to she responded; “Lots of dancehall and old-school reggae, like Buju Banton. Harsh vocals, big presence.”

This influence (becoming a lot more prevalent in the scene as a whole) is clear to see in her music, with the beat on her SoundCloud release GYAL JUS featuring log drum samples anddancehall adjacent rhythms. As her own tastes developed as access to more music began in her life, rap became a constant. “It’s always been rap, and I’ve always been a lyrics person.”

That focus shows in her influences, which she says ranges from Bktherula’s playfulness to the character and unpredictability of artists like JME and even Busta Rhymes.

“Not taking yourself too seriously, sometimes saying outlandish stuff because it rhymes.”

Picture Credit: @rae.siann

Community is what keeps it moving. Raychi talks about her music career as a series of unlocked levels - each show, session, or connection leading to the next. That same network took her overseas, landing her a slot at Paris’ Fête de la Musique through little more than word of mouth and perseverance.

“I booked Paris before I had any bookings to rap,” she laughs. “I was like, if I book it, that way I have to get booked for an event.”

Everything Raychi was explaining always came back to one place: Croydon.

“I love Croydon,” she says plainly. “I represent Croydon everywhere I go. It’s running in my veins.”

That loyalty mirrors a wider theme across London’s underground artists carrying their areas with them, not as branding, but as identity.

In a scene where progress is built through consistency, visibility, and belief, that confidence doesn’t feel unrealistic - it feels aligned. Raychi isn’t representing herself as separate from the movement; she’s proof of how it works, one voice from inside it.

Asked about her future plans, Raychi doesn’t limit herself.

“I wanna be world famous, so I’m just gonna go as hard as possible and have fun, because that’s what I wanna do.”

Words: Sam Gooding