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Raz Simone
Simone at the June 2020 Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
Born
Solomon Samuel Simone

(1990-01-15) January 15, 1990 (age 34)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Other namesRazpy
OccupationRapper
Children1
Musical career
GenresHip hop
InstrumentVocals
Years active2014–current
LabelsBlack Umbrella
H1ghr Music
Websiterazsimone.com

Solomon Samuel Simone (born January 15, 1990), known by his stage name Raz Simone (/ræz sɪˈmoʊn/), is an African-American recording artist and songwriter from Seattle, Washington. A hip hop artist who started under the name Razpy, he built his brand by releasing EPs, touring, and filming music videos through his company Black Umbrella.[1]

Simone gained recognition after releasing his debut solo EP, Solomon Samuel Simone.[1] He became the subject of media coverage for his association with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, part of the George Floyd protests in Seattle, in which he distributed a gun to a protester amid rumors the Proud Boys were gathering nearby.[2]

Biography

Early life

Simone attended a private elementary school. In 2007, he worked for the Boys & Girls Club and was in the Running Start dual enrollment program.[citation needed]

Music

Upon release of his debut solo EP, Solomon Samuel Simone, Simone garnered the attention of 300 Entertainment executives Lyor Cohen, Todd Moscowitz, and Kevin Liles which resulted in a partnership between the newly established 300 Entertainment and his Black Umbrella Imprint.[1]

After the debut EP, Simone toured and released his first full-length album Cognitive Dissonance.[1] In 2016 Simone released Trap Spirituals. He was nominated for XXL's Freshman List. In June 2016 Simone played shows in seven cities, opening for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.[citation needed]

In May 2020, at a parking lot at Seattle Center, Simone held a "pop-up, drive-in concert" (a type of concert developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to allow for social distancing). [3]

Controversies

In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in Seattle, Simone emerged as an active member of the self-declared Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.[4][5] CNN described him as the "de facto leader of the autonomous zone."[6]

Conservative[7] news outlets and publications including Fox News,[8] Townhall,[9] New York Post,[10] and City Journal[11] featured Simone prominently in their coverage of the zone, characterizing him as a "warlord" policing the area with an AK-47 and highlighting an interaction where he allegedly assaulted a tagger.[9][7] A Facebook video shows Simone distributing a firearm to a protester.[2][7] According to Snopes, on June 15 Andy Ngo presented a video clip from Simones’s June 8 Facebook feed where Simone takes a rifle from the trunk of his car and hands it to another protester after "rumors developed that members of the right-wing group Proud Boys were going to move into the protest area to set fires and stir chaos."[2]

Simone refuted the characterizations of him made by media outlets. [12]

Sexual abuse and assault allegations

In January 2021, two women stepped forward to publicly accuse Simone of coercion and repeated physical abuse.[13] In 2022, Simone was sued by five women alleging sexual abuse and assault. Four of them say that he sex trafficked and abused them.[14] One of the alleged victims, claims Simone sex trafficked her in Las Vegas for over a year, until she finally broke free in 2017.[15] She stated that Simone held her captive for three days within a confined space and that more than once he forcibly had sex with her and strangled her.[14][15] Court documents reportedly state Simone targets "young, vulnerable women" who are involved in sex work or susceptible to it.[14] Simone has denied these allegations.[14][15]

Discography

  • 5 Good Reasons EP with Sam Lachow (2012)[16]
  • Samuel Solomon Simone (2013)[17]
  • Cognitive Dissonance pt. 1 (2014)[18]
  • Baby Jesus (2014)[19]
  • Macklemore Privilege & Chief On Keef Violence (2015)[20]
  • Cognitive Dissonance pt. 2 (2015)[21]
  • Trap Spirituals (2016)[22]
  • Closer (2018)
  • Drive Theory (2018)
  • Still Love (2019)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Markman, Rob (January 21, 2014). "Meet Raz Simone: 300's First Artist". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  2. ^ a b c Kasprak, Alex (June 23, 2020). "Does This Video Show Raz Simone Handing Out Guns in Seattle's CHOP?". Snopes.com. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  3. ^ Rietmulder, Michael (2020-05-10). "Seattle rapper Raz Simone threw a pop-up, drive-in concert at a Seattle Center parking lot. Here's how it went". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  4. ^ News, Patrick Quinn | KOMO (June 10, 2020). "'Property of the People': Protesters set up camp outside SPD East Precinct". KOMO. Retrieved 2020-06-10. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ Markovich, Matt (2020-06-10). "Police make allegations of intimidation, extortion inside Capitol Hill's Autonomous Zone". KOMO. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  6. ^ Toropin, Konstantin (June 24, 2020). "Leader of Seattle's 'autonomous zone' says many protesters are leaving". CNN. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Curet, Monique (November 13, 2021). "PolitiFact - Facebook post overstates rapper's role in Seattle's police-free protest zone". Politifact. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  8. ^ Wallace, Danielle (June 11, 2020). "Seattle autonomous zone 'leader' denies acting like 'warlord' in 'no cop, co-op'". Fox News. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Rosas, Julio (June 11, 2020). "Cracks Are Starting to Appear at Seattle's 'Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone'". Townhall. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Feuerherd, Ben; Italiano, Laura (2020-06-12). "Rapper Raz Simone accused of being 'warlord' in Seattle's police-free CHAZ". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  11. ^ Rufo, Christopher F. "Anarchy in Seattle". City Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  12. ^ Read, Bridget (June 11, 2020). "What's Going On in CHAZ, the Seattle Autonomous Zone?". The Cut. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  13. ^ Hiruko, Ashley (2021-01-11). "2 women accuse Seattle hip-hop artist Raz Simone of abuse, coercion". KUOW. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
  14. ^ a b c d Eustice, Kyle (2022-01-20). "Seattle Rapper Raz Simone Sued By 5 Women Over Sex Trafficking Violent Threat Allegations". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  15. ^ a b c Hiruko, Ashley (2022-01-19). "5 women sue Seattle rapper Raz Simone, 4 say he trafficked them". KUOW Radio. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
  16. ^ CG (2012-09-24). "NEW MUSIC: 5 Good Reasons – Sam Lachow & Raz Simone". A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
  17. ^ "Raz Simone - Solomon Samuel Simone - Black Umbrella & Dream & Produce". Respect My Region. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  18. ^ "First Listen: Raz Simone, 'Cognitive Dissonance'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  19. ^ "Raz Simone's 'Baby Jesus' Will Give You Goosebumps". UPROXX. 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  20. ^ "[Album Review] MACKLEMORE PRIVILEGE & CHIEF ON KEEF VIOLENCE - Raz Simone| more than a hip hop blog". Upcoming Hip-Hop | more than a hip hop blog. 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  21. ^ "Raz Simone - Cognitive Dissonance: Part 2 | Stream | Hip Hop Albums - DJBooth". DJBooth. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
  22. ^ "Raz Simone Delivers Soulful, Trap Tunes In His New Mixtape "Trap Spirituals"". Vibe. 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
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