Johnny Kensy Feliz (born June 4th, 1998), better known by his stage names Raydeo and Raydeoworld, is an American rapper and songwriter. He has performed with associated acts such as Kota The Friend, RillyRil, and Devan Ibiza. He is known for his charismatic nature, receiving positive attraction from his “Freestyle Fridays” via Instagram, which display his rap style through a series of remixes to original beats and instrumentals of musicians he looks up to.
Raydeo grew up in Washington Heights, New York City. Birthed by two Dominican parents, alongside his brother, he is the youngest in his family. His parents sparked his interest in hip-hop, playing artists like Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Farside, Wu-Tang Clan, Tupac, Mos Def, Nas, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Pharrell Williams. They also shaped his love for video games and movies from the entertainment companies Marvel Entertainment LLC and DC Entertainment.
At the age of 17, he studied photography and media arts at Martin Luther King Jr. High School. He had trouble dealing with his problems at home and school, and through a sea of confusion, found music to be his calling. Watching performances and interviews of musical artists such as Tyler The Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper, Mac Miller and Logic, Raydeo studied the art and history of hip-hop culture, developing his lyricism and rhyme schemes. He also idolized the rapping style of Busta Rhymes, Outkast, Goldlink, Childish Gambino, and Joey Badass.
He constantly tested the waters of music, presenting himself as a singer, then a rapper. He experimented with aliases for himself such as "Jehovah Kawlibb", "Raadio", "Raydeo The Musician", and "Raydeo The Artist" before deciding on Raydeo. Discovering beats on YouTube that best suited his sound, he uploaded music onto Soundcloud. His peers and audience understood and enjoyed his rapping more, which brought him to finally make his move.
In September of 2019, Raydeo put weekly videos on his Instagram page for his “Freestyle Fridays” series, which grabbed the attention of many like-minded creatives on the popular platform. Rapping over beats from musicians MF Doom, Wu-Tang Clan, Q-Tip, and several independent online producers, the talented rapper surprised many with his performance and colorful style. People were hooked by each visual experience and knew to be on the lookout for the emerging artist.
Closing out that year, he released his debut album entitled "What Am I?", where he expresses inner thoughts about his pursuit of a full-time music career. Opening up the mind, he mentions suicidal thoughts, frustration, self-doubt, and dealing with his many personalities. He was also featured on Brad Alba’s single “Lost” along with Jeremiah Jordon, both close friends of his, and gained more local recognition after releasing his own single "Run It Up !" in 2020. This created a bridge for him to transition his sound away from trap music, and toward more sounds revolving around house, jazz, soul and the roots of hip-hop.
He rebranded himself on the first day of 2021 with his single “Legendary”, using a beat produced by Logic. It is the offspring to a new beginning for who he truly is as an artist.