TheThrowAwayDays: Have you ever bought groceries? I feel like I've never seen you eat food at your house before.
Raymond Strife: (Laughs) I don't think I ever really have gone grocery shopping unless it was with somebody. That's the funniest way to start this. Yeah, the only time I ever did was when I lived with one of my ex-girlfriends. We would go to Wal-Mart, and I would definitely eat her cooking, but I still would be like I'm not buying anything from Wal-Mart, fuck them. So I think that's the closest I've ever come to grocery shopping.
TTAD: A lot of dudes want you to bang their girlfriends with them or for them. Why do you think that is? Do you think it's all the gay jokes in your songs?
Ray: Maybe.
TTAD: This has happened more than once, yanno?
Ray: I don't know, I think maybe it's because I'm really not judgmental. Or maybe I just seem gayer than I am. I dunno maybe I just seem like I'm a weirdo. (Laughs)
TTAD: What's the difference between a bio and a description?
Ray: I have no idea.
TTAD: Oh yeah, Ben (Luckman) was telling me to ask that. I thought you were gonna get all bent outta shape.
Ray: Yeah, I was all bent outta shape in the car, cause I put down my description then what the fuck do you want from me? Why would you wanna know where I was born and shit? Do you care when you go download music? It's like, "well he lived here for 10 years, then he lost his job," like no one gives a fuck about that shit man. I mean maybe if it's interesting, but I'd rather just hear the music and then find out. I don't think anyone goes to a website and goes, "oh that sounds interesting, I think I'll listen now." I dunno, wouldn't you just listen first? Read the little snippet about what it's about.
I dunno, I just hate all the fucking music websites, I hate it. I don't think it's that cool. I hate doing it. I feel lame but you like have to do it to let people know about your shit.
TTAD: What's your best Roebus One and Dinz tour story?
Ray: I don' know, man. I don't know if I can tell any of the Dinz ones because they all involve real fucked up shit with him.
But maybe, Roebus probably the time I met him. It's not the craziest story but like the first time I ever did a show with him outside of New Jersey, was here. It was in Pittsburgh, and we stayed with John and them. It was like me, and Roebus, and GDP, and Shape, and Frank(TMFSE), and them and we were in the kitchen talking and making jokes about some bullshit. And all of a sudden Roebus makes this face like someone walked on his grave, and we're all laughing so we're like what the fuck, what's wrong? And he's like, "I just swallowed me tooth!" I thought that was like the funniest thing.
Almost as funny as when he was always tell Farricker and Dinz on tour he could end their career with one phone call.
And then when we were in Florida we did some like college video interview. I have no idea what they used it for, because none of the people who shot it stuck around for our show. But like the whole time we were trying to talk about our music, and Roebus was piss drunk for like three days and like he just kept yelling shit that didn't make any sense and his pants kept falling down. And he kept pointing at me and going, "This guy's the realest dude cause all he does is drink Pabst Blue Ribbon everywhere he goes no matter how much money he has. It doesn't matter." And his pants are just like around his ankles while Dinz and Farricker are trying to answer questions and he's just yelling. And they put a garbage can in the middle of the apartment for him to like throw up in because he just passed out on the floor. And I put a bagel on his chest to try and get him to eat some bread. And in the middle of the show he just woke up and peed in the garbage can in the middle of the living room.
That was pretty good, man. I miss that kid.
TTAD: When's the last time you didn't drink a beer in a day?
Ray: I dunno, maybe like, ugh, I think like two months ago I took two or three days off and I had nightmares every night. I don't really sleep very well even when I do drink so it's hard to sleep at all when I'm not drunk. Like even last night when we went to bed I was pretty sober and I had nightmares all night.
TTAD: What's your favorite comic book?
Ray: The Amazing Spider Man. Superior Spider Man is what it is now but it's still a great book. It's written by Dan Slott, it's just like really solid. It's all about Peter Parker, yanno, barely scraping by but doing the right thing and I like that kinda character.
TTAD: Last questions, wanna say something about your music?
Ray: Is that the question? I been thinking a lot on this tour about why I still do this, and is it even worth it. I'm trying not to concern myself so much of where I wish I was and try to enjoy where I am even though I'm just getting older, and poorer, and shit.
But I don't know. I think my live set is the only reason I do music. I think my recordings come out ok, but like people seeing me live is the real reason I do it. And I think like there's a lot more substance in my performance than in what I write to be honest. I dunno what people are gonna take away from that, they should still check out my music. But yeah, I dunno.
Oh yeah, maybe one more thing is I think punks piss me off just as much as rappers now. Everyone's just a fucking asshole all the time. Like every time I go play a cool house show somewhere I haven't played before now, even if most the people are cool there's always a couple dick heads who are just like trendy beard, borderline metal douche bags who just like hate on the hip hop factor at a punk show. And it's like who the fuck are you man, I been here. Whatever, so I dunno. I was trying to do more hip hop shows and less punk shows because I thought it would help me get more in that crowd cause it's so hit or miss with punk shit. But I'm just getting back to being like, "ohhh this sucks, no ones gonna pay me, and I came the farthest, and I have to open." And it was just like exactly how all the hip hop shows are, and I started doing punk shows again and they're just like that now. I dunno if that's like a different era that's coming up, or just because I'm doing hip hop I should have to open or whatever. I dunno, half the time I wonder why people even book me.
There ya go. End it on a positive fucking note.
Raymond Strife
http://raymondstrife.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RaymondStrifeWhoRaps
https://soundcloud.com/raymond-strife
@raymondstrife
interview by Cody Jones/Stillborn Identity
https://www.facebook.com/stillcody
stillbornidentity.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/stillborn-identity
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stillborn-Identity/154438521280723
https://www.youtube.com/user/stillcodentity
@CodyJonesSTLBRN
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