In a crowded field of singer/songwriters, Toothpick (a nickname given to him by his high school track team for being the skinniest guy on the team) separates himself from the pack both on and off the stage by infusing his original style of rap and freestyle with traditional story telling. He has been rapping and playing guitar since he was twelve, inspired by his mother a folk singer/songwriter.
Born and raised in New York, Ray is the former front man of the band Bad Ronald and was signed to Warner Brothers Records during his senior year of college. Bad Ronald broke onto MTV’s TRL in 2001 with their featured video “Let’s Begin (Shoot The ****),” directed by Marc Klasfeld.
Toothpick cites a range of musical influences from Cat Stevens and Soul Coughing to A Tribe Called Quest & The Roots. Recently he has shared the stage with Ziggy Marley and Gavin Degraw. When he’s not recording or touring, Toothpick can usually be found entertaining strangers with his acoustic guitar and unique blend of rapping and singing.