Young Spray, real name 'Leon (pronounced Layon cos there's a french accent over the letter e) Avondale Stanley Gadaffi Riviere', was born on the 23rd of July 1981 on the beautiful island of Dominica, West Indies. His mother was a teacher and his father was a politician. His uncle Patrick John was the Prime Minister of Dominica but was later sent to prison from 1985 to 1990 for a crime he didn't commit. Spray was the last of five children and was considered to be a child genious by his teachers who skipped him three years so he was in a class of six year olds at the age of three. In 1988, after his mum and dad seperated, his mum took her five children to England in search of a better life. They lived in Leyton, east London for two years then became homeless so they had to go to Westbourne Park (west) to live with their nan. They then moved back to east london having found a council house in Walthamstow. School became boring for him as it no longer tested his intelligence. It wasn't possible to be skipped years in England so he spent most of his primary school days (Barclay Juniors, Leyton) dumbing down to the levels of others around him. His mum sent him to 'Holy Family' Catholic secondary school in Walthamstow where he stayed for five years but got expelled in the last year. During his time in school he got caught up in the wrong crowd and ended up in alot of criminal activity which amounted to him being arrested for various petty crimes. He got all his G.C.S.E's even though he hadn't revised and he was getting work sent home for months having been kicked out with exams round the corner. He went to 'Sir George Monoux, college but was expelled after a week and soon after ended up in prison at the age of 16 for a robbery committed nearly a year previously. He was sentenced to 2 years and ended up doing nearly a year and a half having gained extra days. The judge said it would teach him a lesson but all it did was make him more bitter towards the world. With only older criminals to look up to, it was inevitable that he would embrace the underworld even more than before. Besides, they weren't just criminals, they were now his friends. It was this environment that enabled him to form a friendship with C1 who he later joined forces with to do music. He held his own behind bars as it wasn't in his nature to back down. His friends knew him as 'Spider' the basic rider back then. He was released on his 18th birthday but by that time it was too late for him to be saved. He had learnt too many different, more prosperous ways to make money illegally and was in and out of prison constantly for crimes such as intent to supply class A (crack). Police in his area labelled him a gangster and blamed him for numerous shootings that he still denies :-) !! They also claimed that he was a gang leader for the 'Chingford Hall Boys' along with his best friend at the time Kevin Lopez (Pumpz). Behind bars is where he first discovered his talent to rap. He spent most of the time in his cell writing and perfecting his craft but had no real intentions to take it seriously. In fact, he kept his talent a secret believing that rapping was for 'dickheads' and not for real thugs. In 2002, having been released for the drug dealing case, he was driving in his car with his friend Kevin Taylor and he (Spray) started rapping not knowing his friend was paying attention. "Taylor was shocked and couldn't believe it was my own lyrics!",Spray recalls. Soon after, Taylor took him to his friends studio, (Dj Chris-Entertainment Crew), where he layed down his first tracks, 'Bad Man From Round Here', 'Da Streets Is Kinda Murky', 'Why's It Gotta Be This Way' and 'We Gotta Getaway' (jailhouse track). Everyone in the studio couldn't believe what they were hearing and it was obvious that a great talent had been discovered. Even though everyone kept assuring Spray that he could make it in the music business, he was too stuck in his criminal ways and refused to give up the streets for the beats. It wasn't long before his old friend from prison, C1, who he had kept in contact with, heard his songs and propositioned him to join Northstar Entertainment. Spray didn't hesitate to take up the offer as he and C1 had remained good friends over the years. He initially joined as a solo artist and the plan was to develop him as an artist. However, after making some commercial tunes with Chyna, Anna Leah White (a former member of Northstar) and C1, it was decided that the best way to crack the industry would be as a group as it watered down his harsh lyrics. Young Spray had alot of success with Northstar having perfomed all over the U.K, including a performance in London alongside the likes of Memphis Bleek and other members of Rocafella, Greece, Corfu, Malia, Kazakstaan, etc. They released two mixtapes; 'Not Guilty' volumes 1 and 2 which started the whole U.K real gangsta rap scene. They also released four music videos in which he featured in all of them. 'On A Rise' was their debut video and it was at number one on Channel U for four weeks. It gave many youths hope and the desire to persue a music career themselves. 'This Is Our Time', featuring So Solid's top rapper 'Swiss' was their next video which Spray says was alot of fun. They then did a song for the soundtrack of the most talked about hood film of that year: 'Rollin With The Nines'. Pikki, the big man behind the film, liked the tune so much he decided to shoot a video for it. Then came their next project, the biggest of them all. 'Love Like This', featuring the most talented and under-rated male singer in England (Cassius Henry), was filmed in Norway and took a couple days to film. It was a memorable experience and one that Spray will never forget! Northstar have been hounded by bad press due to Spray and C1's obvious relationship with the streets but what people didn't understand is that Northstar was the name of the group which consisted of three people: Spray, Chyna and C1. They were blamed unfairly for various shootings in clubs and other activities that didn't involve the three members of the band. Northstar as a group will never be forgotten and Young Spray will always be regarded as a part of Northstar as he played a major part in making it known nationwide. However, at the moment Spray is embarking on a solo career having decided to take his life in his own hands. He has already released his debut mixtape, 'Realer Than Most' volume 1 which has been credited as the best underground mixtape of 2007 and is still selling in the shops. Look out for volume 2 which will be on the streets very soon. He is currently trying to finish his debut solo album and has a music video shoot planned for later this year Insha-Allah. He claims that his only reason for continuing his music career is the love he gets from his fans who feel his pain. His music can vary from hard to soft, from smooth to rough or commercial to underground depending on his mood at the time of writing or the mood that the beat brings out of him. He is definitely credited with starting Britain's gangsta rap scene and will continue to spit from the heart and feed those growing up the way he did with hope of making it in the music industry. Finally, he would like to tell all the young people that listen to and love his music that he is not trying to glorify thuglife because there is no glory in burying your friends or not being able to sleep properly because you've killed a man. Far from glorifying it, he states that he is simply advertising it for those unlike himself that don't know what it's like to live where he lives. He says that if u listen closely to his songs, u uncover alot of pain and thats all the road brings, so why would you want to follow him? "It's too late for me", he says, " I'm a G till i die and thats simply because i have to be in order to survive in my jungle because there's man out there prying to take my life! For me to soften up would be stupid and dangerous! The government wants us to put down our guns but yet they refuse to put down theirs! What happened to leading by example? It's okay for them to send their troops to muslim countries to cause havoc and murder people they dont even know, women and children included, but it's a madness if a thug goes and rides on a man thats killed his friend??!! Don't get it twisted because two wrongs don't make a right but if innocent people are killed in their war, they call it 'Collateral Damage' but if a thug hits an innocent bystander with a stray, they call it 'Murder'!! Blatant double standards!!" His advice to the children of today is simply, "To be yourselves and not what you think is cool because this game ain't for the half-hearted so you'll come unstuck sooner or later if your not bout dis ting, man will lift up your skirt for u and show everyone that your a girl really! Finally, try not to lose sight of the bigger picture... to all my real muslim brothers and sisters, our battle isn't against Christianity or any other religion, doesn't Allah (swt) know best? Most Christians are good people and i should know because i grew up as one and my mum still is a Catholic and she's one of the most pious people i know! Insha-Allah they will realise the truth in their own time. It is for Allah (swt) to judge and not for us. Our real enemy is 'The New World Order' and the 'Secret Society' that control the masses! Keep your eyes open and repent for your sins." Wise words from a wise man. He can't go without remembering his fallen soldiers, he says,"Rest In Peace to Ceion Simmons, Marcus Cox, Richard Holmes, Shacky and Larmin (Lampty)... May my enemies 'Rest In Pieces'...Free all my niggaz still locked down. Freedom is a must (seen)! They can lock up our bodies but our minds will always be free to dream and our hearts will always be free to love!!" For bookings or to get Young Spray on your track (money talks), u can e-mail him and leave your contact number at... [email protected] !!
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