A versatile, multicultural rapper, singer/song writer, and music producer from Japan, Ray Kirk has been surrounded by music and International relationships his whole life. His father, played the drums with the iconic band the Commodores and Lionel Richie and his mother is a successful Korean entrepreneur from Japan. From a young age Ray Kirk felt a pull towards music. Inspired by Tupac, he began writing raps at the age of 10 and adopted the stage name Young Kirk. By the age of 14 he was in a rap duo performing around Japan. He worked hard towards his craft and sold his cd’s everywhere he could. At age 17, he met Japanese rapper/producer Staxx and together they created the rap crew, Iyse.

Two years later Ray Kirk was scouted and him and his crew were signed to Columbia Music Japan in 2008. The next year his first album “Iyse” No limit, ranked 4th in the whole country. In 2010, his second album “Icekream” EP was ranked #1 for four weeks on Japanese iTunes. His songs have been used for the World champion Pro boxer Kazuto Ioka’s entrance music and he has performed with various popular Japanese artists such as, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Verbal from m-flo. Ray Kirk has also opened for DJ Unk, Chingy, and Lil John and performed for Franklin Graham.

In 2012, he began to focus on television and MC’ing as well as developing his abilities as a singer. He was a reoccuring MC for Fuji TV’s popular variety quiz show “Brain Renewal Update Q! Smart Monkeys” as Ukioki Boyin Rapper. In 2016, he was given the opportunity to reach new levels in his career and crossing over to the U.S. He began performing in New York and Atlanta. A year later he relocated to the U.S. and eventually settled in Los Angeles in 2019 officially adopting the stage name Ray Kirk. That same year, he took his love of music and business and co-found the record label Lemon Soda Music with his business Partner DANTZ. On May 2020 the label has signed with Universal Music Group. Ray Kirk is working on more new music for himself as well as other artists, producing artists and releasing his first EP “Ride the Wave” by Lemon Soda Music in Winter 2021.