Big Ray
UNDRGRND Issue 5 “The Central Coast”
Hailing from Santa Maria, Calif., Big Ray (a.k.a. “Big Ray The Don”) offers a youthful and energetic skill set somewhat rare to find in the current Central Coast scene. The 23-year-old (born Raymond Mendibles) has been dropping tracks for over six years and has a number of standout music videos to accompany his catalog. His “Digital” and “Lip Lock” videos (both directed by Jace Elliot) have amassed over 10k views combined on YouTube to date.
UNDRGRND first met Big Ray through Issue 3 artist and fellow Righetti High School alumnus, FYAMOJI. According to Big Ray, the two first met in Miss Reed’s English class but weren’t friends until they linked up through the music world later on. Now, the two frequently make songs together, as FYAMOJI has now become Big Ray’s most used producer.
2021 saw just two singles from Big Ray—“Yessir” (feat. June) and “Got This”—while an album is promised on the near horizon. As far as live shows, the Taurus has natural stage presence. His set at the Issue 5 release concert was perhaps the most memorable, for his animated personality meshed well with guest performances by June, KaceyFamily, and FG ThrillA.
To help fund his music career, Big Ray works at the Garden Center at The Home Depot in Santa Maria (“I’m the plant man”). He told UNDRGRND his favorite movie and TV show are “Gran Torino” and “Snowfall”, respectively. Aside from making impressive music, Big Ray is a comedian at heart, and easily one of the funniest rappers in the entire 805 hip-hop community. If he’s not in the booth or proudly promoting his friend’s local clothing line Blueswrld, you might find Big Ray at his favorite Central Coast food spot—San Luis Obispo’s High Street Deli.
“I'm trying to put everybody in a good position where they're fit for life. And to me that's a Don.”
