Coming out of Tracy, California, Raye Sundaze grew up like a lot of kids — playing sports, going to school, hanging out with neighborhood friends and finding ways to make the most out of his surroundings. His parents split when he was young, and his family moved around often. Because of that, Raye learned early how to adjust, start over and find his place wherever life took him.
Growing up in Tracy, there wasn’t always much to do. As a kid, he spent time at the skate park, roamed around town and bounced between different groups of friends. As he got older, getting out of town became something he looked forward to. Whenever he had the chance to head toward the Bay Area or Sacramento, he was on it.
Those trips also put him closer to the music and culture that would eventually influence him as an artist.
Raye’s musical influences come from a wide range of sounds. His father exposed him to rock, funk and R&B, while his mother introduced him to country, soul and gospel. On his own, Raye gravitated toward Bay Area rap and R&B, taking inspiration from the many legends who came out of the region.
Being so close to the Bay Area had a major impact on him, not only musically but also in the way he viewed the music business. He watched artists build their names independently, pushing their music directly to the people and selling records out the trunk. That independent spirit stuck with him.
Raye wrote his first song at 21 years old. Now 34, he has spent years creating music without officially putting it out. He experimented with Audacity back in the day, recorded a few songs in studios around Stockton and Modesto, and later used platforms like BandLab and GarageBand. The music was always there, but the official release never came.
That finally changed on July 31, 2026.
Raye released his first and currently only official song, “Summertime 2025 in San Diego.” Recorded at SUHO Studios in San Diego with engineer Mark Suhonen, the record tells a much deeper story than its title might suggest.
“Summertime 2025 in San Diego” is a redemption song.
The record reflects Raye’s battle with addiction and the period of homelessness that followed. The lyrics carry the weight of that experience, while the production creates an uplifting, nostalgic feeling that gives the song another layer. Raye describes a difficult stretch where “May was grey and June had a gloomy sky,” eventually leading into a rainy late July.
But the story doesn’t end there.
The song represents Raye beginning to put his life back together in the same place where he once felt like everything was falling apart. After getting clean, he turned those experiences into music and used the record as a way to document his journey forward.
Now six months clean, Raye Sundaze is looking at “Summertime 2025 in San Diego” as more than just his first release. It is a reminder of where he came from, what he survived and the life he is working to build.
The response has already been bigger than he expected.
Just 22 days after the song was released, it caught the attention of @DJswish, the San Diego Padres stadium DJ, and “Summertime 2025 in San Diego” was played during a segment between innings at a Padres game.
Then on September 9, the record reached another major milestone when it premiered on San Diego’s hit music station Z90 (@Z90sandiego) as part of the station’s Trending 20.
For an artist who spent years making music without officially releasing it, those moments carry a lot of weight.
Raye isn’t stopping with his first record. He already has new music in the works, including “Goin Through Some Thangs” and “When You Call.” Release dates have not been announced yet, but the next chapter is already being written.
Along the way, Raye has had people in his corner who helped him develop both his confidence and his sound. He gives a special shoutout to his former barber and friend Black, who taught him how to write hooks and melodies and encouraged him to really come with it when it came to music.
He also credits his brother Tony for always believing in him, and his longtime partner in life, Phil, who always told him to never stop going. Phil has since passed away, but the words still stay with Raye.
Raye also recognizes Mark Suhonen for helping bring the vision for “Summertime 2025 in San Diego” to life, Xavier Xman for going to bat for him and pushing the record toward Z90, and the entire Z90 San Diego team for giving the song a platform on the radio.
Raye Sundaze may be new to the official release game, but his story has been developing for years.
