Tray Bien

Tray “Tray Bien” Okoth (born December 4, 1987) is a Kenyan-American hip-hop artist, poet and author.

Originally from Nairobi, Kenya, Tray grew up as the youngest of three children to parents Simon and Elizabeth Okoth. In 2003, Tray and his family made the 7,500 mile move from Nairobi to Richmond, VA, where he quickly made a name for himself in the local high school basketball scene. His natural ability and hard work ethic on the court was recognized by college scouts, and he graciously went on to accept a full athletic scholarship to Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. While in college, Tray capitalized on an opportunity to channel his creative talents off the court, declaring art as his major.

In the summer of 2010, a prestigious offer was presented to Tray to play basketball in Europe, but due to problems in obtaining travel documents, he was forced to cancel his travel plans and remain in the states. Though devastated by the situation, Tray refused to let this setback define the direction of his life. He decided to embrace it as an opportunity for him to return home and pursue another passion of his, making music.

Music had always played a prominent role in Tray’s life. While growing up in Kenya, he gravitated towards the soulful styles of artists like Billy Holliday and Nina Simone, in addition to drawing inspiration from many unique regional acts in the area. Ayub Ogada, a traditional Kenyan singer, and ******, a Kenyan rapper, were both major contributors to his personal music style. For Tray, music was far more than just a form of entertainment. He connected with musicians on a distinctively personal level, immersing himself within the thoughts and emotions of their songs.

Tray began recording in October 2010, and despite having no previous musical experience, the process for him turned out to be completely organic. Because Tray was already used to writing poetry as a means of expression, he found a natural fit in the lyric-friendly style of hip-hop. He writes all of his own lyrics, so each of his songs serves as a personal narrative about his life and experiences. Tray considers his style of music as distinct, inimitable and revolutionary, referring to it as “world music” due to its universal appeal.