Music and me / Raehzekeil Rice

Hi, my name is Raehzekeil Rice, and I am a freshman (class of 2027) majoring in computer science. I was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Basketball has been a big part of my life—I’ve been playing since I was about 8 years old, and it has taught me discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. I also come from a large family with six siblings, all of whom (except one) have "Rae" in their names.

While I’ve never been deeply into studying music, I do have some experience with the djembe, recorder, and ukulele. I used to play the ukulele more regularly, though I haven’t picked it up since 9th grade.

As a computer science major, I’m excited to develop my programming skills, gain hands-on experience, and explore different areas of technology. My goal is to build a strong foundation and work toward a career in software development or IT.

In the latter part of 2024, I began my "walk with God," a journey that has deeply transformed various aspects of my life, including the music I listen to. As part of this change, I made the decision to cut off secular music, recognizing that it no longer aligned with my spiritual growth and values. At first, I wondered if I would miss the music I used to enjoy, but then I came across a Christian rapper named Jaz Donell on TikTok. From the moment I heard his music, I was hooked. His sound, lyrics, and overall message resonated with me in a way that filled the void left by secular music. "Paid in Full" was the first song I ever heard of him and definitely has been played by me every day. 

"Sunday Morning" has been my favorite song by him and in general recently, the wordplay in this song caught me so off guard. I listen to this song every day and catch something different. 

Caleb Gordon has been especially personal to me as a Christian rapper with a lot of music, making it easy to listen to him consistently. His lyrics are thought provoking, giving me a deeper perspective on faith and how far it can take you. Along with Jaz Donell, his music has strengthened my relationship with God and provided a powerful alternative to secular music. Instead of feeling like I gave something up, I’ve gained uplifting and inspiring music that aligns with my beliefs. Songs like "God is Good" is one of my favorite songs by him being very catchy and easier to remember.

Heavy metal has never been appealing to me—it just doesn’t sound satisfying to my ears. Slipknot is one of the more popular bands I’ve heard people talk about, but I never actually thought people listened to heavy metal seriously. That changed a few months ago when I went back home and heard some people in my neighborhood blasting it. Before that, I honestly thought it was more of a joke when people played it. Overall, it’s just not a genre I could ever see myself enjoying.