Introducing Tray Bien

Tray “Tray Bien” Okoth 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 scene. HIP Video Promo is pleased to introduce this multi-talented artist’s new music video for “So It Begins.”

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 Bamboo, a Kenyan rapper, were both major contributors to his personal music style. Click here for the full bio.