Ryan Oakes

Links

Official Website

Originality gestates in the space between extremes. Ryan Oakes siphons a signature style from the nostalgic sound of old school hip-hop, fused with deeply personal lyrical themes and a unique modern flair. The Virginia-born and Los Angeles-based rapper, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and artist carves out his own hyper-charged hypnotic hybrid with no shortage of energy and attitude. His commitment to independence and integrity has yielded nearly half-a-billion streams and a devout fanbase. “I put my own personality into the music as much as I can,” he notes. “There are some witty lines and a lot of personal truths. We’re trying to blend the genres so well to a point where you can’t label what we’re doing. It’s super detailed down to the smallest piece. That’s the Ryan Oakes secret sauce. It’s something no one else can replicate.” His most recent project is a fiery explosion of passion fueled by early 2000s beats and intimately personal lyrics. Kicking off with a searing slab of hard rap in “I WISH,” this new cycle is gearing up to serve some of Oakes’ ... [ more ] Originality gestates in the space between extremes. Ryan Oakes siphons a signature style from the nostalgic sound of old school hip-hop, fused with deeply personal lyrical themes and a unique modern flair. The Virginia-born and Los Angeles-based rapper, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and artist carves out his own hyper-charged hypnotic hybrid with no shortage of energy and attitude. His commitment to independence and integrity has yielded nearly half-a-billion streams and a devout fanbase.

“I put my own personality into the music as much as I can,” he notes. “There are some witty lines and a lot of personal truths. We’re trying to blend the genres so well to a point where you can’t label what we’re doing. It’s super detailed down to the smallest piece. That’s the Ryan Oakes secret sauce. It’s something no one else can replicate.”

His most recent project is a fiery explosion of passion fueled by early 2000s beats and intimately personal lyrics. Kicking off with a searing slab of hard rap in “I WISH,” this new cycle is gearing up to serve some of Oakes’ most honest and affecting music yet. “SUICIDAL THOUGHTS (NO ONE’S HOME)” featuring Against The Current’s Chrissy Costanza is a heartfelt and anthemic track that highlights the struggling battle with mental health. Always delivering the perfect mixture of emotion and energy, Ryan Oakes continues to be a lead innovator in the rock-rap game.

Growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Ryan embraced a creative spirit and taught himself music at a young age, inspired by the likes of Linkin Park, Eminem, and Hollywood Undead. As his love of music grew throughout middle and high school, Ryan gave up his lacrosse scholarship to focus on his newfound passion. Touching down in Los Angeles with no money or plans, his track “Drinking About You” serendipitously exploded, eventually tallying over 47 million Spotify streams and counting.

“It blew the hell up on Spotify for no reason,” he notes. “It was like the universe patted me on the back and said ‘This is the right path.’ It gave me the confidence to run with it, keep my head down and grind until I could get to where I’m at now. It’s crazy how far it’s gone, but I don’t even think we’ve scratched the surface of how far we can take it.”

Since the initial success of “Drinking About You,” Ryan Oakes started dropping music at a dizzying pace. Collaborating with iconic artists like Hollywood Undead, MOD SUN, Chrissy Costanza, and State Champs, the past ten years of hard work left Ryan with multiple hit songs and a dedicated fanbase. His 2019 song “NUMB” surpassed 36 million streams on Spotify alone, and the 2022 “2L8” has reached 24 million Spotify streams and counting.

Translating that epic energy from the studio to the stage, Ryan Oakes hit the road in 2023 for his first headlining “WAKE UP TOUR” across the US. Since then, he’s toured across the continent with artists such as Jake Hill, Chris Webby, Ekoh, and more. With performances throughout the UK / Europe set for Winter 2025 with Zero 9:36, Ryan Oakes is only just getting started.
Growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Ryan embraced a creative spirit and taught himself music at a young age, inspired by the likes of Linkin Park, Eminem, and Hollywood Undead. As his love of music grew throughout middle and high school, Ryan gave up his lacrosse scholarship to focus on his newfound passion. Touching down in Los Angeles with no money or plans, his track “Drinking About You” serendipitously exploded, eventually tallying over 47 million Spotify streams and counting.

“It blew the hell up on Spotify for no reason,” he notes. “It was like the universe patted me on the back and said ‘This is the right path.’ It gave me the confidence to run with it, keep my head down and grind until I could get to where I’m at now. It’s crazy how far it’s gone, but I don’t even think we’ve scratched the surface of how far we can take it.”

Since the initial success of “Drinking About You,” Ryan Oakes started dropping music at a dizzying pace. Collaborating with iconic artists like Hollywood Undead, MOD SUN, Chrissy Costanza, and State Champs, the past ten years of hard work left Ryan with multiple hit songs and a dedicated fanbase. His 2019 song “NUMB” surpassed 36 million streams on Spotify alone, and the 2022 “2L8” has reached 24 million Spotify streams and counting.

Translating that epic energy from the studio to the stage, Ryan Oakes hit the road in 2023 for his first headlining “WAKE UP TOUR” across the US. Since then, he’s toured across the continent with artists such as Jake Hill, Chris Webby, Ekoh, and more. With performances throughout the UK / Europe set for Winter 2025 with Zero 9:36, Ryan Oakes is only just getting started. [ less ]