Conversations with Manny Ro’Zay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Manny Ro’Zay.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Ahh my story *Deep dramatic sigh* Which part? ha-ha okay no so let me be honest… My story is a roller coaster to say the least, but I will always stick by and say that my story actually began pretty well. Born and raised in Jacksonville, FL. I’m the child of a strong beautiful black mother, and a Short handsome hard-working corona drinking Mexican father. Am I black or Biracial? We will let the internet decide (bats eyelashes, blank stare). Anyways, my mother was a singer, and I was told that she chose having me and being a wife over her singing career. For context, my mother or “DIVA” which was her stage name speaks fluent Spanish and apparently was a hot commodity around the time because being a dark-skinned Spanish speaking singer in the middle of the mariachi band was a thing back then. I never forget playing her demo cd as a child where she covered Aretha Franklin “Respect” & Whitney Houston “I will always love you” or watching this fever dream of a video where she has big hair and is dancing to “Ice Ice Baby” with my older sister’s mother. I brought this story up briefly and plan to go deeper into it one day because I found out that this directly relates to the gift and talent that I eventually found out about later on in the years of my life. Like I said in the beginning, my story began pretty well… My mother met my stepdad when I was 2 years old and till this day, he is for sure considered my father and played the biggest part in my upbringing as well. I love that man and shoutout to Honduras! Oh, by the way I’m the only one of my siblings that speaks Spanish as well but back to the topic. In a nutshell both of my parents were business owners, running their own construction and cleaning companies. My dad has built some iconic buildings in Jacksonville that people would never even know. So yeah, I grew up pretty privileged in comparison to my other family members and people I’d hang out with in school. I was the kid with the nice clothes, and latest electronics but I never knew this because my parents never raised us to see those things as value to who we were, we just always had nice stuff. My mother instilled hard work for me at an early age when she had me working at her shoe store at 10/11 years old that was named after me and my little brother “EmmJac Shoe Xpress” Lord why? I was always tech Savy, always had a big imagination, always was creative and didn’t even know it or what it would mean to me now as an adult. I used to pretend I was on Disney channel, lock myself in my room and dance to pop songs mimicking music videos, my favorite of thing of them all was knowing and performing to the whole CATS the musical VHS I had. I’ll bet you $5 that if you ask one of my family members what’s one of my favorite movies, they will tell you CATS. I also used to burn CD’s, come up with playlists and my mom would always get people to buy them from me for $5, I lived on programs like “Sonic record now”, “LimeWire”, and “Windows Media player” mind you this was before I was even 10 years old. I remember when I started to become known in my city by being the guy who edited myspace photos and designing profiles, then being a product of my environment that quickly turned into me being known for my mouth and what one would call today a “bad boy”. Alright I did the best I can to shorten my early beginnings and I’m honestly leaving out a whole lot so to those who don’t know me this may sound all over the place, but I hope you at least get a idea of how the roots of “Manny Ro’Zay” were planted. Spoiler alert… The story definitely takes a wild turn at age 13 but we can get into that later, I think voyage may want a video interview for that (Joking but hit my line if so lol). While I haven’t reached the fairytale ending yet, my story and my life have definitely made me into the Man, Child, Creative, and ARTIST that I am today. Life has a funny way of showing you who you are before you become who you are and I always have to give thanks to God for not only showing me but reminding me and never letting me let go of that image. If you wake up and go to sleep every single day thinking about your future you would know where I’m coming from!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Would I like a smoothie? Sure… Oh I’m sorry you asked has my life been a smooth road! If I can compare the smoothness of the road that my life has followed to an actual road in Atlanta (For the ATLiens) it would be Dekalb Avenue, or whatever road that has those annoying metal plates that cover potholes everywhere. Alot of my struggles recently have been things that I don’t even really talk about publicly and keep between God and I, some things not even my closest friends even know about. I tend to feel misunderstood a lot so it’s in my cardinal nature to keep things in a lot, I’m learning to break out of that but Rome was not built in a day. However, in a nutshell and to make it sound cute for this interview… some of my biggest struggles early on was definitely dealing with my sexuality being exposed to my mother at 13, fighting for my respect, figuring out my identity, finding my Why, and most recently which happens to be one of the biggest and most pivotal things Love and losing it. I’m shortening a lot here but if you listen to my music or follow my art, or my socials in general you will notice that I definitely get very candid about everything. The best part about being a creative is finding new ways to tell my story and other people’s stories through my art.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Rapper, Songwriter, & Artist in every aspect. Most people in Atlanta know me from being able to cook really really good, the last time I was in voyage I discussed that but I’m definitely excited to share with the world, you all and your viewers in my opinion the best and most special part of me which is the artist side of me. I’d like to say that my passion for creating music sets me apart from others. A passion that was honestly always there if you think back to what I shared about my childhood earlier but was definitely cultivated and grew through life and everything I had to go through to find my talent and my “why”. From a business standpoint, there’s a lane for me and I know that I’m marketable but that’s not why I do this. Like at all, I could care less about the vanity and fame aspect of everything. I know that’s not why music found me and continues to chase me every time I get frustrated and want to leave it. Coincidentally, my relationship with music began at the end of my relationship with an actual human. Music saved my life, and it honestly continues to save me. If I could help others, especially little kids who are just born with that creative gene feel that way about their passions even if it’s not music, then I would leave this earth a very happy little crab.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Woah great question. One would say that Luck has carried me through life and been there for me in the craziest situations in EVERY aspect of my life. I hate to sound religious or rub people the wrong way… wait actually I don’t. But If we’re being honest what I find that this “luck” was the whole time was really God’s grace over my life. God’s protection, & Redirection every time I needed it whether I asked for it, or knew what was happening in real time. I feel like I can only speak to this because looking back every time I thought I was being “punished” it only propelled me to a better place and space than before, literally each and every time. Life hasn’t been easy or fair for me, but I literally have always had everything I needed and strategically placed around people who have mostly helped me more than took from me. I cherish those people so much, and most of all I thank God so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.MannyRozay.com
• Instagram: @mannyrozayy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiovanniJamess/
• Twitter: @mannyrozayy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MannyRozay
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/manny-rozay-993056394