Random, aka Mega Ran, Big Ran or Random Beats. Teacher, Rapper, Hero.
Born Raheem Jarbo in Philadelphia to a southern mother and African father, Random’s songs are filled with all of the heartache, pain, triumph, tragedy and fun that come with everyday living. A Philadelphia native and Phoenix transplant, graduate of Penn State University and middle school instructor, Random speaks to the everyman, transcending race or class barriers.”I never want anyone to predict my next move,” he says. You can, however, expect the unexpected from Random, hence the name.
After teaching himself to make beats on the MTV Music Generator software for PlayStation, Random landed a job at a Philadelphia studio as a producer and engineer. During downtime, he would create his first demo tape. This led to Random signing with indie label RAHM Nation Recordings and releasing his debut album, The Call in 2006.
The Call, a very political and spiritually charged album, went on to rave reviews and critical acclaim. The video for its single “Push” went on to be nominated for an Australian independent short film award. The Call is now being utilized in university coursework in several colleges in the US.
Random made waves by going way left of his backpack roots when he released “Mega Ran” in 2007. It was an album completely comprised of sampled 8-bit beats from the hit video game series “Mega Man.” The album (and its follow up, Mega Ran 9) virtually exploded after video game corporation CAPCOM offered Random a special licensing agreement, and calling on Ran to perform at Comic-Con and other special events.
In 2009, Random signed a deal with Japanese record label River City Records and released RANDOMONIUM, a collection of previously released material.
In 2010, Random collaborated with critically acclaimed producer K-Murdock to release FOREVER FAMICOM, a conceptual album paying homage to the 8-Bit NES and 16-Bit Super NES video game consoles.
In 2011, less than a year after the success of FOREVER FAMICOM, Random teamed with AZ producer LOST PERCEPTION to create “Black Materia,” an immense album experience that chronicled the events and story of the classic video game Final Fantasy VII. This album went on to rank in the top 10 of its categories on Amazon and iTunes, beating out mainstream stars such as Kanye West and Lil Wayne.
Today, Random is no longer a teacher by title, but still travels the world to entertain and educate through the gift of music. From the clubs and lounges to the packed comic and gaming conventions all over, Random’s music has managed game and movie soundtrack placements and press coverage in Playstation Magazine, Wired Magazine, The Phoenix New Times, URB Magazine, Game Developer, Nintendo Power, and more.
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