X-Raided 1,992

X-Raided (Anerae VeShaughn Brown) was born in Sacramento, California. At 16 years old, he was discovered by Cedric Singleton, CEO of Black Market Records, resulting in the creation of X-Raided’s debut album Psycho Active. Having one foot in the music industry and the other in the streets resulted in a 17 year old X-Raided being arrested and charged with gang-related homicide. During a lengthy, controversial trial, X-Raided made Hip-hop history as the first rapper to have his lyrics used against him in court. He was convicted in 1996 and sentenced to 31 years to Life in prison, yet continued to release popular records from behind bars, including Xorcist and The Unforgiven Vol. 1, which hit 14 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart.

In a dramatic turn of events, X-Raided benefited from the implementation of California Senate Bill 260, which established a parole hearing mechanism for people serving Life Sentences for crimes they committed as juveniles. As a result, X-Raided was found suitable for parole and was freed on September 14, 2018, having served a total of 26 years, 5 months and 26 days.

The underground rap phenomenon may have lost an incomprehensible amount of time, but he understands its importance now more than ever—and he’s using it for a much higher purpose. Upon his release, X-Raided hit the ground running. He recorded new music and filmed new videos – garnering over 1.9 million views for California Dreamin' [Bloc Star 2018]. He went on several tour runs and gave interviews that generated significant buzz.

After successfully completing critically acclaimed reentry programs such as The Dream Center and Hope For Prisoners, he grabbed a microphone and picked up right where he left off, igniting Tech N9ne’s “Still Right Here” [feat. X-Raided, Garett Raff & Simeon] from the chart-dominating ASIN9NE album in addition to appearing on tracks with King Iso, Joey Cool, and Kurupt. At the same time, he emerged as an advocate for reform, sharing his perspective with the likes of TMZ, The Sacramento Bee and The New York Post.

In 2022, he inked a deal with Strange Music Inc., which was announced while he was on stage at Red Rocks in front of a crowd of 10,000, creating a fitting new beginning for a man whose life story had already reached mythological proportions.

Since then he carefully crafted what would become, A Prayer In Hell [2023 Strange Music, Inc.]. By telling a tale of personal rebirth, he delivers a body of work with universal implications. “It documents a process of development,” he reveals. “I had to unlearn so much in order to learn how to have a healthier life.” In the end, X-Raided’s prayer is universal: “Whatever difficulty people are experiencing, I want them to know that they can survive and thrive. If I can do it, so can you.”