Ray Vaughn & AZ Chike Drop ‘Hit and Run’: From Chaos to Pop Success

Ray Vaughn & AZ Chike’s ‘Hit and Run’ Is the High-Energy Collab We Needed

If you’ve been following Ray Vaughn, you know his path to the spotlight wasn’t exactly a red carpet rollout. The 25-year-old Long Beach native didn’t just land a spot on the TDE roster by accident—he earned it through a mix of raw talent and a relentless “Freestyle Friday” grind that started just to make his friends laugh.

His latest drop, “Hit and Run” featuring AZ Chike, feels like a celebratory lap. It’s got that polished, pop-leaning bounce, but it doesn’t lose the West Coast grit that made us notice him in the first place.

More Than Just a “Freestyle Friday” Success

Ray’s story is one of those “how did he do it?” scenarios. Growing up as the third oldest of seven in a house he describes as “unpredictable chaos,” music became his outlet.

While most artists try to go viral by chasing trends, Ray did it by being himself. His “Freestyle Fridays” videos weren’t high-budget productions; they were just a guy with a lot on his mind and a gift for wordplay. That authenticity is exactly why his fan base feels so connected to him—they’ve watched him grow from a local favorite to a national name.

The Dynamic: Ray Vaughn meets AZ Chike

“Hit and Run” works because it’s a collision of two different worlds:

• Ray Vaughn brings the sharp, technical flow he honed in the chaos of his youth.

• AZ Chike brings that quintessential California “function” energy that makes you want to turn the volume up to 10.

It’s catchy, it’s fast-paced, and it’s arguably Ray’s most accessible track to date. It shows he’s not just a “lyricist” stuck in a box—he knows how to make a hit that actually moves people.

The Verdict

Ray Vaughn is proving that an “unconventional” start is often the best foundation. He took the madness of a seven-sibling household and the simplicity of a social media series and turned it into a career that’s currently on an upward trajectory.

“Hit and Run” is a reminder that even when things get pop-friendly, Ray is still the same kid from Long Beach who can out-rap anyone in the room.

Stream “Hit and Run” now on all platforms.