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The dimly lit fo’c’sle of the Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) booms like a night club with catchy, upbeat music at open mic night as a fearless singer takes to the floor, hyping up the crowd with the effortless swagger of a seasoned performer. It becomes clear that this isn’t this Sailor’s first time in front of an audience, and behind the cool shades is a soft spoken, humble man whose life story is filled with struggle and ambition.
While it might not be apparent when he’s in uniform, Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 3rd Class Raul Ortega Garay, wears two hats aboard the Truman: one as a proud Sailor fixing emergency equipment for pilots, and the other as a professional singer by the name Vibe Exclusive, who’s currently signed to Sony Records with a handful of singles that are now getting worldwide attention. His hit single “Pull Up Remix” features rap superstar The Game, and has already reached 480,000 downloads since its release, which has garnered him an ever-growing fanbase online and the #1 spot on Apple Music Spotify’s Top 100 New Indie Artist List, even while on deployment.
“I’ve always written music for other people,” said Ortega. “I never had the courage to do it myself, but once my best friend passed away, it hit close to home and gave me that extra motivation I needed to write a song for myself.”
Growing up in the rough streets of Compton, California, was always a challenge for Ortega. He was born on July, 12, 1991 at Martin Luther King Hospital, a hospital notorious for its high death rates from gang-related violence.
“They called the hospital ‘The Killer King’ because people were just literally there to drop dead,” said Ortega. “It was the nearest hospital to where most gang activity resided.”
His mother claims that his talents and blessings happened as a result of a solar eclipse that occurred during his birth, and young Ortega went on to have a string of successes in the world of hip hop dance, despite the harsh realities surrounding him. Because of his dancing and academics skills, he received an arts scholarship to UCLA, where he went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. He also joined the dance crew Poreotics the team that won America’s Best Dance Crew on season 5, a victory that ultimately landed him a dream job as a background dancer for superstar Chris Brown during his ‘Exclusive’ tour in 2009.
Even though he enjoyed a successful streak in entertainment, Ortega said he was always interested in the military as a youth. When parental responsibilities took priority over industry pursuits, he proudly swore into the Navy to provide for his daughter in a more stable way.
“She was the motivation I needed to join” said Ortega. “Joining the Navy was to pay for her education.”
Since then, Ortega has discovered his passion for making songs, landed a four year contract with Sony Records and is already on his way to finishing his first album.
“Pull Up Remix ft. The Game” is probably the biggest song I’ve done because The Game’s a successful mainstream artist,” said Ortega. “For him to want to be on my song after hearing it on the radio in L.A. is such a huge honor for me.”
Ortega recognizes his current success in the music industry with the gratitude and humility of a man who’s been worn by life’s ups and downs but still youthfully passionate about his dreams.
“I’m still this guy from Compton, California,” said Ortega. “For me to get the attention I’ve been getting is surreal.”
He credits his smooth transition into Sailor life aboard a carrier as the result of the tireless help and guidance of his Navy mentors, such as Chief Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Ryan Lafone, Chief Damage Controlman Andrea Wilson, and countless others.
“He’s a very motivated Sailor,” said Lafone, the IM-2 leading chief petty officer. “We like him because he’s coachable and always looking for ways to improve.”
With deployment’s repetitive workflow and days that blend into the other, sometimes the grind can stifle the creative process.
“Being out to sea makes it tough to find motivation sometimes because you don’t have a lot of time to focus on what you love,” said Ortega. “And PR is such a strict rate that I couldn’t do music as well without the help of supporters.”
Just like the solar eclipse that occurred during his birth, it seems miracles continue to happen for him, as his manager is arranging collaborations with Rick Ross, Chris Brown and Dani Leigh. Ortega’s also working on a song with Truman’s Command Master Chief Keith Wilkerson called ‘We are the Harry S. Truman.’ Ortega’s finishing up his first commercial album, ‘Feel the Vibe’ for release on major streaming services August 2022.
Dedicated to entertaining crowds since he was a child, it’s not strange that dancing and making music go hand in hand for this highly ambitious Compton-native. He looks forward to serving his time in the Navy while inspiring others as a recording artist, just like his musical idols Michael Jackson, Usher, and Chris Brown inspired him to pursue his dreams.
“The Navy’s given me opportunity to travel the world, collaborate with other hungry artists that are also in the Navy, and help each other grow,” said Ortega. “I’ve already been a professional dancer, now I aspire to make music to make the world dance!”
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2022 17:11 |
| Story ID: | 436132 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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