What It Takes to Be A Man --- Raven Night$hade
Raven Night$hade – From Michigan’s Underground to Country-Rock’s New Outlaw Voice
Born in Albion, Michigan to Steven D. Wooten Sr. and Linda Diane (Shimkus) Wooten, Raven Night$hade’s life has never followed the straight-and-narrow. Raised in Homer, he came up as a wayward teen—one whose turbulent path led to prison before music gave him a second chance. After earning parole, Raven entered a contest hosted by Nikki Bonds, and against all odds, he walked away the winner. The prize: a full year of studio recording time with Droptop Productions. That victory cracked open the door to a lifelong career built on grit, survival, and raw talent.
Before country rock came calling, Raven was already a legend in Lansing’s underground rap scene. A relentless creator, he co-founded a long list of cult-classic groups including My$tik Mindz, $makaho Tribe, Rebel $oulz, G@nja Gang, Wicked Willowz, Micronautz, Dirty Rascal’s, and many more. His ability to shapeshift sonically and lyrically drew the attention of Michael Carter, leading him to join forces with Westing Media and expand his creative reach.
Away from the spotlight, Raven is a dedicated single father to four children—India Wooten, Damon Bolden, Angel Wooten, and Ayvan Wooten—a responsibility that anchors him even as his music career accelerates.
But life had even harder lessons in store. After dying three times in a single summer and clawing his way back during recovery, Raven emerged with a new voice—one sharpened by pain, faith, and the will to rise again. Out of that near-death season came his newest—and boldest—project: a country-rock crossover album that cements him as a force far beyond genre lines.
The New Album: What It Takes to Be a Man (2025)
A blistering, truth-telling record rooted in outlaw spirit, heartbreak, redemption, and raw back-road storytelling.
Tracklist:
1. What It Take to Be a Man
2. Just Beating You to Hell
3. Belly Chains / Johnny Law
4. Corn $weat City
5. Hope It Was Worth It
6. $till Addicted 2 You
7. Damn Girl!!!
8. Same Thing That Can Make U Laugh Can Make U Cry
9. $till Addicted 2 You 2
10. Bury Me on a Back Road (Cover)
11. What It Take to Be a Man – Acoustic Version
With parental advisory heat and a sound forged from both the underground and the heartland, Raven Night$hade stands as the embodiment of a new era in outlaw country rock—a Lansing rap artist turned country-rock powerhouse, proving that the hardest roads make the strongest voices
"The question isn't who's going to let me; it's who is going to stop me"
Ayn Rand's
