New York-born Rayan Lawrence is the epitome of versatility. Having starred in shows such as ‘Magnum P.I.’, ‘Blue Bloods’, ‘Underground;, ‘FBI’ and more. He is currently debuting as ruthless drug lord “K-9” in Starz’ hit show ‘BMF’. Stern, fluid, business-minded and no-nonsense is his MO, and this time he takes that to an entirely new level with this groundbreaking character! Rayan is not afraid to tackle a new role, and he’s proved just that in season 2 of 50 Cent’s urban drama. Rayan is a rare jewel in the industry and someone to keep our eyes out for.

How does it feel to be playing one of the most unconventional, fearless, and reckless drug dealers?
It feels amazing. The love I’ve gotten from complete strangers who recognize me and have a connection to my performance has been overwhelming. I’ve travelled in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte, NC, etc., [since season 2 was released] and in every city, I’ve spoken with people who identify with the character of “K-9.” Having the opportunity to portray such a complex character on-screen, and chronicle his flaws, his wins, and his losses, is definitely something I have delved deep into and really enjoyed. Seeing people fear this character – both on and off screen – has been a really cool experience to witness. “K-9” is certainly a prolific character that holds his own in the genre of TV gangsters.
How do you prepare to portray K-9?
I built the foundation of the character, and everything flowed from there. I found what I, as Rayan, have in common with the character is we both value respect as paramount and will not take disrespect lightly, from anybody. We both enjoy being well-dressed and expressing ourselves through fashion, we both have strong characteristics of a leader, and we both love basketball. I worked with my acting coach to further develop the character, and did a lot of research on prominent and historic crime families in Detroit. I also listened to DMX daily, as I felt like the lyrics of his music directly correlate to how “K-9” operates. Prayer is also a big preparation step for me, and provided me the confidence I needed to step-in to this role on-set and do the character justice on-screen.
