Rayon Payne

Rayon Payne is known by many names. He was born on (November 7, 1974) in Guyana, South America, and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. Payne is most known for being the only man in U.S. history who was sent to prisons for masterminding the largest unlicensed radio network most commonly known as "pirate radio". The pirate radio station was known as 95live (95.9FM) in Orlando, Fl. Payne hosted a talk show called (Afternoon Crash) weekdays with Co- Host Maestro & Chaos, and longtime producer Micheal "Cheda" Rich. Due to the success of the radio show, 95live, and being an out spoken critic of local government, Payne became a target of Central Florida law enforcement agencies. In July 2000 he graced the cover of Orlando Weekly.

In the late 90's at the height of the success of 95live Payne had many run ins with law enforcement, he was arrested for organized fraud for the use of stolen credit cards to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of radio equipment which law enforcement said is how he started 95live. In March 2000, Payne pleaded no contest to two third-degree felonies: possession of a stolen credit card and scheming to defraud a business. He received five years probation on each count and was ordered to pay restitution. While his case was being worked out, Payne traveled to Miami and started another pirate station there. In Miami, he blended in well because Miami has a history of radio pirates, with the FCC shutting down more than 20 low-watt stations over the last several years.

It was not long, however, before homesickness drove them back north. Orlando, with all of its small-time ambitions, started to look better and better. But instead of returning to the outskirts of Orlando, he relaunched 95Live in the heart of downtown, where everything was happening. Payne found a $1,500-a-month office on West Pine Street less than a block from Orange Avenue, Orlando City Hall, and two blocks over from Orlando Police Headquarters. Payne could look out of their second-floor window and comment on the passersby walking below.

While on probation on his fraud case Payne was arrested for sexual battery which stemmed from a 95live event, a live broadcast at the Firestone night club. He went to trial on August 26, 2002, with his longtime attorney Michael Dicembre after two days he was found guilty, and was later sentenced on August 28, 2002, to 10 years on the sexual battery, and 10 years for violation of his probation on the organized fraud. Payne was sent to Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) the very same week. The conviction of Payne was a shock and left more questions, but for to his critics he got just what he deserved.

An appeal to the Fifth District Court of Appeal of Florida followed and was later affirmed without an opinion or cited case law which means Payne would have to sever 85% of a 20 years sentence.

Payne did not roll over and play dead. He studied the Rules of Court in (3) months and filed hand written pleading on his own behalf since his appeal was affirmed on March 27, 2003. And never in the United States history has anyone represented themselves and single handedly overturned their convictions in (2) separate cases.

<==Music & Radio History== In 2004 N$X along with his two Co Hosts Maestro & Chaos release the best of the "Afternoon Crash" title Unfinished Bizness. < Click here to Listen >

Most of the sexual chatter occurs on Payne's show, mainly because he is more talk-show host than DJ. The first question he often asks of hip-hop celebrities is how many white chicks are they banging. He asks women to sleep with him. If he becomes angry at them, he calls them bitches, whores or sluts, and has threatened to beat them with a baseball bat. (Guys are called "shorties." ) Then he wonders why women think he's intimidating.

Several weeks ago Payne, as NSX, took a call from a woman who said she'd pulled over in a rainstorm to cheer him up. At the time, Payne was bummed out because he'd received news that a buddy was in jail. The woman, who had a sexy-as-hell voice, seemed receptive to NSX's come-ons. But would not you know, he blew it. He began crooning a love song about the romance, he wanted to give her Vaseline and anal sex. He asked a visitor in the DJ booth to supply the "da-da-dum" background vocals. Several listeners, anxious to help, called in singing, too. The woman laughed but told NSX anal sex was out. "I don't go that route," she concluded.

About the only thing you cannot say on 95Live is "the F word." DJs routinely tell callers not to use it, though the rule is often ignored. It can be sung, however. A cannabis song making the rounds right now has a female voice singing the refrain, "fuck you," over and over.

Mainstream broadcasters hate pirate radio because the upstarts get to break all the rules, including not having to pay the Federal Communications Commission for licensing. Yet 95Live does have the occasional listener among corporate Orlando radio. "They're like an unlicensed college radio station," says Phil Michaels Trueba, programming director of WPYO (95.3-FM). "They talk about what they want to talk about. It's some crazy, crazy stuff. Some of us corporate people wish we could do that stuff, but we can't. We don't want to get those fines.... There's a lot of profanity; that's why kids love it. That's what it is, freedom. There's no handcuffs. They are the WWF of radio."

Like a pro wrestler, a rap star or a "Jerry Springer" guest, Payne is willing to take on nearly everyone. Even successful recording artists get little respect, especially when they fail on their promise to make in-station appearances, as De La Soul and Common did on July 28. Payne warned them several times. "You can come down here or I can rip you on the air," he said. "You're embarrassing me." After some back and forth on the phone with a local promoter, Payne told his audience to boycott the hip-hop show that night at House of Blues. Then he played a bit by comedian George Carlin: "I think that if white people are going to burn down black churches, then black people should burn down the House of Blues. What a fucking disgrace that place is."

Eventually Posdnuos of De La Soul called in, apologizing, "We're big fans of you. You're the only station blazing the music."

In some ways, respect is more important to Payne than money. Respect is what drove him into radio in the first place. Several years ago he was shopping around his self-produced single, "Cherish the Day." When Orlando's top black station, WJHM (101.9-FM), would not play it, Payne checked the Internet to learn how to start his own station. He set up in his apartment in a gated community near Orlando International Airport. Payne's 100-watt transmitter barely reached across the city, the antenna having been placed up a pine tree outside his window.