Rafael Reyes is an American singer, painter, author, restaurateur and former gang member. He is widely regarded as the founder of the Chologoth music genre. His paintings and art forms incorporate a mystical style.
Wiki/Biography
Rafael Reyes aka Leafar Seyer aka Nite Ritual was born on Saturday, August 2, 1975 in Cotija, Michoacán, Mexico (47 years old; as of 2022). His zodiac sign is Leo. At the age of four, he came to San Diego, California, USA illegally with his family and received an amnesty and a permanent green card. He attended Pacific Beach High School and had a special interest in art from an early age.
Childhood photos of Rafael Reyes and his family
He became a member of the Sherman 27th Street Grant Hill Park gang as a teenager when his father got into a scuffle with local gang members who had earlier made fun of his sister.
Rafael Reyes (center) with other members of the Grant Hill Park gang at 27th Street in Sherman
At the age of eighteen, after completing school, he opened the first vegan/vegetarian Mexican restaurant in San Diego with his father and named it Pokez. He ran the restaurant for 18 years; however, when his father passed away in 2005, he sold the restaurant to his brother.
Rafael Reyes (second from right) with friends
In 2010, he served six months in prison for assault, a double strike under California’s three-strikes law, which meant he could be sentenced to decades in prison or life in prison if he assaulted anyone again. Later he began to create paintings and music.
Rafael Reyes entered the entertainment industry in his early years
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′10″
Weight (approximately): 75kg
Hair color: Bald
Eye color: black
family
He belongs to a Catholic Christian family.
Parents and siblings
His father, Alphonso Alvarez Reyes, died on December 22, 2005.
Rafael Reyes and his father Alfonso Alvarez Reyes
His mother used to support him and always encouraged him to follow his musical passion. His father is of Jewish descent and his mother is of native descent.
Photos of Rafael Reyes’ mother
He has a brother named Carlos Reyes and a twin sister named Lupita Reyes.
Rafael Reyes and his twin sister Lupita Reyes
Carlos Reyes, brother of Rafael Reyes
wife and children
He married American tattoo artist Kat Von D on February 2, 2018. In December 2018, the couple gave birth to a son named Leafar Von D Reyes.
Rafael Reyes with wife Kat Von D and son Leafar Von D Reyes
Raphael also has a daughter named Pamela from a previous relationship. However, her mother’s name is unknown.
Rafael Reyes and his daughter Pamela
Relationships/Affairs
He briefly dated Kat Von D before marrying her in 2018. They first met in 2016 when she agreed to his request to appear in the video for one of his songs.
Profession
music
Rafael Reyes formed his first band, Baptism of Thieves. He later founded Vampire, and when the two brands disbanded, he co-founded the Prayers brand with Titus Warner resident Dave Parley, adopting the name Leafer Seyer.
Rafael Reyes former band member of Vampires
He also began to form Nite Ritual under his own name. His lyrics are often based on gang activity and street life. His band Prayers released their debut album “D Killwave” in 2013 and an EP titled “Gothic Summer” in 2014. Rafael has experimented with goth, electronic, Chicano rock and hip-hop genres. The band Prayers later released two albums in 2022: Young Gods Never Die and Chologoth.
Poster for Rafael Reyes’ album Chologoth
Art
Rafael Reyes is known for blending Western mysticism with Olmec beliefs. He cultivated a group of old gang members as an outlet to leave gang life and pursue careers in art and music, naming them “Diamond Dogs.”
Its founder, Rafael Reyes, has a tattoo of music and art group Diamond Dogs
In 2015, his art was featured in the Los Angeles art exhibition Dark Progressivism: The Rise of the Metropolis. He created a sculpture called “Southland” which debuted at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) in 2017 as part of “Dark Progressivism: The Built Environment”.
Structure photo by Rafael Reyes
car collection
He owns a 1958 Chevrolet Apache.
tattoo
Rafael Reyes has multiple tattoos on his body, including From Dog to God, flowers on his neck, For the Love of You on his chest, 1913 on his abdomen, Born Free on his head, his wife Kat Von D on his shoulder, and a cold Flames fell on his fingers.
Rafael Reyes’s wife Kat Von D’s tattoo
Rafael Reyes’ Born Free Tattoo
perforation
His ears and nose were pierced.
Facts/Trivia
- His favorite taco is the tofu potato mushroom (TPM) taco, available for purchase at his former restaurant, Pokez.
- In addition to singing, he can also play guitar, synthesizers, and keyboards.
- His daughter allegedly had sex with his friend. When he found out about this, he got very angry and got into a fight with his friends, for which he was jailed in 2010.
Rafael Reyes and his daughter Pamela
- After being released from prison, he wrote a book called “A Dangerous Life,” telling the story of his childhood struggles and gang life. His book was later added to the Cornell University Library’s Special Collections on Architecture and Planning.
Rafael Reyes (centre) and his friends display his book “Living Dangerously”
- He became a gang member to protect his family from harassment by gang members; however, his father despised him for joining the gang. His father once told him that he came to the United States from Mexico for a better life, but Rafael breaks that story.
Rafael Reyes and his father Alfonso Alvarez Reyes
- His musical name Leafar Seyer is an inverted version of his real name Rafael Reyes.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education