Biography

Javier Ramirez or as many people knew him, Byze One, was an honorable man, a good son, and a loving father. Throughout his life, he was also an artist, photographer, skater, breakdancer, and legendary promoter.

Byze was born in Lubbock, Texas, and later moved to California to work in radio as a record promoter. Byze was ultimately a believer in the music, culture, and most of all, the talented people behind scenes bringing it all together. His charisma, credibility, and loyalty set him apart in his industry. He was largely successful due to how he managed his relationships and his credibility.

Byze was instrumental in helping launch the career of artists such as Eminem, Mos Def, Kid Cudi, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, amongst many more. He also worked very closely with Damian Marley in the early 2010s.

A natural leader, mentor, and advocate with the ability to listen and provide clarity. He believed in his people and was a source of reliability and consistency. Byze was also well known for his generosity and compassion. There are countless stories of him helping people when they were in vulnerable positions, guiding them to better days.

When his daughter was born, she became the center of his universe. He took on the role of father naturally and went above and beyond for her every chance he got. Anyone that knew him was humbled by his ability to simultaneously manage his business and relationships, on top of being an exceptional father, all while making it look effortless.

Byze was a kind, intelligent, and vibrant person who will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He shared his wisdom and life lessons with many and protected those dearest to him. May he forever rest in peace knowing that we, the people that he touched will continue his legacy and try to live up to the expectations he had for us.

Thank you Byze, we love you forever!

“One of my favorite memories of Byze is how he was one of the first West Coast promoters to work with Mos Def. Byze not only brought Mos to my college radio show but he pulled me aside and explained that the budget was hella shoe-string and asked if it’d be cool if Mos spent the night at my parents’ condo in Emeryville, which they almost never used. I said “sure” and that’s how an early career Mos Def crashed at my parents’ crib.” – Oliver Wang

“To perfectly explain how Byze One was a connector, there’s the story of Eminem coming to FNFlavas. Byze hit me up and asked if we could have this white kid on the show. Said he just won the  Rap Pages battle and was looking to come spit some bars if we’d have him. I was like man, I don’t know! He said if you do this, it will be a good look for me. I was like, okay! For you? You got it. Just give me a couple of beats he wants to rap to. He told me: Phone Tap by The Firm and 4,3,2,1 by LL Cool J. I said bet! Now this was the exact show that Dr Dre ended up calling Fuzzy on the hotline at the station to ask who was this kid spitting on the radio?!? Fuzzy told Dre and they first connected here off this appearance on FNFlavas. This is just one of the many stories of Byze having an unaccredited helping hand in someone taking their career to the next level.” – C-Minus