Porter Ray, photographed at the edge of Lake Washington. Credit: KELLY O

Porter Ray, photographed at the edge of Lake Washington.

Porter Ray, photographed at the edge of Lake Washington. KELLY O

The 28-year-old Central District native signed to Sub Pop Records in 2014, after his first three self-released albums—BLK GLD, WHT GLD, and RSE GLD—caught the ear of Ishmael Butler, founder of Shabazz Palaces and member of Sub Pop’s A&R team. Ray’s newest release, Nightfall, includes a song called “Outside Looking In,” a track about the Central District that features Ca$htro and JusMoni.

“It’s the most vulnerable track on the album,” says Ray. “Which makes it my favorite”…

Kelly O—formerly a Stranger staff photographer, music writer, Drunk of the Week columnist, and more!—finished art school and a soul-crushing internship at a corporate advertising agency in Detroit,...