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Classic Williams Biography: “Here we are and we’re not leaving / oh no / we’re the n*ggas from the 21st Century / Make room for the 21st Century” - 21st Century (Classic Williams / Epic Win) Like the Ryman Auditorium, not much has changed inside Nashville’s urban scene... The same...
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Classic Williams Biography: “Here we are and we’re not leaving / oh no / we’re the n*ggas from the 21st Century / Make room for the 21st Century” - 21st Century (Classic Williams / Epic Win) Like the Ryman Auditorium, not much has changed inside Nashville’s urban scene... The same artists that a few years ago were championed as “the next big thing” are still being championed, and the same producers that were “tomorrow’s sound” are still recycling yesterday’s rhythms. The current scene’s roots run deep beneath the streets, leaving little room for young artist to push their way through. It is time for Nashville to turn their eyes and ears to the skies, where you will find Nashville native & hip-hop enigmatic Classic Williams; separating himself from, and reviving Nashville’s languid urban scene. First out of the gate is Classic Williams, a skilled MC and songwriter that who releasd his debut album “EPIC WIN” in Spring 2013. “I ain’t gotta front / I got just what they want / I got that dope shit / kickin’ it like a punt / and I ain’t even done / Comparin’ me to anyone / The game ain’t even started / But I feel as though I have one” - Dope Shit (Classic Williams / Epic Win) Dropping consecutive Mixtapes in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 (A Classic Mixtape, <a href='iHateClassic, ' target='_blank'>iHateClassic, </a>SMH, The Soul of Nigger Charlie, re(FLEX)tions, The Fall) as well as freestyle battles, radio airplay, live performances and being featured on several local projects, the buzz around Williams has steadily grown throughout the Southeast Region. A graduate from Middle Tennessee State University (Recording Industry Major, concentration in Music Business) William's passion for music started at an early age, as he remembers music has always been a part of his life, recalling his early years: “I’m an entertainer, but I’ve always known that I would be in music, as an only child I had to entertain myself. I loved a crowd, always putting on shows for my mom and her friends.” A very famous family connection would soon help a young Williams unleash and expand his creative drive by affording him the opportunity to travel the world. “Traveled the world by age 12 / Seen the Mona Lisa’s face in detail / How could I relate to anyone else / They never understand the stories I tell” - The Intro (Classic Williams / #iHateClassic) Classic’s Great aunt is Oprah Winfrey’s Godmother; Ms. Winfrey took an interest in a young Charles Williams and personally funded his travels to destinations such as: Australia, France & England. “To travel like that at such a young age was a privilege and an amazing experience. It wasn’t all vacation though, they were designed as learning opportunities, and it really opened my mind to the world.” I was alone / no friends, no kids, nothin’ / So I had to turn my life into somethin’ / in high school I was always labeled different / Felt like I was worthless / but I had a purpose - The Intro (Classic Williams / #iHateClassic) Classic’s mother was an engineer, a job that required multiple moves across the country; for a sense of stability Williams was raised by his grandparents in Greenbrier, TN, “I grew up in white neighborhood, I went to private school where I had been in the system since kindergarten, by the time I got to high school I was the only black kid who had not transferred in too play sports. High school was a bizarre experience, the black kids said I was not black enough, and the white kids did not wholly accept me because I was black.” Those high school years not only introduced Williams to his first love: Hip-Hop, it also opened his eyes to the reality of the world around him. So now I’m cold actin like I never gave a f*ck / It was all knew to us / guess it was beginners luck / Divorcin’ feelins now we splittin up the memories / She chose the starry nights / I chose the stupid fights - Goodbye Love (Classic Williams / SMH) 1Classic Williams “There was this girl in high school that liked me but she told me she couldn’t date me because I was black. That was actually the first time I wrote a song, it was all about that moment. From then on, I really decided to write what I feel, every one of my songs, even the light ones are created from raw emotion.” So run and tell you friends / I’m coming for revenge / I’ll be on top / in the end / all the hatred you spread still lives in my veins / so watch me bleed my pen till it rains - Almost Famous - (Classic Williams / #SMH) One of the reasons that Williams’s music has seen a surge in popularity is his ability to vividly deliver a picture via words. “When I was first introduced to MC’s like Jay-Z & Nas, it really opened up my mind, Jay really made me visualize his lyrics, and it made me realize I could do this because that’s how I was already writing.” Listeners have come to expect William’s penchant for intricately flowing lyrics sprinkled with diverse commentary. Songs like the mind splitting “21st Century” find Williams searching deep within his own soul with one hand while delving the other even deeper into the economic, racial and political soul of the United States. He keeps it light with club tracks like the contagious “Sorority Girls” feat. Sebastian Garcia and cements his mass appeal via his first radio single “Tokyo Lights” feat. Angie Maxx. Teaming up with some of areas hottest up and coming producers has taken William’s sound to the next level.The majority of production on “Epic Win” was created by Klassix Jones who hit the scene big producing the Southern smash “Walk wit a dip” by Louisiana Cash. Nashville’s own NYSE lends his meticulous ear to several cuts on the album,Grammy nominated Engineer / Mixer: John Horesco IV lends his talents mixing and mastering his single Tokyo Lights. So till then / I’m gonna grind / Of course I gotta get it / Cause I do it for my City and my n*ggas who ain’t with us / The Dope Kids, Go-getters, Singers and The Spitters / So tell me would you rather have dreamer or a quitter - Grindin’ (Classic Williams - Epic Win) Calling your debut album “Epic Win” could be seen as a bit dreamy, maybe even braggadocios, but William’s confidence is contagious and he is well aware of the road laid out before him. “This is just the beginning. not stop until they are handing me a Grammy, and even then... I’ll just be getting started.”
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