Willie J the Artist

Music Monster from Baldwin, Michigan

“My town has history… [Baldwin] is resembled as the “Black Eden”. Diana Ross performed in my town and Della Reese.”

Willie J the Artist, Illa Propper Media Group

Willie J the Artist’s mission for musical artistry is to put ‘underdogs’ on the map. Coming from a small town like Baldwin, Michigan, he feels artists tend to be overlooked. However, with his avocation to create music, he has opened doors for artists from smaller towns to be heard. 

“They’re monsters,” he said. He believes that artists from small towns don’t get the proper recognition because they come from a town that isn’t heard of. However, he knows what he creates packs a lot of heat for any listener to understand what his artistry is about. 

I stumbled on “Vision Noir” first on Instagram. Willie J mentioned that when he was making music around 2019, he focused on putting his work on GarageBand. He would send a beat to Apparattus , the founder of Illa Propper, then it would get reworked into the singles that are publicized, currently.  Willie J described that the way “Vision Noir” sounds is a contrast between intellectual and aggressive. 

Right when Vision Noir was released, the Black Lives Matters movement was at its peak after the case of George Floyd. He believes it set the tone to tell them [the majority] why were they so afraid of our [Black] skin. 

“Everything has a purpose [when creating],” Willie J the Artist explained. “It’s how I express myself fully, and my growth with my industry and self.” 

Willie J the Artist’s musical influences are from a multitude of genres, covering country, blues, and R&B.  He explained that he is named after his uncle. His uncle exposed him to artists like ACDC, the Beatles, and Curtis Mayfield. 

The next project Willie J is working on is called “Growth Vol. I.” This project, he voiced, will be a little different than anything he made. It’s more personal to his growing pains and the necessary process of personal growth. 

Be sure to check out his project when it drops, May 19.

Willie J the Artist, being the advocate of small towns, shows that good quality music is produced in areas that seem unknown.