Merlyn Wood | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | William Anku Kraka Mawuli Andoh Wood Jr. |
Born | Accra, Ghana | May 1, 1996
Genres | Rap |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2012-present |
Formerly of |
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William Anku Kraka Mawuli Andoh Wood Jr. [2] (born May 1, 1996), known by his stage name Merlyn Wood, is a Ghanaian-American rapper and songwriter. Born in Accra and raised in Texas, Wood is best known for his work as a member of hip-hop collective and boyband Brockhampton, with whom he released eight studio albums from 2014 to 2022. [3] During his time with Brockhampton, Wood was recognized as the groups hype man, with his verses being noted for their energy and Ghanaian accent. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Wood was born in Accra and raised in Austin, Texas. Wood credits his Ghanaian ancestry as influencing his musical style. [2] In the 7th grade, Wood was sent by his parents to a boarding school in Ghana, where he developed a passion for music. While a student of The Woodlands High School, Wood met future bandmates Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Ameer Vann, and Russell "Joba" Boring. [8] Prior to joining Brockhampton full time, Wood was studying architecture at the University of Texas, which he dropped out from twice. [9] After realizing he could not feasibly pass one of his classes, he decided to relocate to Los Angeles with the rest of the band. [8]
Wood derived his stage name, Merlyn, from the mythical figure Merlin, as he admired the character's success despite his eccentricity. [2]
Wood joined San Marcos, Texas based hip-hop group AliveSinceForever in 2012, while developing his solo career. On June 30, 2015, Wood released his debut single "Fye". [10] In September 2016, it was followed by "Cul de Sac". [11]
When AliveSinceForever reformed as Brockhampton in 2014, Wood remained part of the group, and was a key member during the recording of the groups critically acclaimed 2017 album trilogy Saturation , Saturation II , and Saturation III . [12] [13] [14] After signing to RCA Records and removing Ameer Vann from the group amidst allegations of sexual misconduct, Brockhampton released their fourth studio album, Iridescence, in September 2018. Iridescence debuted atop the Billboard charts and was followed by Ginger and Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine in 2019 and 2021, respectively. [15] [16] [17] [18]
In a 2021 interview for Apple Music, Brockhampton revealed that between the release of Ginger and Roadrunner, work had begun on a Merlyn Wood solo album in collaboration with RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, although the project was never released. [19]
Later in 2021, Wood released the single "S.Y.K" alongside producer Connie, his first solo release since the release of Saturation in 2017. [20]
Following the cancellation of the groups "Here Right Now" tour on January 14, 2022, Brockhampton's final studio albums, The Family and TM were released on November 17 and 18, respectively. [21] [22] [23]
"Green Light", another collaboration with Connie, was released on May 31, 2022, as Wood's first single following Brockhampton's dissolution. [24] It was followed by "One of Us" on September 5. [24]
In April 2023, Wood was a featured artist on Dreamer Isioma's sophomore album Princess Forever. [25] In June, he released the collaborative single "Formula" with Dumb Buoys Fishing Club and Joe Unknown, off of the former's debut album Wrecked. [26] Wood was also featured on "Skeleton Town", on the same record. [27]
Wood released his debut solo EP Dirty Thunder on October 6, 2023. [28] [29] Shortly afterwards, Slime In The Ice Machine, a collaborative album with former Brockhampton member Ameer Vann, was released on October 27. [30] [31] In December of that year, Wood was featured on Dark Songs To Drive To, by Montreal rapper Nate Husser. [32]
Title | Album details |
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Slime In The Ice Machine (with Ameer Vann) |
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Title | Album details |
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Dirty Thunder |
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Title | Year | Album |
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"Fye" | 2015 | Non-album singles |
"Culdesac" | 2016 | |
"Forget Me Not" | 2017 | |
"S.Y.K" (with Connie) | 2021 | |
"Green Light" | 2022 | |
"One of Us" | ||
"Blackout" | 2023 | Dirty Thunder |
"Mazza" (feat. Adetola) |
Title | Year | Other performer(s) |
---|---|---|
"Breath" | 2017 | Reverse |
"Get Out" | 2022 | Nate Husser |
"Chains" | 2022 | Gidi, SoGone SoFlexy |
"I Got The Love" | 2023 | Tommy Richman, Nate Dae |
Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Show You Off" (Remix) | 2021 | Michael Kirby | The Lion Inside You |
"Get Out" | 2022 | Nate Husser | All Time High |
"Touch Your Soul" | 2023 | Dreamer Isioma | Princess Forever |
"Formula" | Dumb Buoys Fishing Club, Joe Unknown | Wrecked | |
"Skeleton Town" | Dumb Buoys Fishing Club, Qhairo | ||
"Up The Pipe" | Nate Husser | Dark Songs To Drive To |
Year | Title | ||
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Role | Medium | ||
2015 | Dreams Die Young | Himself | Short Series |
2016 | All-American Trash Documentary | Documentary | |
2017 | American Boyband | Documentary Series | |
Jennifer's Tour, A Live Show By Brockhampton | |||
Billy Star | "South Central" Crew | Short Film | |
Saturation | Himself | Documentary | |
2018 | Love Your Parents Tour | Documentary Series | |
The Longest Summer In America | Documentary | ||
2019 | Keeping The Band | Himself (fictionalized depiction) | Series |
Title | Year | Album(s) | Director(s) |
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"S.Y.K" | 2021 | — | Connie, WellKnownStudios |
"Green Light" | 2022 | Miggy | |
"One of Us" | Sean Russo | ||
"Mazza" (feat. Adetola) | 2023 | Dirty Thunder | Evijan John |
Clifford Ian Simpson, known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his role as a founding member of Brockhampton. He released his debut album, MTV1987, in 2014 to critical acclaim, and received attention from a number of major music blogs and magazine publications. His second album, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, was released in November 2016, his third, Arizona Baby, was released in April 2019, and his fourth, Blanket, was released in November 2023.
Saturation is the debut studio album by American rap collective Brockhampton. Independently released on June 9, 2017, the album features appearances from group members Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Matt Champion, Joba, and Bearface. Production was primarily handled by group members Romil Hemnani, Jabari Manwa, and Kiko Merley, with additional contributions from Joba, Bearface, and No Rome. Manwa, along with Brockhampton webmaster Robert Ontenient, perform the albums vocal skits.
Brockhampton were an American boy band/rap collective founded in 2014 in San Marcos, Texas. Led by Kevin Abstract and formed partially through the online music discussion forum KanyeToThe, the group's final line-up consisted of vocalists Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, vocalists/producers Joba, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa and producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, as well as graphic designer Henock "HK" Sileshi, photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Saturation II is the second studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 25, 2017. Production is primarily handled by Romil Hemnani, alongside production duo Q3, Bearface, Kevin Abstract, and Joba.
Saturation III is the third studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on December 15, 2017. Production is predominantly handled by Romil Hemnani, alongside production duo Q3, as with previous releases. It concludes the Saturation trilogy, commenced with Saturation and followed with Saturation II. Originally promoted as the group's "final studio album", the group announced their fourth album, titled Team Effort at the time before being scrapped, a day before Saturation III was released. Saturation III is the band's last album with founding member Ameer Vann, who left the band in May 2018 amid accusations of sexual misconduct.
"Junky" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 15, 2017 as the third single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Swamp" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 8, 2017 as the second single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Sweet" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on August 22, 2017 as the fourth single from their second studio album Saturation II (2017).
"Gold" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton and the third single from their debut studio album Saturation (2017). The music video premiered on May 23, 2017, before the song was released to streaming services on May 30, 2017.
Brockhampton was an American hip-hop collective. Formed in 2010, they have released eight studio albums, four compilations, one mixtape, 27 singles, and 38 music videos. Originally formed as AliveSinceForever in 2010 and after releasing a compilation and extended play under the name in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the group rebranded to Brockhampton, proclaiming themselves as "the world's greatest boy band". The collective's lineup underwent significant changes in 2014 alongside this rebrand. After releasing singles throughout 2015, the group's debut mixtape, All-American Trash, was released for free on March 24, 2016.
Matthew Garrett Champion is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his role as a member of hip hop collective and boyband Brockhampton, with whom he released eight studio albums. His debut solo album, Mika's Laundry, was released on March 22, 2024.
Ameer Emmanuel Vann is an American rapper. He is best known for being a member of music collective Brockhampton, until his departure from the group in May 2018. After leaving Brockhampton, Vann started his solo career and released his first commercial EP, Emmanuel, in September 2019.
"1999 Wildfire" is a single by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on July 7, 2018. It features additional vocals from American producer Jazze Pha.
Iridescence is the fourth studio album and major-label debut by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on September 21, 2018, by Question Everything, Inc. and RCA Records. The self-produced album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, as well as the group's own studio in Hawaii. It is their first album since founding member Ameer Vann's departure from the group following sexual misconduct allegations. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the group's only chart-topping album.
Emmanuel is the second extended play (EP) by American rapper Ameer Vann. It was released on September 18, 2019, by Winston Wolf, LLC and The Orchard. The EP is his first solo release since his departure from Brockhampton following sexual misconduct allegations in 2018.
"Buzzcut" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton, released on March 24, 2021 as the lead single from their sixth studio album Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (2021). It features American rapper Danny Brown.
Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine is the sixth studio album by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton. The album was released on April 9, 2021 through RCA and Question Everything, and received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album contains guest appearances from Danny Brown, JPEGMafia, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, SoGone SoFlexy, Charlie Wilson, Baird, and SSGKobe.
"Face" is a song by American hip hop boy band Brockhampton and the lead single from their debut studio album Saturation (2017). The music video premiered on May 6, 2017, before the song was released to streaming services on May 18, 2017.
All-American Trash is the first and only mixtape by American rap collective and boy band Brockhampton. It was self-released on March 30, 2016, and features performances from Brockhampton members Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Kevin Abstract, Rodney Tenor, Joba, Matt Champion, Bearface, and Dom McLennon. The bulk of production was handled by group members Romil Hemnani and Joba, with Tenor, Albert Gordon, Bearface, Jabari Manwa, and McLennon also receiving credits, along with guest producer Jeff Kleinman. Additionally, Ariel Wendt and group member HK perform spoken-word sections.
Technical Difficulties Radio, also simply referred to as Technical Difficulties, was a series of livestreams and associated free music releases by American rap collective Brockhampton during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. Throughout the month of May, tracks were previewed on livestreams and released in sets of two or three each Friday on the groups website. Each set of singles was removed upon the release of the next tracks. The singles were self-released without the involvement of the groups label, RCA Records.
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