Willie the Kid (rapper)

Last updated

Willie The Kid
WTK 2025 HEADSHOT.jpg
Willie The Kid in 2025
Background information
Birth nameWillie Jackson
Also known as
  • The Fly
  • TCP (The Crown Prince)
Born (1985-09-25) September 25, 1985 (age 39)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • entrepreneur
  • investor
Years active2006–present
LabelsThe Fly LLC
Website watchthefly.com

Willie Jackson (born September 25, 1985), [1] known professionally as Willie the Kid, is an American rapper, songwriter, film producer, serial entrepreneur and tech investor from Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Willie the Kid made his music debut as a founding member of The Aphilliates working closely with DJ Drama and Don Cannon. He is the younger brother of Wu-Tang Clan affiliate La the Darkman. [1]

Contents

Willie the Kid appeared on both of DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz: The Album and Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2) as well as Lil Wayne's Dedication 2 and Dedication 3 mixtapes. [2] He released his debut album, Absolute Greatness , in September 2008 on Warner Bros. Records. [3] He is lauded for his collaborative EP Masterpiece Theatre produced by The Alchemist in 2013. [4]

Outside of his musical career, Willie The Kid is a burgeoning investor and serial entrepreneur. His business portfolio consists of a broad and diverse mix of lifestyle, hospitality, legal cannabis and tech ventures. His businesses include: co-founder of GRUSA, co-founder of Motu Viget Spirits Company, co-owner of Motu Lakeshore Wine Bar, Prohibition Bar and Lounge, Sip Coffee and Cocktails, The Elite District in the historic Harris Building, Botanical Company (Boco) Middleville Cannabis Dispensary and The Gas Station Wayland Cannabis Dispensary along with his business partner Jonathan Jelks. He is also a savvy tech investor with shareholding stakes in The Midwest Tech Project and the innovative geolocation music app Radi8er. Willie’s philanthropic endeavors also include co-founding The Navigate Foundation - a nonprofit workforce development initiative that focuses on hospitality career placement for youths in lower-income, high-potential communities. [5]

Willie the Kid is the co-executive producer of I, Too, Sing America: Langston Hughes Unfurled, the PBS American Masters documentary produced by Datari Turner and directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Willmott. [6] He also wrote, co-produced and starred in his own short film The Fly in 2015. [7]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Mixtapes

References

  1. 1 2 "Willie The Kid". Djchuckt.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Willie the Kid Interview". Archived from the original on September 5, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Absolute Greatness". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Willie the Kid Alchemist Masterpiece Theatre EP review". Xxl.mag.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  5. ↑ "About The Fly (2025)". watchthefly.com. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Willie the Kid signs on as producer of PBS Langston Hughes documentary | REVOLT - UNAPOLOGETICALLY HIP HOP". Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  7. ↑ "The Fly (2015)". IMDb.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Somewhere EP". HotNewHipHop.com. February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Audiomack | Free Music Sharing and Discovery". Audiomack.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Willie The Kid Talks The Fly, Role of Mixtape in Hip Hop". HipHopDX.com. August 25, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.