For many people the teenage dream of walking the red carpet as a successful performer in the entertainment industry vanishes as the reality of the real world sets in. But for a select few that dream eventually becomes a reality. One of those individuals is Brian Williams a Pepperdine freshman from Atlanta Georgia.
Williams realized his passion for music when he was young and has been pursuing it ever since.
“It seemed like every high schooler’s dream in Georgia was to be a professional rapper and all my friends were rapping so I decided to give it a shot Williams said.His first gig was with three of his friends from high school that shared similar dreams at the young age of 15.
It started off with a group called Guttahink Williams said. It was me and three of my friends. They wanted to be Gutta Inc. but I didn’t think that was original so I decided to do Gutta Ink because the lyrics we wrote were real.”
They quickly developed from a small high school group into a moderately successful band with a lot of potential.
“We started working a deal with Ryan Waters who produced Sade’s records and he was going to try to get us a deal with Universal Motown Williams said.Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it became quickly evident that the group as a whole wasn’t going to work out.
I was writing a lot of material for the group and everything was on me Williams said. No one was trying to go anywhere; they just thought it would be cool if we became famous. They didn’t think of it as a job.”
It was then at the age of 16 that Williams decided to try and make it on his own and learned that success doesn’t come easy or without a cost.
“I was going to finish my demo and have a five-song demo to put out but Ryan’s studio flooded Williams said. After that I stopped recording for about six months.”
After six months Williams began working with rapper Professor Griff through a series of connections but once again luck wasn’t on his side. Williams had yet another obstacle to overcome.
“[Griff’s] studio literally blew up because of a wiring problem in his house Williams said. After that I decided I should take a break because things weren’t working.”
But William’s dedication to his music didn’t allow him to take a break for long.
“I started trying to make my own studio in my own house Williams said. Unfortunately I was broke so I bought a headset from Radioshack for $20 and downloaded a free music-recording program off the Internet and started recording.”
He hasn’t been alone in his endeavor either. The support of his family has played a large role is his success and confidence so far.
“My family has almost always been supportive of every move I’ve made and everyone I’ve met [in the process] has as well Williams said. I’m blessed to have wonderful people in my life.”
This hard work and support has gotten Williams to where he is now. He has completed his first CD that has been on sale in the bookstore for $10 since Sept. 21.
“All the songs on my CD I made originally on my computer and I produced all but three songs on the album Williams said of the production process.
Williams also asserts that although he wrote the majority of his music himself, he doesn’t have a style that is specifically his.
I don’t like to classify myself because I like to practice different methods of songwriting and producing Williams said. I like to think that every song I write creates new and unheard elements.”
Williams jokingly added “if I had to describe a style for my music I’d say the best way to describe it is… M.P.D—Multiple Personality Disorder.”
Williams is currently searching for a record label. Although he is serious about music he doesn’t know if it is the only thing he sees in his future which is one of the reasons he is pursuing an international business degree at Pepperdine and also enjoys things like acting writing and participating in anything competitive.
“I’m serious about rapping but I like to keep my options and see what happens in the future Williams said.