Angel Haze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ROES
Wilson performing in October 2012
Background information
Birth name	Raykeea Angel Wilson
Born	(1991-07-10) July 10, 1991 (age 33) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Origin	Brooklyn, New York
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Republic Island

Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson (born July 10, 1991), known professionally as ROES (formerly Angel Haze), is an American rapper and singer. In 2012, ROES released a popular music collection called Reservation. Soon after, they signed a music deal with Universal Republic Records, which later became Republic Records. On December 31, 2013, ROES released their first album, Dirty Gold. This album included the songs "Echelon (It's My Way)" and "Battle Cry". ROES has also released several other music collections, with Back to the Woods coming out in 2015.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

ROES, whose birth name is Raykeea Angel Wilson, was born in Detroit, Michigan. Their family had a military background. Wilson's father was African American, and their mother is Native American Cherokee.

When Wilson was young, their family moved often. This was because their mother decided to leave a strict religious community. Sometimes, the family even lived in a shelter. Wilson faced teasing at school because of this and found it hard to make friends. They attended both homeschool and public school and finished high school a year early.

At age 15, Wilson's family moved to Brooklyn, New York, after leaving the religious group. Wilson found comfort in writing. They became very interested in creative writing, poetry, and journalism. At 13, Wilson's first poem was published after winning a school contest. As a child, they took creative writing classes and dreamed of becoming a songwriter or gospel artist. Later, at 18, Wilson started making YouTube videos and doing freestyle rap. They began sharing their music online, especially on sites like Tumblr, where they started to gain fans.

Music Career Highlights

Wilson performing live at Øyafestivalen in 2013

From 2009 to 2012, ROES released several free music collections online. These included New Moon, Altered Ego, King, and Voice. In July 2012, they released Reservation, which was highly praised by music critics. The title Reservation honors their Cherokee heritage. Wilson was also nominated for the BBC Sound of 2013 poll, which highlights new artists to watch.

On August 28, 2013, ROES released "Echelon (It's My Way)." This song was the first single from their debut album, Dirty Gold. The album was released earlier than planned, on December 30, 2013, through Island Records and Republic Records. It received good reviews. On September 14, 2015, Wilson released another music collection called Back to the Woods. In March 2017, they released the song "Resurrection."

Artistic Style and Inspirations

Musical Influences

After moving to New York, ROES began listening to many different types of music. They found inspiration in artists like Eminem, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne. In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Wilson shared that they admire artists who are truly themselves and don't change for others.

Personal Life and Identity

Since 2016, Wilson has used they/them pronouns. This means that when talking about ROES, people use "they" and "them" instead of "he" or "she."

Wilson has taught themselves the Cherokee language. They also identify as two-spirit, which is a term used by some Native American people to describe a person who has both masculine and feminine spirits.

Music Releases

• Dirty Gold (2013)
• Back to the Woods (2015)

Appearances on Television

Television Shows

Awards and Recognitions

See Also

In Spanish: Angel Haze para niños

• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City
• NYC Pride March