Billy Drease Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Billy Drease Williams
Billy Drease Williams performing in 2009 in Buffalo, New York
Background information
Birth name	Edreys Wajed
Origin	Buffalo, New York, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Teacher, artist, emcee, hip hop producer
Years active	1995–present
Labels	DTR45 Deep Thinka Records

Edreys Wajed, better known by his stage name Billy Drease Williams, is an American hip hop artist from Buffalo, New York. He is a rapper (also called an emcee), singer, and music producer. He is famous for his positive, high-energy music and clean lyrics that often carry motivational messages.

One music critic, Jeff Miers, called him “the most promising, adventurous, nigh-on-visionary hip hop artist Buffalo has yet produced.” This means he saw great potential in Billy's unique and forward-thinking style.

Musical Journey

Early Groups and First Successes

Billy Drease Williams began his music career in a group called The Elements. He later formed a duo called Raw Intel with a producer named Trevor "TrevThorne" Drayton.

Raw Intel became successful when five of their songs were featured in the popular video game ESPN NFL 2K5. The duo also released a well-liked album in 2002. Around this time, Billy Drease also worked with the band Soulive on their remixed album.

Becoming a Solo Artist

After his time with Raw Intel, Billy Drease focused on making music for movies and TV shows. He also explored his passion for visual art by opening an art gallery in Buffalo.

He decided to embrace being an independent artist and signed with a local record label, Deep Thinka Records. This new partnership gave him a lot of creative energy. His first single, "I Like It," became a hit. The song was featured in Billboard Magazine, and its music video was shown on BET and YouTube.

It was around this time that Edreys Wajed started using the stage name Billy Drease Williams. The name is a tribute to the famous actor Billy Dee Williams. It was also a clever way to keep the sound of his birth name, "Edreys," in his new name.

As Billy Drease Williams, he has released several albums. His song "Just Doin' It" became his biggest hit, and its creative music video has been viewed more than half a million times.

Giving Back Through Hip-Hop

Billy Drease is also the leader of a non-profit group called The Art of Hip Hop. The organization's goal is to "Educate the Future and Celebrating a Culture." It uses hip-hop to help young people in many positive ways:

• It teaches the public about the history and positive side of hip-hop culture.
• It offers after-school programs to help students with subjects like math and reading.
• It uses the music business to teach young people about how to start and run their own businesses.
• It uses art to help kids express their feelings and work through challenges in a healthy way.

The Art of Hip Hop also holds a popular festival in Buffalo to celebrate the culture and its community.

Major Achievements

Billy Drease Williams has had many highlights in his career as both a musician and an artist.

• 2019: His solo art show, called PLAYLIST, received great reviews.
• 2017: He was one of four artists chosen to create The Freedom Wall, a large public art project in Buffalo, New York.
• 2010: He was a featured performer at a YouTube showcase during the CMJ New Music Marathon.
• 2009: He performed at the NXNE Festival in Toronto, Canada.
• 2009: URB Magazine named him one of their "Next 1000 Artists" to watch.
• 2008: He performed on the Warped Tour, a famous traveling music festival.
• 2008: Billboard Magazine featured him in an article.
• 2005: As part of the group Raw Intel, he had four songs placed in the video game ESPN NFL 2K5.

Discography

Studio albums