Willie D facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willie D
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Willie D in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William James Dennis |
| Born | November 1, 1966 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, Southern hip hop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
| Labels | Rap-A-Lot |
William James Dennis (born November 1, 1966) is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He emerged as a member of the hip hop group Geto Boys, which he formed in 1986 alongside fellow Houston rappers Bushwick Bill and Scarface. He signed with the regionally-based label Rap-A-Lot Records to release his albums Controversy (1989) and I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier (1992), the latter of which entered the Billboard 200.
As an online broadcaster, he has been outspoken on political and social issues in Houston. His YouTube channel, created in 2011, has gained one million subscribers as of 2024.
Contents
Early life
Willie took up boxing at the age of 11. In 1985, he became the Golden Gloves Champion for the State of Texas. Rather than become a professional boxer, he decided to become a rap music MC. He attended Forest Brook High School but in 1986, two months prior to his scheduled graduation, he was expelled for fighting. He never returned to school.
Career
His reputation reached J Prince, founder of Rap-A-Lot Records. At the time Prince was looking to revamp the Geto Boys and knew that Willie D would be a key factor in the group's success. Once Willie D was on board, Scarface was added to complete the group.
Considered the classic line up, Willie D, Bushwick Bill, and Scarface first emerged as the Geto Boys in 1989 with their gold record, Grip It! On That Other Level. .....
He was featured on a track on Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium along with Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid called Scrubstitute Teachers. In April 2012, he released "Hoodiez" featuring Scarface, D-Boi and Propain. The song quickly went viral and became an internet hit. It is a tribute to slain teenager Trayvon Martin who was shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.
Family
Willie D's mother, Marvelous Dennis, who later became Marvelous Basey through marriage (died February 14, 1994), was born in Houston, Texas. She named him after his maternal grandfather, Willie Dennis. She was a cafeteria cook for the Houston Independent School District (HISD) for several years. His father, Alfred Deboest (died May 17, 1998), was from Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was a carpenter and construction worker by trade.
Willie D was raised by his mother in Houston after his parents separated when he was four-years old. ..... Although he rarely saw his dad while growing up, when it was discovered that his father had lung cancer, Willie D took him in to live with him before he succumbed to the disease. Furthermore, despite a troubled relationship with his mother, in 1991 he took his first large paycheck from his music royalties and purchased a four-bedroom house for her while he was still living in an apartment.
On September 3, 1994, he married Bridget Bonier, who is a mechanical engineer, in a private ceremony on a yacht in Clear Lake City, Texas. They have two children, a daughter, Caen (pronounced Cain), who was born April 26, 1995, and a son, Blake, born July 8, 1999. They were divorced in 2010. Willie D has four siblings, Karen Williams (half), Warren Vann (half), Ernestine Dennis, and Isaac Dennis (half).
Boxing career
Willie D began boxing at the age of 11, and won the Golden Gloves for the state of Texas in 1985. He went on to choose a career as a rapper over turning professional, but he eventually returned to boxing during the 1990s. He won his first professional fight in 1992, knocking out Melle Mel at a charity boxing show by accident after the two bumped heads in the first round. Willie D had two more fights between 1999 and 2000, beating Charles Aguilera by TKO in October 1999 and John Tarmon by KO in June 2000, and drew against John Washington on August 24, 2000. In Willie D's last professional fight, he lost to Yameen Muhammad by TKO in October 2000.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Controversy (1989)
- I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier (1992)
- Play Witcha Mama (1994)
- Loved by Few, Hated by Many (2000)
- Unbreakable (2003)
See also
- Thug Life – 2001 American crime drama film in which Willie D appears
