For WilliefromtheDrive, Hip Hop is a Journey, Not a Destination
Hip-hop is the most influential art form in the history of the world. What started as a small movement in New York City in the late 1970s has turned into a culture shaping phenomenon of music, art, language, and entire cultures, the lakes of which have never seen before.
Some people see the awesome power of the hip-hop movement and Want to find ways to capitalize on it, simply to bring themselves a claim.
Others see hip-hop as a vehicle, a way to send a message and create change, and bring people together.
While hip-hop was born in the context of giving people hope in the midst of society’s problems, today’s artists have the ability to use it to help eradicate some of the very problems it protected people from.
Hempstead, Long Island, New York native Williefromthedrive knows the deal.
“Where I come from is a place that is shunned by all boroughs of New York and has so much internal conflict. It’s hard for anyone coming out of there to come out on top. I spend my time trying to motivate those who come from nothing to just stay in their lane and stay true to themselves until their time comes. That’s what my music is about: dealing and expressing the obstacles before me.”
Willie is devoted to reaching those dealing with street/legal issues but who also want to change their life for the better and make a honest living. A savvy business person himself, he wants to help those who listen to develop business skills they can use to make a better future for themselves.
Willie offers an eBook and masterclass available on his website.
In 2017 Willie started auto insurance advising, which became his passion. “I learned how much people lack the knowledge of how auto insurance works, as well as how much money they have been wasting. This made me determined to help them lower that cost so their cost of living would go down as well. This sparked me though. I realized that not only did people lack the knowledge of auto insurance, they lacked the same for credit. I made it my job to teach those in my community about credit moving forward once I myself had done enough researching and building of my own!”
“I see us helping people get through tough times and hiring others to help on a larger scale.”
When Willie lost his friend “Mingo” who featured in Willie’s videos until his passing, Willie started making changes to his name and his style, which he believed were necessary for his coming success. He released a tribute song to Mingo called “Cuz of U” which was on Worldstarhiphop.com, gaining over 500k views within the first two weeks. This I helped launch Willy in his current trajectory, and has helped him connect with fans all over the world. “I make pain and motivation music.”
What has helped Willie stay the course in spite of significant challenges?
If you want better, you have to do better.