WILLIE J - BIOGRAPHY Willie Jones was born in East Saint Louis, Illinois. He began singing at the age of six in his church choir, in which he was chosen as the lead. He also developed an awesome talent for the drums and would often rotate from the drums to the microphone. While growing up, Willie embraced a passion for songwriting and composing, which would become an outlet to escape inner city struggles. At the age of twelve, Willie introduced his first written gospel song to his youth choir and the song became a hit within his church organization as well as other outside churches. His success writing gospel songs for his youth choir would become short lived because he found himself struggling with two different lifestyles, church and the streets. Pressure in his neighborhood streets of Washington Park/East St. Louis was forcing him to become more like everyone else in the streets. He found himself living a double life of performing for God while living the street life. He became a witness to a lot of crime and violence, which resulted in the loss of close friends and family. Willie was hit extremely hard when his close cousin Tony Holloway was killed in a drive-by. Tony’s death would trigger a new heightened passion in Willie to concentrate on writing, performing, and perfecting his instrumental playing. Coincidentally, his talents on the drums became recognized in two international drum magazines, Modern Drummer and Drum Magazine around the same time. Willie J started to receive a lot of attention from local St. Louis news stations, radio stations, and every local St. Louis professional drum endorsement deals, such as Paiste, Evans, and Regal Tip. He also received numerous offers from independent record labels in which he is yet to sign until all possible options are explored. After ten years of grinding, Willie J and MD Productions credits consist of two number one singles with St. Louis recording artist Pretty Willie a.k.a. P Dub. They also have a credit with his most recent hit single ‘Good Thang’, on which Willie J plays live drums, acoustic guitar, and piano. They have also had live recording sessions with Lil Zane and Cedric the Entertainment. They have two major film score credits on Johnson Family Vacation and Waist Deep with hip-hop artist Mack 10. Their latest credit in the gospel industry is with Canton Jones on his latest album. Willie J is no stranger to the Club scene where he has opened for mainstream secular artist such as The Young Bloodz (Sean Paul), Lil John and the East Side Boyz, Lil Zane, Marcus Houston, Lil Scrappy, New Edition, and even at the House of Blues with DJ Quick in LA Hollywood! Willie J also a talented author, he promoted his latest published book entitled, The Crying Songbird, which is now available in all major bookstores worldwide. Willie J received a major publishing deal two months after his mother passed of breast cancer. He dedicated his book in memory and honor of her. He was the first author to sale out at book signings at Walden Books and Barnes & Nobles during his major book signings. Since then, he has had interviews by Denine Busby on Foxy 95.5, with D. Stone and Warner on the ‘Praise Mix’ of Hallelujah 1600AM, with Saila Rachelle on ‘The Light’ in Atlanta, GA on 1570AM radio station. He’s interviewed with The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, the Belleville News-Democrat newspaper, and with Channel 11 on the National TV Show ‘It’s All About Youth’. Willie J has also done an interview with clear channel urban radio station WBXT 100.1 THE BEAT with the Clear Channel Bad Girl Venom. Willie J has released three successful mixtapes. One of the mixtapes The Crying Songbird sold out in just 3 days in Taiwan while on a 3 week tour opening for a Christian Praise Worship Group, “Harvest” in January 2009! This same mixtape is now doing very well in Kenya Africa! There, Willie J will be headlining his first tour sometime in the near future. His book has been reported to changing lives in the prison cells of Connecticut, so much, that they have asked him to come and inspire the inmates through poetry and song! Willie J is preparing to release his second novel of poetry and principles later this year. The novel will be called, “Goodbye Past, Hello Future”! His story is not just about sadness, Willie J feels that he has a mission to shining his light back to the hoods globally, he is providing readers and listeners a sense of hope through his writing of both poetry and song! Willie J’s latest songs entitled “IM READY” and “BEFORE MY HEART STOPS” are clearly songs about the testimony of an evolved individual. “IM READY” and “BEFORE MY HEART STOPS” has continued to bring about much attention ranging from radio stations and clubs, to features and invites. His hit singles "IM READY” and “BEFORE MY HEART STOPS” has crossed over main stream Urban/Hip Hop Radio on stations across the U.S. and have been doing drops and in rotation for mainstream radio in Barcelona, Spain, Germany Radio Stations/Clubs, UK London, Australia, on Hot 103.5FM WHWT Huntsville, Alabama, Star 106.3FM KKHR, and on the Saturday night Hot Mix House Party Hip Hop Show, 91.5FM Winterpark, Florida, Miami Savannah Club/Radio DJ’s. The single “IM READY” was selected to appear on the March Mixtape Madness 2010 (distributed internationally), Half Time Report, hosted by DJ KHALED. Willie J will be featured in the 2010 March Madness issue of the COAST2COAST MAGAZINE, an international Hip Hop magazine (available now). In addition to that, Willie J has appeared in “Indie Heat” volume 1, sponsored by Grand Hustle, (2010). Willie J has also had the opportunity to sign on with a Global/International ringtone deal with VIO Mobile Services out of Houston, Texas. Willie J has recently in the latter year of 2010 opened for Wu-Tang at their Label event in Baltimore, Maryland, as is receiving airplay spins for his latest single "Before My Heart Stops" title cut of his mixtape entitled "Before My Heart Stops". His mixtape "Before My Heart Stops" dropped on Nov 6th in 2010 digitally/globally on every major mixtape site, including Thisis50.com through Coast2Coast Mixtapes. Since then, in less than two months, reports show that the mixtape has received over 100,000 downloads (110,198 downloads/plays/views). This buzz has gotten the attention of Eminem’s Shadyville DJ Young Cee, who has offered to host the same mixtape "Before My Heart Stops". To take it to higher heights, this mixtape "Before My Heart Stops" will also be featured on the Official GRAMMY RED CARPET, endorsed by celebrities on pictures of Feb 13TH, 2011! Willie J has also been featured ‘RATED NEXT’ in the major "Alwayz Therro" Magazine. This magazine is based out of Houston, Texas, and is sponsored by Sean Jean, Nike, Wal-Mart, etc. Willie J plans to continue promoting his newly released mixtape to higher heights. He is also going to record majorly on his next musical project for the future. Since Nov. 6, 2010, the releasing of “Before My Heart Stops”, this mixtape has tremendously been downloaded 1,678,652 times through the Coast2Coast Mixtape Distribution, and is still on the rise!! In addition to that, Willie J has been interviewed by DJ Epps of G-Unit/Shadyville on Coast2Coast/I-Tunes Radio. He was also interviewed by Billboard DJ King Assassin on 98.2 ‘The Beat’ FM Radio. As of April 2011, his mixtape has been downloaded in 65 countries and the numbers continue to grow throughout the nations. This project has been graced to get so much attention that the numbers have been growing rapidly by the weeks. Also during this time, his book entitled, “The Crying Songbird” was featured in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Times Book Fest. While in L.A., he had the pleasure of working with the legendary group, Boyz 2 Men. Willie J has had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Kim McCoy Show reaching 17 different markets worldwide. He is now preparing his debut album “Live On”, to be released digitally through Island DefJam Records, while “Before My Heart Stops” steadily rises to the top, which has now been downloaded in 82 countries as of July 2011. His book entitled, “The Crying Songbird”, was featured at the Tokyo/Japan International book fair, which resulted in a deal being launched with the international wholesaler book distribution company, “Ingram International”. This book will soon be available for purchase on shelves in Brazil and throughout the continents of Europe and Asia!! Later this fall, “The Crying Songbird” will be featured at 4 major book fairs located in West Hollywood, Mexico, Germany, and in Scotland in which the world-renown actor, Sean Conery will be reviewing his book before the year is out!! Though his album “Before My Heart Stops” was released Nov. 6, 2010, it has been “amazingly” downloaded in 101 countries before a year’s time!!!! As you can see, this album has been on the move and in forward motion, constantly touching the minds and hearts of others worldwide!!! In Nov 2011, Willie J has been cordially invited to be interviewed live in the studio with the “First Lady” of ATL Web Radio!! With his gifts and talents, more of these opportunities are soon to come.