08 December 2022
Newsdesk
Will Claye might have built his name through sports when he became the first man since 1936 and the first American since 1904 to win a silver medal in the triple jump and bronze in the long jump (London Games 2012), but this isn't the only area the Phoenix AZ native excels in. Will Claye recently branched out to music, releasing viral hits such as “IDGAF”. The song, featuring west coast artist YG, put Will on the global map with more than 10M streams on Spotify.
Will Claye has also released "On the Loose”, "Wee Hours”, "Guy”, "Built Different”, and his debut EP, West Side Story, which dropped in 2019. The EP has six songs: "Come Close”, "In Too Deep”, "Californication”, "Like That”, "Ss Interlude”, and "Facetime”.
Will Claye also dropped his first album, Quoted, in 2020, which was a massive hit. It helped him climb the radar, with artists and fans praising his unique style. Will has nearly 40K monthly listeners on Spotify, a number he grew in three years.
Will's sound is very electric and diverse, with influences by the likes of Bob Marley, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, Nate Dogg, and DJ Quick. Will borrows from different artists and genres to create a vibrant sound that allows him to share the message perfectly.
Will believes music is the best form of expression and communication. He describes music as the portrayal of intimate concepts that cannot be expressed by words alone, which he brings to light in his music. Will uses his songs to share how he feels and talk about what is going on in his life.
Will started his journey as a world-class athlete. He is a three-time medallist and participated in various world marathons. Will was part of the London Games 2012 winning silver and bronze medals and becoming the first man since 1936 and the first American since 1904 to obtain medals in both events (triple jump and long jump). Will also solidified himself as the #3 triple-jumper of all time in 2019. At that point, he had just begun making music, releasing his EP and single, "TMS”.
While the transition journey was challenging, looking back, Will is happy about the progress and that he kept pushing. It has been hard for him to sell this new brand but not as an artist. Will explains that his biggest challenge was getting people to take him seriously as an artist and get to know him as a singer and songwriter, not just an athlete.
"Some people still see me as an athlete, maybe because this is how many came to know me. But I want to show them that it is okay to have more than one passion, and it is possible to excel in all," Will says.
As he continues to build his music brand, Will is working on his second EP, which is slated to release soon. He also has more projects coming up and is looking to do a global tour and grow his fanbase.
