Pop Culturalist Chats with Vo Williams

Vo Williams is an exciting up-and-coming musician who’s blazing his own trail in the industry. His music has been featured on some of television’s biggest shows including Empire, Big Game, Atlanta, and SNL, establishing him as an international artist. But he hasn’t let success go to his head. Rather, he takes each new opportunity as a chance to learn and grow. And as the industry has evolved, so has Vo. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Vo about his journey thus far, the moment he knew he wanted to pursue music as a career, and his exciting new single with DJ Ricky Luna.

PC: When did you first realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Vo: My first major breakthrough was when I placed music in the international trailer for Big Game starring Samuel L. Jackson. Funny thing is, I had no idea why we were making the song, and I had no idea how much reach the music would have. One day, out of nowhere, a British friend of mine sent me a video of the trailer from inside of a movie theater in London, and the message attached read, “Yo, this guy rapping sounds just like you!” I knew at that moment that I wanted to go hard at this.

PC: Who are some of your musical influences? Who would you love to collaborate with in the future?
Vo: Wow, I have so many it’s hard to narrow them down to a few. Definitely Metallica, Jay-Z, Jimi Hendrix, Kanye West, Andre 3000, and Michael Jackson. But believe me when I say the list goes on and on. I’d love to collaborate with Frank Ocean, Jack White (White Stripes), Childish Gambino, RZA, or Pharrell. I also believe multi-media collaborations with Pixar, Nike, and Apple would be dope.

PC: How would you describe your musical journey thus far? Were there ever any moments when you wanted to give up and how did you overcome those feelings?
Vo: I would describe my journey with music like anything we love, there is pain and there is pleasure. Fortunately, music has been mostly a powerful growing experience overall. Every year we grow stronger and better.

I’ve been through some pretty challenging times in life, so setbacks with music never really affected me enough to make me give up. Besides, I feel like I’m living in a dream. I feel like I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to even compete. Some people don’t even get the opportunity to fail.

Last year, my music was being considered for one of the Black Panther trailers. We knew this was a historical moment in film and we wanted more than anything to finalize that placement. When we finally learned that Marvel decided to go with Kendrick Lamar, we definitely felt that loss. But then you realize that you’re directly competing with legends like Kendrick Lamar and you find success in the failure. After experiencing the film, all that’s left is deep gratitude that you’re even in those conversations.

PC: How has your sound and the industry evolved throughout the years?
Vo: I’m a true fan, and the more I take in the more I evolve in my own expression. I think sonically I have become more vivid and richer in tone and color. But I believe every artist grows in this way in tandem with living more and having more vocabulary and experience. And that’s not to say that I am complete, but that I have more tools than I did yesterday.

The industry has changed so much because of streaming, and subscription-based platforms. People aren’t buying music anymore; they buy into platforms and get all the music it comes with. As a result, artists are being creative and developing new ways to thrive in music. Touring, merch, and film/TV are some new areas artists are shifting more into as a result.

In film, the growing support for telling Black stories has directly impacted my career for the positive. The more Hollywood is giving Black movies and TV a chance, the more artist like myself have the opportunity to provide the soundtracks to those stories.

PC: Do you have any new music in the works that you can chat about at this time?
Vo: I’ve been working on a dope track with DJ Ricky Luna called “I am the One”. DJ Ricky Luna is a GRAMMY®-Award winning producer who’s produced tracks for Fast 8 / Fate of the Furious and Tomb Raider. This song is pure fire so far, and I can’t wait to drop it! Be on the lookout via Spotify, Apple Music or whichever platforms you subscribe to.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Vo: Honestly, I don’t have one. If I watch it, it’s because it’s really good, and I have no guilt whatsoever.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Vo: No guilty pleasure movies either, but I do have some films I wish I didn’t see.

PC: Favorite book?
Vo: The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and the Harry Potter books. It’s a toss-up.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Vo: Hamilton

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Vo: Seu Jorge

PC: Favorite social media platform?
Vo: Instagram

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Vo: Game of Thrones

PC: Hidden talent?
Vo: Capoeira

Make sure to follow Vo on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Photo Credit: Zach Ryan