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In the late 90s, the San Francisco bay area seemed like the next spot to blow in the Hip-Hop game. Artists like E-40, Mac Dre, the Luniz and Too $hort becoming household names with national audience, the Bay seemed to be next at bat. Unfortunately, between the Bays lack of solidarity and the industrys short attention span, the spotlight never made its way north from L.A. One young artist never got the memo that he was supposed to stay local though. And now Willie Joe is well on his way to bringing his hometown back to the forefront. That may seem like a big responsibility to the average person, but Willie Joe has already proven that he was born to do this. Born in Oakland and raised in Vallejo, CA, Willie Joe cant pinpoint the moment when he decided to become a rapper. He simply came into his own, writing his first lyrics at the age of nine, and stepping on stage for the first time only a year later. He continued honing his skills, and in high school, put himself at the mercy of the public. Using the money he made from a part-time job, Willie Joe started making his own mixtapes and made believers out of his classmates before they even made it to the B-side of the tapes. Where most rappers accept the school of thought that you have to grind, and pay your dues, he created his own spotlight. In addition to the support he received from his peers in high school, he experienced the rush of being a recording artist in the 12th grade, when Willie Joe appeared on his cousin Don Ps album Yall Ready For Me, which was distributed throughout California. Shortly thereafter, he and four friends founded the group the Wataboyz. Their name alone identifies what they mean to the Bay area, which theyve renamed The Wata. Representing San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo, the Wataboyz herald a change of guard, aiming to bring their culture back to the forefront. After achieving great success with his group, Willie Joe decided to take his career to the next level. Armed with a one-way ticket and a mixtape, he relocated to Atlanta with a logic that was simple: since he was far from the typical local artist, he couldnt stay local. In a city filled with dreamers, Willie Joe stands apart immediately. His past experiences make already him a veteran of this game and hes not afraid to put that status on display. And that swagger spills over into his music, which has already made fans From The Bay to The A, which prompted the release of a mixtape by that name. Since arriving to the southern Mecca a year ago, Willie Joe has recorded over thirty original songs and opened for the likes of the Ying Yang Twins, Boyz N Da Hood, Mike Jones, D4L, 8Ball & MJG, the Big Tymerz, Trillville, and Dem Franchize Boyz, to name a few. Despite his current location and the industrys current fascination with the South, Willie Joes charismatic presence and lyrical prowess allow him to make that Bay area flavor universal creating new fans with every performance. In December, a panel of seasoned music industry professionals selected Willie Joe as the latest winner of Atlantas renowned Almost Famous showcase. The winning performance, which took place in front of a crowd of hundreds of label execs, journalists, and producers, among others, has now open doors to allow Willie Joe to bring his movement to the world. Throughout his life and his career, Willie Joe has been driven to motivate others through his talent, his loyalty to his crew, his vision and his love for music in general. He feels truly as though his talent is a God-given weapon to push those around him to always aim for the sky. Over the next few months, through the support of such publications as Break Magazine, Down Magazine, and DV8 Magazine, to name a few, the one-man movement that is Willie Joe will continue to expand its horizons. The Bay couldnt resist it; the A cant get enough of it; with his proven track record, its only a matter of time before Willie Joe conquers the world. Oh Boy!!

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