INTERVIEW: Will Claye Outlines Path From Olympian To Hip Hop Musician
Originally posted on HipHopDX 4/13/2017
For world-class athletes, the allure of the music industry always seems to find its way into the picture. That call didn’t miss Olympian silver medalist Will Claye as he readies his debut album Look What You Created. The #DXLive team recently made the trek to the Red Bull HQ in Santa Monica to host the listening party for the long and triple jump champion alongside fellow Olympian Allyson Felix and Hip Hop luminaries Seaside Stretch, Thurz, and Apple Music’s own Carl Chery.
When asked if the 25-year-old silver medalist felt he’d ever reach this level with his music.
“I feel like I’ve always made dope music,” he explained. “It was just a matter of me being around the right people. Me and my boy Mitch, the first major track we did was with YG, that “I Don’t Give A Fuck” track in like 2012. That was my first track I ever put out and that was one of YG’s biggest tracks [up to that point]. Once all that stuff start happening, I knew I was headed down the right path.”
Claye’s transition into rap comes on the heels of a very successful Olympic career, having won the bronze medal for the long jump and the silver medal for the triple jump in 2012 and the silver for the triple jump in 2016. “It just kind of comes natural to me,” Will boasts. “I didn’t even try that hard. I was in the studio with my boys [and normally] I really don’t’ like nobody in the studio when I record but I invited my boys to the studio one day. I let them hear a couple of these tracks. I was in the process of making one and they was like, ‘Will if you don’t put this out you’re stupid.’ [Typically] I’ll make all this music and I’ll just give it away or save it. I have so many tracks that I have just never put out. I put this whole project together in two months — during my offseason, right when I came back from the Olympics.”
Claye elaborated how he developed his style in today’s climate and being from Arizona where there isn’t a bustling Hip Hop scene. “I feel like my sound is my sound. I make whatever I want. I wouldn’t even say I have a sound, honestly. A lot of these tracks I don’t have the same delivery. I’m feeling different for each song so I’m going to approach [each song] differently. My sound is my sound. I’ve taken in so many things. I’ve traveled the world [and] I’ve seen so many different things [so] I put that into my music. I’ve been everywhere and that’s what you can hear in my music.”
Be on the look out for Look What You Created dropping soon on Will Claye’s website OfficialWillClaye.com. For more exclusives like this make sure you tune into #DXLive every Thursday at 6 pm EST/3 pm PST and as always keep it locked right here on HipHopDX for all of your music and news.
