Meet William Rose | Artist & Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with William Rose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi William, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve been playing saxophone since I was in sixth grade. And I’ve known I wanted to play saxophone ever since I was in 2nd and pretended to play a giant inflatable one for a school play. I always say I was raised on R&B, I was taught jazz but I fell in love with hip-hop. So during high school I started learning how to produce music and use music technology, which inspired me to pursue it as a career. As I grew up, I added video production and podcasting to my skillset.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was raised on early 2000’s R&B, like John Legend, Charlie Wilson and Jaheim, but I didn’t really get into music until I started playing saxophone in middle school. That’s around the same time I discovered hip-hop and fell in love with it. Throughout high school I would learn more and more about jazz while exploring rhyme schemes and writing my own verses, Eventually I started making my own beats and songs, and now I’m releasing a song with touring hip-hop artist Skyzoo on January 24th. I think what sets me apart is my versatility. Not only can I rap as an artist, but I can also sing, play saxophone, produce and write songs. My music is a blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop, but I can easily branch over to pop, rock and even country!

Getting to where I am now took a lot time, a lot of practice, and it still takes a lot of time. The hardest part is having enough to get it all done. The best method I’ve come up with to get around this is to just stay organized. Knowing exactly what I need to do and when helps me to avoid wasting time and maximize the little bit of it I have! I’ve learned that it is important set aside some money to put into your career, But the best way to do that is by using money you’ve made from music. For example, I spent over $1,200 get a professional-looking video for my band to play gigs. That video has allowed me to book at least 15 different private events since, so I’ve been able to get a solid return on that investment. And now those gigs can help fund campaigns and other things that I need as an artist in order to succeed.

I just want people to know that I make songs designed to uplift and encourage. If you need a pick me up, my music is for you. My main influences are artists like Lupe Fiasco, Chance The Rapper, Kota The Friend, Masego and Terrace Martin. All of them have made me into the artist and musician that I am today. And if my music makes you feel just a little bit better, then I know I’ve done my job!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I’ve been to Atlanta a few times. One of the places I would definitely head back to is the Georgia Aquarium, mainly to see the seal and dolphin shows. Those were the best part of the aquarium for my friends and I and I would definitely go back to see what else they’ve taught them! We also had a great time at Ponce Market where I got to see some incredible street performances by Unknown Lyric, a guitar/violin duo native to Atlanta. I also highly recommend Criminal Records, a very cozy record shop that really helped make music feel like a community. There’s a reason why I mention Atlanta as a great place to stop in my song Around:

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout out undeniably goes to my amazing wife Kate. She supports every part of my career, including the late nights, the spontaneous recordings and times I spend the entire day in my studio. She comes to all of my shows, all of the open mics and she’s been with me every step of the way. I couldn’t do this without her!

Website: https://whaletheking.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whaletheking

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-rose-b66a80142/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whaletheking/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whaletheking

Image Credits
Not applicable