Lil iROCC Williams
Encyclopedia
Justin Williams is an American rapper and actor
. Williams began his career using the stage name Lil iROCC Williams, but eventually dropped the "Lil". His name is often stylized multiple ways, including Irocc, iROCC, irocc, and iroCc.
Williams is a Christian
, which is heavily reflected in his lyrics. His moniker, which is inspired by Proverbs
3:5, stands for I Rely On Christ Completely.
to a father and a mother, Treiva, but the family moved to Atlanta when he was still a young child. At the age of three, Williams began modeling and appearing in TV spots. In 1997, Williams' mother was diagnosed with cancer; during her treatment, William's mother and father converted to Christianity, which led Williams to follow suite. Williams showed an interest in rapping at the age of ten, while his father was working to develop local artists to showcase to major record labels.
Williams' first live performance came in 2001, after his parents entered him in a local talent contest sposered by a local Atlanta R&B radio station. Williams was chosen as one of 15 finalists, and subsequently won the grand prize.
ForeFront Records
. On June 25, 2003, at the age of 13, Williams released his debut, self-titled album, Lil iROCC Williams. The album was met with great success, charting on a number of Billboard
charts, and earning Williams nominations at both the 2004 Dove Awards and the 2004 Stellar Awards. The release featured guest appearances from a number of big name Christian artists, including tobyMac
, Canton Jones
, and rap duo GRITS
. In reviews of the album, Williams was compared to secular musicians, including Lil Wayne
, Lil' Romeo
and Lil' Bow Wow.
. In 2004, Williams released an EP
, iROCC, and a full-length album, The Sequel, under his own music label, Authentic Music. Distribution for both releases was handled by Whitaker House
Publishing's musical imprint Authority Music. During this time, Williams also took a break from music, and worked toward finishing his high school education.
The Sequel earned Williams two award nominations at 2006 Stellar Awards. Williams won both awards, for Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year and Children's Performance of the Year. That same year, Williams dropped the "Lil" from his name, in an attempt to refect a maturation in his music. Under his shortened moniker "iROCC Williams", he released a second EP, Mo' Heat 4 Da' Streets, online. Once again, the EP was distributed by Authority Music.
In 2007, Williams was featured in his first acting role, playing Reggie "Corn" Hackett in Christmas...Who Needs It?, a direct-to-DVD film written, directed and produced by gospel singer Fred Hammond
. The film was released on December 21, 2007.
Williams has continued acting, appearing as Chris Hutchinson in Life 101: Angel's Secret, a 2009 direct-to-DVD film, and as Omar in Blessed & Cursed, a 2010 direct-to-DVD film starring gospel singer Deitrick Haddon
.
In 2010, it was announced that Williams would star in the 10-part B.E.T.
webseries 8 Days a Week, based on the book series The Come Up by Lyah Beth LeFlore. The series premiered August 24, 2011. Williams plays Blue Reynolds, an amateur rapper struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Williams began his career using the stage name Lil iROCC Williams, but eventually dropped the "Lil". His name is often stylized multiple ways, including Irocc, iROCC, irocc, and iroCc.
Williams is a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, which is heavily reflected in his lyrics. His moniker, which is inspired by Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
3:5, stands for I Rely On Christ Completely.
Early Life (1990-2001)
Williams was born in New Orleans, LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to a father and a mother, Treiva, but the family moved to Atlanta when he was still a young child. At the age of three, Williams began modeling and appearing in TV spots. In 1997, Williams' mother was diagnosed with cancer; during her treatment, William's mother and father converted to Christianity, which led Williams to follow suite. Williams showed an interest in rapping at the age of ten, while his father was working to develop local artists to showcase to major record labels.
Williams' first live performance came in 2001, after his parents entered him in a local talent contest sposered by a local Atlanta R&B radio station. Williams was chosen as one of 15 finalists, and subsequently won the grand prize.
Lil iROCC Williams (2002-2003)
In 2003, Williams was signed to major Christian record labelRecord label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
. On June 25, 2003, at the age of 13, Williams released his debut, self-titled album, Lil iROCC Williams. The album was met with great success, charting on a number of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts, and earning Williams nominations at both the 2004 Dove Awards and the 2004 Stellar Awards. The release featured guest appearances from a number of big name Christian artists, including tobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
, Canton Jones
Canton Jones
Canton Jones, born in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is an American Christian musician and Christian hip-hop artist.-Early years:Canton Jones began singing at the age of 5 in a vocal group founded by his father...
, and rap duo GRITS
GRITS
GRITS, also known as G.R.I.T.S., is a Christian Hip Hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In The Spirit." GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter, both of whom were DC Talk dancers.Their song "Ooh Aah"...
. In reviews of the album, Williams was compared to secular musicians, including Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, Lil' Romeo
Romeo Miller
Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. , better known by his stage name Romeo , is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of...
and Lil' Bow Wow.
Continued Output, Name Change and Acting (2004-2007)
After the release of his first album, Williams was released from ForeFront Records by label parent EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. In 2004, Williams released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, iROCC, and a full-length album, The Sequel, under his own music label, Authentic Music. Distribution for both releases was handled by Whitaker House
Whitaker House
Whitaker House is a charismatic, theologically conservative, evangelical Christian publishing house in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, just east of Pittsburgh...
Publishing's musical imprint Authority Music. During this time, Williams also took a break from music, and worked toward finishing his high school education.
The Sequel earned Williams two award nominations at 2006 Stellar Awards. Williams won both awards, for Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year and Children's Performance of the Year. That same year, Williams dropped the "Lil" from his name, in an attempt to refect a maturation in his music. Under his shortened moniker "iROCC Williams", he released a second EP, Mo' Heat 4 Da' Streets, online. Once again, the EP was distributed by Authority Music.
In 2007, Williams was featured in his first acting role, playing Reggie "Corn" Hackett in Christmas...Who Needs It?, a direct-to-DVD film written, directed and produced by gospel singer Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond is a gospel music singer, bass guitar player, and record producer.-Musical career:Hammond has been active both as a member of the gospel performing group Commissioned, and as a solo artist...
. The film was released on December 21, 2007.
Born A King and Current Activities (2007-Present)
In September 2007, Williams announced his latest project, an new album titled Born A King. The album was released on his new record label, JusRoCc Entertainment, on September 16, 2008. The album was distributed nationally by Central South Distribution.Williams has continued acting, appearing as Chris Hutchinson in Life 101: Angel's Secret, a 2009 direct-to-DVD film, and as Omar in Blessed & Cursed, a 2010 direct-to-DVD film starring gospel singer Deitrick Haddon
Deitrick Haddon
Deitrick Haddon is a Gospel singer, songwriter and producer. A popular artist known for his contemporary style of music, he is well known for his progressive gospel styles.-Early years:Haddon is a native of Detroit, Michigan....
.
In 2010, it was announced that Williams would star in the 10-part B.E.T.
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
webseries 8 Days a Week, based on the book series The Come Up by Lyah Beth LeFlore. The series premiered August 24, 2011. Williams plays Blue Reynolds, an amateur rapper struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry.
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Chart Positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Gospel | US Christ | US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
|||
| 2003 | Lil iROCC Williams | ForeFront Records ForeFront Records ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD... |
26 | 27 | 46 |
| 2004 | The Sequel | Authentic Music | — | — | — |
| 2008 | Born A King | JusRoCc Entertainment | — | — | — |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Christmas...Who Needs It? | Reggie "Corn" Hackett | Direct-to-DVD film |
| City Girls | Jefferson Jenkins | TV Movie | |
| 2009 | Life 101: Angel's Secret | Chris Hutchinson | Direct-to-DVD film |
| 2010 | Blessed & Cursed | Omar | |
| 2011 | 8 Days A Week | Blue Reynolds | Main star, 10 episodes |