Tony Williams (The World Famous)
Encyclopedia
Tony Williams is an American
R&B
and Soul
singer
, songwriter
, and record producer
who came into popularity in 2004 when he made multiple appearances on Kanye West
's (his first cousin) debut album, The College Dropout
. Williams was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
and now lives in Fort Worth, Texas
.
, Oklahoma
. Raised in a two parent household in which both mother and father had musical backgrounds Williams was given his first instrument, a saxophone
, at the age of eight. He grew up singing in youth choirs at church and played in the marching band
through his tenth grade year of high school.
Williams love for music continued throughout his early adulthood as he went on to found and/or become the lead vocalist for more than half dozen bands that ranged from Funk
, Rock
, Alternative
, and Christian Alternative
.
album. After successfully showcasing his talent on the Grammy Award
winning 2004 album, Williams was invited to write on all of West’s subsequent albums.
On the 2005 MTV
documentary, Composing History The Making of Late Registration
, he was featured and shown producing vocals for Brandy
on the song "Bring Me Down", which he co-wrote. It was during that documentary that West tauted Williams as being “a great writer with a cutting edge voice.”
singing a version of the gospel hymn "I'll Fly Away
". By the second album, Late Registration
, Kanye was giving Williams shout outs on the song, "We Major" which birthed the famous line Kanye fans use in reference and reverence to Williams, “ I gotta say what’s up to Tony Williams”. On that same album Tony wrote the hook for the song, "Roses", which featured him singing with the legendary Patti Labelle
. This album not only brought much popularity to the Tony Williams name, but for the first time fans were able to match his voice and name with a face. He was featured on the song and the video for "Drive Slow
". Later, he was seen singing with Kanye when West was featured on the MTV television series, Life and Rhymes of Kanye West.
By the time Kanye went on the Touch the Sky Tour Williams was known and recognized as the background singer that always accompanied West. Williams went on to tour with West on several world tours.
The soul singer is one of few performer that has had the privilege to perform at two different Inaugural Balls; the Neighborhood Ball where he performed with Jay-Z
on the song, History, and at the Youth Ball where he performed with Kanye West
.
Tony’s voice is recognized on some of the most popular songs in Hip Hop, having performed along side Jay-Z
, Kanye West
, Nas
, Game, and Rick Ross
just to name a few.
mixtape, singing a song he had written that was produced by Kanye, "Dreaming of Your Love". This legitimized him as a featured artist. It was at that time that Williams added “The World Famous” to his name to differentiate himself from the famous drummer with the same name, and because in the vocal sample of the song "Dreaming of Your Love" the intro says, “You’re listening to the world famous”. Tony had also done songs that hit Brazil
ian airwaves, that he sung some of the vocals in Portuguese
and some musical chart success in France
. Williams thought the moniker was befitting considering his travels around the globe. Three years later, in March 2010, Williams released his first mainstream project in the form of a mixtape, The World Famous Tony Williams: Finding Dakota Grey which was released with the GOOD Music
stamp. This project was a collection of original music, exceptionally rendered covers, and well mastered remixes.
In October, 2010, Williams released his first single "Everything About You" from his first album, The King or the Fool, which is slated for release late spring, 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
who came into popularity in 2004 when he made multiple appearances on Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's (his first cousin) debut album, The College Dropout
The College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
. Williams was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
and now lives in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
.
Early life
Tony Williams grew up an only child in Oklahoma CityOklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. Raised in a two parent household in which both mother and father had musical backgrounds Williams was given his first instrument, a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, at the age of eight. He grew up singing in youth choirs at church and played in the marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
through his tenth grade year of high school.
Williams love for music continued throughout his early adulthood as he went on to found and/or become the lead vocalist for more than half dozen bands that ranged from Funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, Alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, and Christian Alternative
Christian alternative rock
Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical style over lyrical content as a defining genre...
.
Songwriter
Williams’ name appears on West’s albums as Tony “Penafire” Williams which is the pseudonym he uses when crediting himself as a writer. He was credited as a co-writer on two songs on The College DropoutThe College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
album. After successfully showcasing his talent on the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning 2004 album, Williams was invited to write on all of West’s subsequent albums.
On the 2005 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
documentary, Composing History The Making of Late Registration
Late Registration
Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
, he was featured and shown producing vocals for Brandy
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
on the song "Bring Me Down", which he co-wrote. It was during that documentary that West tauted Williams as being “a great writer with a cutting edge voice.”
Singer
Tony Williams first came into popularity when he debuted on Kanye West’s Grammy winning album The College DropoutThe College Dropout
The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his...
singing a version of the gospel hymn "I'll Fly Away
I'll Fly Away
"I'll Fly Away", is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message...
". By the second album, Late Registration
Late Registration
Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
, Kanye was giving Williams shout outs on the song, "We Major" which birthed the famous line Kanye fans use in reference and reverence to Williams, “ I gotta say what’s up to Tony Williams”. On that same album Tony wrote the hook for the song, "Roses", which featured him singing with the legendary Patti Labelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
. This album not only brought much popularity to the Tony Williams name, but for the first time fans were able to match his voice and name with a face. He was featured on the song and the video for "Drive Slow
Drive Slow
"Drive Slow" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on June 6, 2006 as the fifth and final single of West's second studio album, Late Registration. The song contains a sample of Hank Crawford's "Wildflower" and features Paul Wall and GLC, with back-up vocals provided by singer...
". Later, he was seen singing with Kanye when West was featured on the MTV television series, Life and Rhymes of Kanye West.
By the time Kanye went on the Touch the Sky Tour Williams was known and recognized as the background singer that always accompanied West. Williams went on to tour with West on several world tours.
The soul singer is one of few performer that has had the privilege to perform at two different Inaugural Balls; the Neighborhood Ball where he performed with Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
on the song, History, and at the Youth Ball where he performed with Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
Tony’s voice is recognized on some of the most popular songs in Hip Hop, having performed along side Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Game, and Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
just to name a few.
Featured Artist
The first time Williams had the pleasure of experiencing artistic autonomy was in 2007 when he made an appearance on Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me NothingCan't Tell Me Nothing (mixtape)
Can't Tell Me Nothing: The Official Mixtape is a mixtape by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was made freely available over the internet on May 27, 2007 in anticipation of the release of his third studio album, Graduation.-Background:...
mixtape, singing a song he had written that was produced by Kanye, "Dreaming of Your Love". This legitimized him as a featured artist. It was at that time that Williams added “The World Famous” to his name to differentiate himself from the famous drummer with the same name, and because in the vocal sample of the song "Dreaming of Your Love" the intro says, “You’re listening to the world famous”. Tony had also done songs that hit Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian airwaves, that he sung some of the vocals in Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and some musical chart success in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Williams thought the moniker was befitting considering his travels around the globe. Three years later, in March 2010, Williams released his first mainstream project in the form of a mixtape, The World Famous Tony Williams: Finding Dakota Grey which was released with the GOOD Music
GOOD Music
GOOD Music is a record label and management firm founded by music producer and artist Kanye West. "GOOD" is an acronym for "Getting Out Our Dreams".-History:...
stamp. This project was a collection of original music, exceptionally rendered covers, and well mastered remixes.
In October, 2010, Williams released his first single "Everything About You" from his first album, The King or the Fool, which is slated for release late spring, 2011.
Discography
| Year | Album | Song | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Rashani - Positive and Progress | ||
| "All Ah Dem" | Vocals | ||
| "How long" | Vocals | ||
| "Conspiracy" | Vocals | ||
| "Mickey Mouse Lovin" | Vocals | ||
| 2004 | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... - The College Dropout The College Dropout The College Dropout is the debut album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released February 10, 2004, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was recorded over a period of four years, beginning in 1999. Prior to the album's release, West had worked on rapper Jay-Z's The Blueprint , which showcased his... |
||
| "I'll Fly Away I'll Fly Away "I'll Fly Away", is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message... " |
Vocals | ||
| "Spaceship" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| "School Spirit" | Vocals | ||
| "Lil Jimmy Skit" | Vocals | ||
| "Last Call" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| 2005 | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... - Late Registration Late Registration Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood... |
||
| Late Registration & The People's Champ | "Drive Slow Drive Slow "Drive Slow" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on June 6, 2006 as the fifth and final single of West's second studio album, Late Registration. The song contains a sample of Hank Crawford's "Wildflower" and features Paul Wall and GLC, with back-up vocals provided by singer... " |
Vocals | |
| "Crack Music" | Vocals | ||
| "Roses" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| "Bring Me Down" | Writer/Vocal Producer | ||
| "We Major" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| "Late" | Vocals | ||
| 2007 | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... - Graduation Graduation (album) Graduation is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 11, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2005 to 2007 at Chung King Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York City and at Chalice Studios and The Record Plant... |
||
| "Good Morning Good Morning (Kanye West song) "Good Morning" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It serves as the opener for his third studio album, 2007's Graduation. The song was produced by West and contains samples of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" as sung by Elton John... " |
Vocals | ||
| "Champion" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| "Flashing Lights Flashing Lights "Flashing Lights" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on November 22, 2007, as the fourth single for his third studio album, Graduation. The song was co-produced by Eric Hudson and features R&B singer Dwele as well as additional vocals provided by Connie Mitchell of Sneaky... " |
Vocals | ||
| "Everything I Am" | Vocals | ||
| "Homecoming" | Writer | ||
| 2007 | Consequence Consequence (rapper) Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life... - Don't Quit Your Day Job! |
||
| "Don't Forget Em" | Vocals | ||
| "Disperse" | Vocals | ||
| "Who Knew My Luck Would Change?" | Vocals | ||
| 2008 | Kanye West Kanye West Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and... - 808s & Heartbreak 808s & Heartbreak 808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during... |
||
| "Say You Will" | Vocals | ||
| "Amazing Amazing (Kanye West song) "Amazing" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the third single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. Co-produced with Jeff Bhasker, the song features hip hop artist Young Jeezy and contains additional vocals provided by Mr Hudson and Tony Williams... " |
Vocals | ||
| "RoboCop" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| "Street Lights" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| 2009 | More Than a Game More Than a Game More Than a Game is a 2009 American documentary film that follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Akron, Ohio, and James's journey to fame. The film trailer was released in April featuring the single "Stronger" by... soundtrack |
||
| "History" | Vocals/Writer | ||
| 2009 | Jay-Z Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010... - The Blueprint 3 |
||
| "A Star Is Born" | Vocals | ||
| 2010 | Kid Sister Kid Sister Melisa Young better known by her stage name Kid Sister, is a rap artist based in Chicago, Illinois, well known for her single "Pro Nails", featuring Kanye West.-Background:Melisa Young was born July 3, 1980 in Markham, Illinois... - Ultraviolet Ultraviolet (Kid Sister album) Ultraviolet is the debut album by Chicago rapper and singer Kid Sister, it was released on November 17, 2009. It was initially to be titled Dream Date but was changed during the recording process, along with the removal of three tracks and addition of five new ones... (U.K. release) |
||
| "Daydreaming" | Vocals | ||
| 2010 | Rick Ross Rick Ross (rapper) William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection... - Teflon Don Teflon Don (album) Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released July 20, 2010 on Maybach Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E... |
||
| "Live Fast, Die Young" | Vocals | ||
| 2010 | Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | ||
| "Dark Fantasy" | Vocals | ||
| "Gorgeous" | Vocals | ||
| "All of the Lights" | Vocals | ||
| "Runaway" | Vocals | ||
| "Hell of a Life" | Vocals | ||
| "Lost in the World" | Vocals | ||
| 2011 | The Outlawz - Perfect Timing (album) | ||
| "Remember Me" | Vocals | ||