Wa'Jee

Wa’Jee is an intelligent, troubled young man with unmatched lyrical versatility and an innate ability to graphically tell stories about his personal experiences. His willingness to write about these experiences earns him both respect and street credibility among his fans.A product of Englewood, one of Chicago—Illinois’ most dangerous neighborhoods, Wa’Jee was born in 1989 during the peak of gang activity and violence. Raised the youngest of five children in a two-parent household, he developed wisdom beyond his years. “I learned about girls from my three sisters and the streets from my brother and his friends,” is the way Wa’Jee explains the impact of growing up with older siblings. Despite the negative influences of his brother and his environment, his parents strived to instill in him the values of education and Islam.At the tender age of 6, Wa’Jee began performing in local talent shows. By the age of 14, Wa’Jee had found guidance in the underground global act Cap D, who began mentoring him in their studio sessions. Under his tutelage Wa’Jee learned how to structure songs, construct albums, and record. In his senior year of high school, Wa’Jee, along with other students from across Chicago’s public school system, was employed by Kennedy King College (KKC) Radio to operate and host a weekly radio show. It was through this opportunity that Wa’Jee would meet Ahmed Turner (the younger brother of Sunni’Ali Byrd-El, formerly of SOG Entertainment). Turner introduced Wa’Jee to Byrd-El and Ken Johnson, who would later recruit him to their SOG Entertainment imprint. With the production assistance from SOG’s talented producer, Issues, Wa’Jee started his discography with an acclaimed project entitled Younger Frame, Older Mind. The project received praise and recognition throughout Chicago’s underground hip-hop scene. Younger Frame, Older Mind moved [not sure if that’s the right word] 2000 hard copies and over 500 digital downloads in five months; all with no substantial financial support or advertising. During that time, the demand for Wa’Jee skyrocketed. He was called on to appear in local performances, work with outside producers, and collaborate with other artists.After the local success of his first project, Wa’Jee turned his focus back to the street. His reckless behavior caught up to him as he graduated high school and entered college. During his music hiatus, Wa’Jee was caught selling narcotics at his place of employment which resulted in him losing his source of college tuition money. He also lost a child by way of miscarriage and separated from a high school sweetheart. He was arrested repeatedly, constantly involved in neighborhood disputes, and unresponsive the intervention attempts made by those who cared for him. After testing the depth of the rabbit hole, he realized that his lack of focus had become a major problem. It was only then that he contacted Ken Johnson in the hopes of getting back into the recording booth, convinced that choosing that alternative path would make a difference in his life.In late 2007, Wa’Jee and Issues began recording their second project, Food, Clothes and Shelter (FCS), to add on to their local promotional schedules. The album took on a raw energy. Issues expanded his production by experimenting with live instruments and using production influences from a variety of genres. Wa’Jee capitalized on the new experience and continued to push the envelope in his lyrics by telling the story of his tumultuous life. With FCS, Wa’Jee and Issues seek to translate real life into music and with that, create a biographical album that will lend a strong sound to the Midwest. FCS will show the consumer that their continued dedication to quality and creativity has not been ignored nor will it go unrewarded.Its all about the music for me! Email me and we can strike up a conversation to get to know each other. I love my fans!!