Sir Will & Rhythm D
Rising West Coast Rap Star & West Coast Legendary Producer Link
Growing up in Compton, California, Sir Will overcame a difficult childhood with his family members selling and abusing drugs and loved ones involved in gang activity. Inspired by Los Angeles icon and local rap hero, “DJ QUIK”, who performed at his neighborhood’s annual block party, a young Sir Will wanted to achieve that same human “superpower” of becoming an influential rap icon who enthralled and motivated audiences around the globe. At just eight years old, a young Sir Will began songwriting, rapping and entering in local talent shows and performances showcasing his original music.
Since 2021, Sir Will has released a series of infectious hip hop and R&B singles under his label, Will Do It Entertainment. Working alongside West Coast legendary producer Rhythm D and other icons such as Battlecat, Drumma Boy, Bobby Keyz from the Loopholes, and LA Reid’s son Antonio Reid Jr., is a sought after artist who has established himself as a rapper known for slick metaphors, great hooks and a captivating vocal clarity.
His latest single “Weight Up” is a modern hip hop anthem dedicated to appreciating the beauty, decadence, and finer things in life with his signature charismatic feel-good flow. “Weight Up” is all about investing in yourself; putting in the work and celebrating the results. As Sir Will puts it, “The term ‘Weight Up’ stands for whatever you’re doing in life. You can always do it better and go harder.” Antonio Reid Jr. brought together multi-platinum, Grammy nominated West Coast legend Rhythm D (Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Mack 10, Paperboy) and Grammy nominated, Billboard award winning icon Bobby Keyz of the Loopholes (Future, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Moneybagg Yo) to produce the hard-hitting, razor-sharp sound of “Weight Up”.
Meet and Get To Know Sir Will & Rhythm D
Kulture Vulturez: Fresh off the release of “Weight Up,” what brought you two together and what motivated the creation of the song?
Sir Will: What kind of motivated the record was first, the environment. We were down in Atlanta, we were in a studio environment. Myself, Rhythm D, Bobby Keyz from the Loopholes, and LA Reid Junior, it was all of us in the room, and we kind of wanted that West Coast element. Since I am from Los Angeles, since Rhythm D is from L.A., we wanted that West Coast element, but we wanted a little twist as well.
Rhythm D, his background, it speaks for himself in all the greatness and things he’s done for the West Coast. We wanted that feel in there. Then with all the success Bobby Keyz has had with the Loopholes, that’s kind of what brought it together. Just kind of bring in two dope producers together, giving you that strong West Coast presence [with Rhythm D] and then Bobby Keyz. Kind of bringing those two elements together with my kind of flow pattern. We just vibe off of each other. It was a great thing because we were all in one room together at the same time, which is kind of hard these days in the music industry.
“The tempo is sort of like 1998 and 1997. it makes you want to come in the club and dance, and then once the verse starts you might want to slap somebody.”
Rhythm D: As far as the process went, in collaborations now, I started it off and then Bobby Keyz would come in and he would have a sound. The transitions from the verse part of the beat and the hook part of the beat, the hook brought us back into the club and the verse part brought us back into the storyline of what he was talking about. We gave it a little bit of cinematics of a club vibe and street vibe.
It has a fusion type thing. It’s a mixture of West Coast gangster funk with Down South trap. The tempo is sort of like 1998 and 1997. It makes you want to, me and Sir Will were talking the other night, come in the club and dance, and then once the verse starts you might want to slap somebody (LOL). We wanted to give it all and make it at least in a matter enough to stand out in today’s market.
Sir Will – Weight Up
Kulture Vulturez: The both of you are from the city of Compton, correct?
Rhythm D: No, I am from South Central. I don’t think everybody knows. Will is my cousin. That’s my little cousin. I’ve seen him grow over the years. He has got doper and doper. We both are from two sides of the element of the streets. I grew up in a all Crip neighborhood and he grew up in all Bloods [neighborhood]. At the end of the day, we all family and we all love each other.
Kulture Vulturez: I was going to ask about how influential Compton has become in Hip-Hop. But also can talk about the history of South Central in Hip-Hop?
Sir Will: For me growing up, influences doesn’t get bigger for me than DJ Quik. That’s who I looked up to when I was eight years old. We had a block party and he performed in front of my house. Like literally, when we had a block party on our street and they had to actually hook up their equipment to our garage. So seeing him up close and personal is why I ever picked up a microphone. So DJ Quik put on for Compton heavy. You listen to Eazy-E, he even talk about DJ Quik in his songs.
As far as Compton goes, for me that’s DJ Quik, he was that guy. Of course, N.W.A. Ice Cube is very huge in our upbringing as far as Compton music as well, one of the best storytellers of all time. You can’t forget the new the new up and comers, the legends now in the game. When The Game came out, I celebrated. It was a big gap in between stars until The Game came. Then you have one of the best of all time, Kendrick Lamar. He didn’t grow up too far from where I grew up. A couple of blocks away. Compton has definitely brought a lot of great lyricism and a lot of great storytelling. I’m trying to basically take that on and kind of get the baton and continue the great lyricism and storytelling.
“Compton has definitely brought a lot of great lyricism and a lot of great storytelling. I’m trying to basically take that on and kind of get the baton and continue the great lyricism and storytelling.”
Rhythm D: Absolutely. For me, it’s going back to the roots. Of course, you know, I produced Eazy-E, everybody in NWA, that’s like family. Me being a veteran from Ruthless Records and then going from Death Row Records to Ruthless and just seeing Sir Will be a part of that is legendary for me. Now I got one of my family members that I love involved in West Coast hip hop, the way I grew up.
Being able to pass the baton is cool. Just being part of the whole NWA movement and being really close friends with Eazy-E is something that was big in my career. Being able to still reinvent myself on production and stay as a producer in this business is a focus that I’ve been on for the past 27 years. Now, I get a chance to go back and lace my cousin.
Kulture Vulturez: For Rhythm D, when did you start producing music in hip hop?
Rhythm D: I started producing probably back, well I’ve always been into hip hop since [Afrika Bambaataa’] “Planet Rock” came out. So, since I was like 14 years old. I was pop locking, that is how I got the name Rhythm D from pop locking when I was a kid. I just branched off being a musician, playing the piano, the drums, you know, anything I could pick up. I DJ for a brief minute, and just kind of pick up all the elements as far as wanting to be behind the scenes.
“I was signed to Eazy-E, kind of went in and picked up where Dr. Dre left off when he left. I was the main producer over [at Ruthless Records].”
After listening to Quincy Jones and all the great producers from Barry White to Prince to all of them growing up, you know, I really wanted to be behind the scenes. I would say I probably got my biggest break, probably in 1992, when I had that hit record on the artist name Paperboy and every song was called “The Ditty.” That’s when if you want to say professionally, getting paid around like 1992, when it broke for me. I’ve been producing, being in the hood and staying not too far from Battle Cat. Me and him were real close buddies. We kind of came up when he was working on Domino and I was working on Paperboy.
“When you’re a producer, you’re a coach, you like the Phil Jackson.”
We were all going through a little broke stage and seeing how all the other producers started making it. Then our time came, I got successful with Paperboy. I’d say professionally around 1991, 1992, got my first dibs at being a producer. Then in 1993, I signed to Ruthless as an exclusive producer, and I started getting paid to do it. I was signed to Eazy-E, kind of went in and picked up where Dr. Dre left off when he left. I was the main producer over there. That’s when I really learned how to produce. When you’re a producer, you’re a coach, you like the Phil Jackson. You got to kind of get in and tell everybody what to do and be able to get all these minds together to create a great product. So, yeah, that’s around the time I started really getting professional at.
Sir Will – Moment of Truth feat. Judge Da Boss
Kulture Vulturez: For you Sir Will, when do you start rapping and decide to become an artist?
Sir Will: Like I said, when I was eight years old and I saw DJ Quik perform. It was funny, my sister, I talked to my sister every day about music. Back then, it was hard for females to be in rap. I remember our block party, she actually grabbed the mic and started rapping. But all the hood dudes, they didn’t want that. So they took the mic from her quick. But seeing my sister have the strength and have the courage to get on the microphone in front of all those people.
“seeing my sister have the strength and have the courage to get on the microphone in front of all those people.”
Then seeing DJ Quik right after that rock the crowd, I was like, that is what I am going to do for the rest of my life. Literally, when I was 8, 9, 10 years old I started just basically memorizing every single song. They always telling me, “Shut up, shut up, shut up,” because I knew every single word, every every song that came on the radio. When I was 12 years old, I had a talent show and I was the only one to actually perform his own record.
“for me to be in a talent show, with other people who had talent as well, and to get up there and do my own original song, that’s when I really started taking it serious.”
A song that I wrote called “The Little Most Wanted,” I wrote when I was 11 years old and performed in my talent show in middle school. I won that talent show, and won 100 bucks. From there, I was just like for me to be in a talent show, and there was other people who had talent as well, but for me to get up there and do my own original song, that’s when I really started taking it serious and really start getting into it. When I was about 12 years old, that’s when I kind of was like this is what I want to do.
Kulture Vulturez: What led you to start your own label, Will Do It Entertainment?
Sir Will: I have a label, it’s called Will Do It Entertainment. As myself and my manager, Toni Renee, she has also been directing my last two videos. It’s us together, we have a solid team. We have a PR team. Working hand in hand with great individuals and great music minds like Rhythm D. We’re doing everything independent with us kind of learning along the way.
“We’ve had bad dealings with people and had to learn from our mistakes. now we got some good coaches around, like Rhythm D, the kind of who’s been in the game.”
We’ve had bad dealings with people and had to learn from our mistakes. And now we got some good coaches around, like Rhythm D, the kind of who’s been in the game. Who’s a better coach to kind of tell us along the way, what’s a good move and what’s not a good move, someone who’s been in the game like 30 years. So yeah, We Do It Entertainment is the label and we’re doing everything independent. Just trying to build it from the ground up.
Kulture Vulturez: Outside of music, your were also involved with real estate? Can you talk about that?
Sir Will: Funny story, I’ve only been, I say outside (rapping), for less than a year. When I found out I was going to be a father and I was having my daughter, I stepped away from music for a little bit and I said that I needed to make sure that she was straight and make sure that she was taken care of. I got in mortgages, became a loan officer.
So, I’m the money person. I was the one who actually wrote the loans for you to refinance your house or for you to purchase homes. I got in that game from some good friends of mine who was kind of doing it and making really good money. A lot of people don’t take their gifts and put it into different fields. I have the gift of gab. I don’t just rap. I’m someone that who’s just really good with words, naturally. I’ve always been a talker. So naturally I can sell.
“A lot of people don’t take their gifts and put it into different fields. I have the gift of gab. naturally I can sell anything. When I got mortgages and learned the game and started making really, really good money.”
I could sell anything. When I got mortgages and learned the game and start making really, really good money and my daughter was straight and comfortable, that’s when I came back outside to start doing music. It has been less than a year now. As far as, my progress in the music industry, I’m further along than I ever been because I’ve learned business. I’ve made money to put into the music.
A lot of people do music. There are so many talented people out there, so many talented artists, but they don’t have a budget. Once I learn the mortgage game and start making money that way and learn business, I start budgeting and putting that money into my craft and that’s music. It shows, from how our videos look to how our production is. If you look at me doing music four years ago and the quality compared to how it looks now, and I’ve been outside and made further progress in the last year, it’s night and day.
Sir Will – Sleeping Giant
Kulture Vulturez: How can you take the business from doing real estate and correlate with you being in the rap game and music industry right now?
Sir Will: The biggest thing is I know how to move in a room full of vultures. I know how to move in the corporate world. One of the owners of my bank, he’s like a really good friend of mine, and I go to him for advice. He’s worth millions and millions of dollars. I can go to him and talk to him and have a conversation, and I see that he’s human. I could go in there and I can speak with anyone about anything, and I’m able to correlate whatever I’m talking about as far as music, as far as business, I’m able to put the two or two together.
When I was in the corporate world, I had to learn how to carry myself a certain way, how to move in certain rooms. I had to learn all these things because you’re not going to be able to be successful in in the mortgage industry or the real estate industry if you’ll carry yourself a certain way. So hood smarts, let’s be honest, a lot of people don’t have those. If you could take the hood smarts element and then mix it with the corporate element, you right there. You got a diamond in the rough.
“hood smarts, let’s be honest, a lot of people don’t have those. If you could take the hood smarts element and then mix it with the corporate element, you right there. You got a diamond in the rough.”
That’s what I am. So not only can I go in the room and talk to the corporate people, I can also go in a room with a bunch of hood dudes, as I’m also on the same level as them. That’s why the most successful people like your Russell Simmons, your P. Diddy’s, all of these people are from the hood, from the neighborhood, and they learn how to move corporate. That’s why these people are so successful. Your Jay-Zs, right? I’m trying to follow in that same path.
I knew I wasn’t losing a strike by coming from the hood and going into the corporate world. I was smart enough to understand that all these people that are so successful came from the hood and got into the corporate industry and learned how to move both ways. That’s exactly how it correlates. Now I can talk to a label exec, a record exec, and understand exactly what he said. He’s not going to talk to me in a certain manner because I know how to carry myself.
Kulture Vulturez: What’s next for you both, Sir Will and Rhythm D, following this release of “Weight Up”?
Sir Will: To keep making hit records, to keep pushing “Weight Up” right now. Me and Rhythm D, we’re nowhere near done. We have so many records that we have in the cut that we’ve been working on long nights, putting in those 10000 hours, as people call it.
I’m just trying to take the West Coast element and show that I’m well rounded. The West Coast song, this first one was to make sure you understood where I was from and what I represent. That’s LA and that’s the West Coast lifestyle. As far as me as an artist, I have records with Drumma Boy, I have records with Zaytoven. I got the Atlanta connection. I have those kind of elements of music because I’m very well-rounded. After “Weight Up,” it’s just to kind of keep showing you that I’m an all around artist.
“I’m trying to take the West Coast element and show that I’m well rounded. this first song was to make sure you understood where I was from and what I represent. That’s L.A. and that’s the West Coast.”
Working with Rhythm D, he’s a West Coast legend, but as far as what he can do, he can give you techno R&B, he can give yo EDM, he can give you everything. He is great for me to work with him because he pushes me right. He sends me beats that I wouldn’t normally rap on, but it pushed me to make sure we come up with a record. So, just keeping our head down and keep pushing. That’s that’s what’s next for myself.
Rhythm D: Basically what’s next for me is I’ve got my albums, which I’m dropping in different volumes one, two and three. If people loving it, I’ll keep on dropping. They’re going to be compilation albums similar to what Quincy Jones did, Dr. Dre did, and DJ Khaled is doing right now. They’re producer albums. I’m bringing the producer back to being an artist, which allows me to release brand new artists through my name as a producer.
“They’re going to be compilation albums similar to what Quincy Jones did, Dr. Dre did, and DJ Khaled is doing right now.”
Making great music and hitting all genres. I just want to be known as a great producer, not one particular type of style. Even though I can spearhead many different ones, I just want to show the capabilities of my production over these many different artists that I believe in. I’m really not happy until I see one of the artists that I believe in and I put out become successful.
Also working deep in technology within the music business, making and creating VSTs and plugins and different things of that sort. Working on my metaverse, heading deep into crypto. I think I might get off to some real estate too. Like I said, my main goal is staying relevant and just making great music from here on out. That’s, that’s my main goal.