Doc Will

Walter Williams grew-up overwhelmed by pressure. Pressure to fit in. Pressure to overcome. Pressure to make ends meet.

The Georgia State University psychology student spent his childhood surrounded by negative influences in a high-crime neighborhood. But thanks to an overwhelming amount of love and a scholarship to one of Georgia’s top high schools he was able to fight stereotypes head-on.

His introduction to life on the other side of the tracks taught him two powerful lessons: there’s value in diversity and love is the answer.

At Georgia State, Walter has found a diverse experience for diverse people. That experience is what makes the university the perfect place for him, he said. The East Atlanta native has kept on track to success, juggling his undergraduate studies, a budding career as hip-hop artist Doc Will and work as an autism therapist.

As for love, that’s what Doc Will says has and continues to fuel his dreams.

“As a kid you can’t really control what is going on around you, but as an adult you’re free to do whatever you want to do,” Doc Will said. “Happiness is important. You can be happy now.”

Doc Will, whose family has a rich music history, has always found solace in music. With his headphones and pad, he enters a world far away from the pressures of gangbanging and crime.

In his song Always, Doc Will recalls his humble beginnings. He raps,

“Growing up as a kid I couldn’t save a penny.

Every 11:11 every wishing well same wishes.

Let me have a good Christmas.

Let my daddy out of prison.

I ain’t felt this hunger in a minute.

I ain’t felt this hunger since a time I shouldn’t mention.

It feels like yesterday I was with the OG saying, ‘what it take to be down.’ They said, ‘be yourself young brother.’ I’m free now.

Go for what you know.

Went for what we know.

And now the world is ours.”

When Doc Will isn’t on campus or in the studio, he spends his time doing autism therapy for a local teen. For the last four years, he has watched the teen overcome immeasurable odds including discovering new ways to effectively communicate through the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM), which allows communication through use of a low-tech tablet.

“I didn’t even know it (autism therapy) existed before I started doing it,” he said. “The program that the family that I work with practices is 90 percent love.”

“He’s much more than a teen that I work with,” Doc Will added. “He’s one of my best friends.”

Doc Will has also formed lifelong friendships at Georgia State. Those friendships have positively challenged him as a learner, thinker and scholar.

“Georgia State exposed me to so many different worlds and fields that I can join and different things that people care about,” Doc Will said. “And then, they stressed how I’m the master of my own education. It’s pretty much like they took me into a kitchen, and they placed all these ingredients in front of me that I’ve never seen before and told me to make my own dish. It felt very liberating and I take that liberated attitude everywhere I go.”

Doc Will admits that he has traveled far from the child walking the streets of East Atlanta with his friends in the 90s, but that part of his life remains a necessary and significant part of who he is today—a student, a rapper and a therapist.

“I have hopes in all three of those categories that lie outside of myself, but success for me is growth and happiness. I’m in the early stages of my testimony but I’ve already chosen to feel happy about who I am,” he said. “I am a pioneer for music in my neighborhood so I already feel famous. I am opening academic doors for my younger family members as a first generation college student so I already feel intelligent. The family whose child I provide therapy for loves me and appreciates my presence so I already feel accomplished. Many people believe you have to wait to be happy but that is simply not true.”

Doc Will’s story is one that should be heard. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SjHPY7MqLE - Tiffany Carter

Doc Will is an aspiring doctor and rapper. He has continued to pursue education and music despite growing up in extreme poverty. Doc was living in motels for part of his childhood eating less than a meal a day. In addition to this adversity, Doc Will lost two brothers to gun violence, and his father and grandfather to prison. Doc Will's audacious persistence and drive has enabled him to overcome his hardships and he is now gaining attention in Atlanta's notorious rap industry. In addition to his growing success with his music, he is also a pre-med student at Georgia State University. It's clear Doc Will is here to stay his musical palette can be seen from his first official release "Always" https://soundcloud.com/drdocwill/always last year (a dark, lyrically heavy track, that is somehow inspiring) to his latest single "Don't Make Me" (a boasting, energetic, club anthem).

We had a chance to catch up with him recently, check out the interview below:


Doc Will, tell me where you’re from.

“I'm from Decatur, GA. Wesley Chapel Road to be exact. You may have been there to get J&J Fish or something. It wasn't the nicest place to grow up but hey, we don't decide our starting points.”

Tell us a little about yourself.

“I am a 22 year old Pre-Med undergraduate student at Georgia State University. I do autism therapy as my day job. I'm kind of lucky because all of my other artist friends sell drugs or work at McDonald's and stressful stuff like that. I'm all about progression and positivity.”

Tell us about The Unpopulars and your music.

“The Unpopulars is the crew! -It’s about connecting with people that are positive, genuine, original, and who dream as hard as we do. My music is trap influenced with a lot of energy and soul. The production usually demands attention. A lot of people compare it to Drake, Big Sean, and Childish Gambino. Most of my fans appreciate the authenticity and vulnerability. I try to be as honest and aware in my music as possible. Some people say my music is motivational, sometimes it can be dark but it’s me. I try to reflect on life as much as possible in the music. Pull the Macro out of the Micro situations."

Micro situations?

"Yeah. There wasn't very much consistency or stability in my childhood: I went to a lot of different schools. I lost two brothers. My father and grandfather served 12-year prison sentences. My mom worked a lot of different jobs. We moved around a lot. That kind of stuff. It felt like I raised myself sometimes. I taught myself everything. I struggled, but I’m here now. And my music reflects that. Even though it does not always come off as positive – the message is positive, and everything I want to do is positive.”

Tell us a bit about your latest release, “Don’t Make Me”, you produced it too, correct?

“I did. That’s my single. It’s a club record we tried our hand at. It is different from the usual music I make but it's working out great. Initially I wasn’t sure if I was going to release it, but I got a crazy response to the record, so we pushed it. It’s funny because I think that’s far from my best work but since that release things have started shaping into place. I actually have so many drops I need to do for the record I should probably go soon! Haha - but right now I'm finishing my debut album. It's going to give people a better idea of the direction my sound is going and I’m excited for everyone to hear it.”

You started your career as a producer right?

“Yea at 14 years old, I was solely a producer.”

Tell us about some of your collaborations.

“As a producer, I ended up getting placements for Jose Guapo and Young Scooter. I most recently, featured on Jody Breeze's mixtape, “Barz For Dayz”. That was a new experience for me. But recently I’ve been so locked in on my album. I want to produce most, if not all, of it - so I haven’t been collaborating with too many people recently. After this project I would like to collaborate with some artists or producers that would mesh well with my sound. I’m very particular about my sound, so it has to feel right! – it also isn’t really the popular Atlanta stripclub sound.”

What message are you trying to convey with your first few releases?

“At the moment I am focusing on establishing myself as a legitimate artist in the industry. You know, show people I can really spit. So I’m going to keep grinding until people really know. When all the smoke clears, people will listen to my music and it will hopefully inspire them to be different. You can't do what everyone else is doing and expect something different. And right now, I think that’s what this generation needs, a whole lot of different.”

Where do you hope to be with your music career 5 years from now?

“From the start I've always planned to use my music career as a gateway to something bigger. Something much bigger, that I can't share with anyone. A larger audience of influential people to perform my music for will be more than I've ever asked for. I hope to be a part of the league of extraordinary introverts alongside Frank Ocean and Andre 3000 -- let the music do the talking, you know? Maybe occasionally rearing my name through other artists' projects. I love writing.”

What are some accomplishments you've had thus far in your music career?

“Don’t Make Me” played in Follies… haha I’m just kidding! - I had the opportunity to work with Alvin Speights, Lyfe Jennings, and also meet 88 Keys. My biggest accomplishment was probably meeting and working with mastering engineer Colin Leonard. I'm very into science and math, so I am usually a big fan of the engineer work on songs. I think, modestly put, Colin Leornard is one of the top 5 mastering engineers in the world.”

How can people connect or contact you?

“I'm active with Twitter and Instagram @DrDocWill follow me! I try to check everyday. But if someone wants to work they should contact my manager, Alex Kirsch.” - CMLapse Ent.

"Walter “Doc Will” Williams is a rapper & producer from Decatur, GA. Doc Will is on the pre-med track at Georgia State University and is a Psychology major. Socially conscious, focused on originality, and seeking to inspire and uplift his peers, Doc says: “My emphasis is on originality and empowering my generation through positive motivation.”

Doc Will has just released his latest single, “Capes”, which is off of Doc’s upcoming project titled, “Before I Leave East Atlanta”, scheduled to be released in September. Hip-hop fans are a tough bunch to please. New artists are maligned for not sounding like the old ones, and when they do, they’re criticized for not bringing something new to the table. This is where Doc Will is different.

Hip-hop artists are applauded for being “real”, but what this reality encompasses is never explicitly stated. In a genre that expects its great artists to submit to a vague set of ideological rules, it may seem difficult to pinpoint exactly where Doc Will fits into the pantheon of upcoming hip-hop royalty.

One thing is clear though, Doc Will breaks plenty of rules as a rapper from Atlanta. Doc produces his own music, is on course to graduate college with a pre-med concentration, and does autism therapy ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SjHPY7MqLE ) when he’s not rapping. Now that’s an absolute abnormality in the current game set. Yet he somehow pulls it off.

In just over 30 years hip-hop has progressed from street corners to stadiums and while it has lost much of the rawness of its earliest incarnations, it has become a worldwide force in the hands of able creators. Doc Will’s music is an exemplary model of what it can become and where it is headed.

A thorough listen reveals that Doc’s wordplay is often deceptively complex. With Capes, the scene Doc Will sets is much different. The song is less lyrically focused than his previous releases and gives off a more confident, smooth, fun vibe. After hearing Capes, and Don’t Make Me (https://soundcloud.com/drdocwill/dont-make-me), we cannot wait to hear the rest of “Before I Leave East Atlanta” in September." - TunedLoud

Atlanta area rapper Doc Will has dropped his latest single “Don’t Make Me”. The jack of all trades also is credited to the production of the song. Doc Will tap dances over the beat in a style synonymous with the region. According to Doc his creative process isn’t structured and ideas come without any brainstorming sessions.
The production tip is on point on “Don’t Make Me”, and sonically pleasing . I can definitely hear this track playing in a club. We look forward to seeing Doc Will’s career progress in both rapping and production. - PWR MOVES

https://issuu.com/shivemagazine/docs/shive_magazine_issue_14 - Camika Bajoie