Freddy Will


Wilfred Kanu Jr., professionally known by his stage name Freddy Will, is an American Canadian author, philanthropist and hip-hop recording artist. His pictures are on four "limited edition" postage stamps of Sierra Leone, and he is the author of three successive books published with accompanying hip-hop albums. He has collaborated with Juno Award winners and Canadian jazz musicians, Eddie Bullen and Liberty Silver, and five-time United States Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer, Carvin Winans.

Early life

Freddy Will was born at the Brookland Maternity Center in Brookfields, Freetown, Sierra Leone. He is the eldest son of Rev. Leeroy Wilfred Kabs Kanu, former Plenipotentiary Minister of Sierra Leone to the United Nations and publisher of Sierra Leone's widely read Cocorioko Newspaper. His mother, Mrs. Tigidankay B. Kanu is a Director of nursing, a preacher and founder of Covenant Child World Ministry, a church in New Jersey, United States. His father is from the Loko people, and his mother is from the Mandingo people.

Liberian and Sierra Leonean Civil Wars

In his biography, "My Book of Chrymes," he stated that when he was two years old, his parents moved to Monrovia, Liberia in West Africa where his father taught English as a high school teacher. The family later moved to Kakata, Liberia when his father became a lecturer in psychology. In the book, he also described his experiences from the First Liberian Civil War and his struggle as a refugee in West Africa during the Sierra Leone Civil War. When the Liberian civil war started, he and his family returned to Sierra Leone. Being that his grandmother is an African American who lived in New Jersey with his grandfather, his parents immigrated to the United States. They left him to complete high school in Sierra Leone while waiting for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to process his Permanent residence application. When the civil war reached Freetown, he moved in with his uncle in The Gambia and then relocated to Dakar, Senegal.

Education and Career

Freddy Will attended St. Mary's and St. Christopher's Catholic Elementary Schools in Monrovia and Kakata, Liberia respectively, Christ the King College in Bo, Methodist Boys High School and Ansarul Muslim Secondary School in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He also attended Raritan Valley Community College where he studied Theater Arts and Edison Job Corps Academy where he studied Bookkeeping and Hospitality, both of which are in New Jersey, USA. He underwent training in Phlebotomy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital during which time he naturalized to an American. He also trained as a Pirmary Care Paramedic at Trillium College on Burlington, Ontario.

Toronto, Canada

In 2006 Freddy Will traveled to Toronto, Canada to record his debut album. After revisiting the country a few times, he filed for permanent residency there. While living there he recorded a mixtape, two additional independent studio albums, an EP and released them off his independent record labels, Ghetto Breed Entertainment, and Swift Nightz Entertainment. He also started his freelance writing career, launched his blog website and authored three books that were published by Soul Asylum Poetry & Publishing, as well as his publishing company, Freddy Will Publishing in Ontario, Canada.
All three books were published in a book plus album concomitant. He also launched The Freddy Will Hope Foundation.

Activism

Freddy Will energetically advocate against mass shootings, police brutality and what he refers to as the "misconceptions of Hip Hop." He believes that there is an unfair stigma on rappers who promote traditional cultures. Most notably are his three-part blog entitled Misconceptions where he claims that he is not homophobic, sexist, misogynistic, racist, anti law enforcement, materialistic or violent as some critics maliciously accuse some rappers of being. He has stated that he launched his blog as his media platform so the public have a direct way of knowing the truth in what he speaks, raps or writes about. His blog website serves as a fact checker for fans and researchers to clarify misconstrued rumors that a critic may circulate about his image, and his perspectives on social and political controversies.

Literary, Music and Theater Influences

During his interview with award-winning Ghanaian journalist, Jefferson Sackey, Freddy Will stated that he started rapping when he was still living in Liberia. He credited Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J., Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Naughty By Nature, legendary Sierra Leone rapper, Jimmy B, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B. I. G., Nas, The Luniz and the LOX as some of his primary musical influences in hip-hop. For his writing, he credits his father, John Grisham, Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Caresse Crosby, Maya Angelou and Pacesetter Novels as his primary influences and Idris Elba, Ice Cube, John Singleton and Spike Lee, his influences in theater and acting.

Brussels, Belgium

After living in Canada for ten years, he relocated to Brussels, Belgium in the winter of 2016 as a diplomat of an island in the West Indies to Belgium and the European Union. In Brussels, Belgium, Freddy Will published five new books by republishing an edited version of his blog entries, in a series called The Sandmann's Journal. These books, summing up to his eighth book published, talk about his assessment on Hip Hop culture, societal responsibilities to appropriate what he refers to as "the radical aspects of feminism," relationships, Abrahamic religious dogma, the social and political climate in the "court of public opinion" and social media. Freddy Will has never written on same-sex behavior in Canada though he wrote about the cultural and religious impact of LGBT rights in Africa.

Impact in Canada and West Africa

Being a freelance blogger and author, he has made a significant impact and appeared in the mainstream Canadian media several times. However, there are many interviews and references to his music and writing in the Canadian media in general. He has toured Europe to promote his music and books and he is known as one of the most prolific Sierra Leonean authors of his time, as ranked in the Literature of Sierra Leone.

Personal life

His books are recorded at the Library of Congress and the Library and Archives of Canada. He is a member of the Rotary Club and a Master Mason under the Grand Lodge of Ontario, in Canada.

Healthy Food For Thought: Good Enough to Eat (Grammy Nomination)

"Freddy Will, American rapper, songwriter and author has contributed to this CD project in the most wonderful way. The title of his track is Future and it speaks to us, as adults/parents about what children need from us and the things that are harmful to our children. He tells the kids that they are the Future and asks the adults to make the way for them. It is a great song that Freddy wrote for us to share with you. Please visit his page and learn about this multi-talented artist and listen to some of his tracks!"
– Health Food For Thought: Good Enough to Eat

In 2010, Freddy Will was featured on a children's compilation album by the "New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods" that The Recording Academy nominated for a Grammy Award. This nomination made Freddy Will the first artist from Sierra Leone to work on a musical work that was nominated for this award. Jim Cravero, Paula Lizzi, Steve Pullara and Kevin Mackie of the "East Coast Recording Company" produced the compilation album consisting of music and spoken word performances.
Freddy Will wrote and performed the song, "Future" which appears on the second disc of this double CD album. "Healthy Food for Thought: Good Enough To Eat" is a charity album with messages to parents and children about healthy eating. Various music and spoken word artists, children's book authors and chefs collaborated on this project to promote the awareness of Type 2 Diabetes. Some of the notable artists on this CD are Moby, Julian Lennon, Jessica Harper, Amy Otey, Sara Hickman, Tom Chapin, and Russell Simmons. The album was nominated for "Best Spoken Word Album for Children."

Limited Edition Postage Stamps of Sierra Leone

Following the successful launch of his music and literary career, and a Grammy nomination, Freddy Will became the first Sierra Leonean musician who is also a published author who is featured on a musical work that received a Grammy nomination. With approval from the Sierra Leone postal administration the Philatelic Agency representing more than 70 International Government Postal Authorities worldwide, including Sierra Leone; IGPC, Intergovernmental Postal Consultants, paid tribute to Sierra Leone's first Grammy-nominated artist and author with four "Limited Edition" postage stamps.

Discography

Albums