You Are Not Alone.
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Who is Trey Willis?
My name is Trey Willis and I was born and bred in Memphis, TN. More specifically North Memphis, although many natives do not believe that I am actually from here at all. I have always been the kid with the accent that doesn't "sound" like he is from Memphis or the kid that is "bigger" than Memphis and should move somewhere else so that I can grow and maximize my potential. Of course, I have entertained the thought of moving to another city, but the thing is, I love it here. This town has many knocks against it, and I understand why people leave. I really do. I do not blame people for leaving and finding opportunities in other cities. Also, I'm not saying that I will never leave Memphis, but this is most definitely home. There is so much history here. So much pain, passion, hope, and so many opportunities to make an impact. I feel like it would be irresponsible for me to take my talent and treasure elsewhere. I know that sounds crazy, especially because I don't owe Memphis anything, but that's how I feel. I just want to give back to a city that has given me a lot and made me who I am. Ultimately, it is up to God where I land day by day and year to year, but I truly love this place.
NOTE: This is a SUPER OLD video, however, it still captures everything that I want to communicate. So, here ya go!
“901, I ain’t choose it I got chose. Out here grit and grinding, getting better with the free throws.
People come, hate it or love. I can understand, but if you couldn’t tell we feed off all of your comments and man...
Or mane, I’m tryna stay inside my lane. I look around and see the pain, I feel it now it’s time for change.
But how am I supposed to feel? When the talent is leaving?
Leaders underachieving, many preachers deceiving...
Don’t know what to believe in, this is what we’re perceiving.
Politicians stay lying, like we gave them a reason...”
I am happily married to my beautiful wife, Adrienne. We met while earning our master’s degrees and began teaching together. She has been my rock and I’m not sure where I would be without her. She has helped me through so much and has seen me at my worst. Through it all, she’s still here! A real one, indeed. She doesn’t get enough credit for how talented she is. She is brilliant, an insanely talented artist (drawing/painting), and the best foundational skills teacher in the world. I could not be more proud of her. She is an amazing mother to our daughter,Arianna, and she puts up with my obsession with shoes. She is so amazing that I had to go all out when I asked her to marry me. Peep the video below.
Family is everything to me. I would not be who I am without them. Through my mother’s sacrifices she has allowed me to experience success and achieve the dreams that she once had. My sister and I both chased and earned two degrees a piece just for her. We love you, Ma! My family has always had a musical background. My mother and a few of my uncles played in the band when they were younger. Some of my cousins and I also played in band and the orchestra. But our most common experience was playing instruments at church and singing in the choir every Sunday.
All of these experiences shaped me musically and led me to ultimately pursue music at the collegiate level. There is a long story about the U of M, but that is a chapter for another time. I enjoyed most of my experiences there and that season developed my character in many ways. I have been writing songs since I was 16 years old and I have been making my own music since my freshman year in college. The list of artists that have influenced my music is too long to name.
I wrote my first verse, when I was 16 years old, to "Touch It" by Busta Rhymes. I downloaded the instrumental off of Limewire and rapped over it for a youth event at church. I grew up in church pretty much my whole life. My Grandad is a pastor. So, I was introduced to and heavily influenced by gospel music and other spiritual songs at an early age. Inevitably, most of my music reflects what I grew up around and what I believe.
Can I be vulnerable for a second? I think that every artist struggles with some form of insecurity. Even though we might not always say what we feel in conversations, our thoughts always seems to come through clearer in our music. I love being creative. My mind is always thinking about new ideas and experimenting with different things. It is not always about creating music with me, it could be anything honestly. When most people describe me, they say that I am a very passionate person, especially when I have to speak.
People say that I am a leader and I have the ability to move people with my words. I have a huge heart and I always hope for the best in all situations even when I know that some will let me down. There are many things about myself that I continue to work on daily. Sometimes your biggest challenge in life can be yourself. I am learning how to get out of my own way and continue to work hard to see my dreams fulfilled. We are human. We are flawed. Yet, we are all more powerful and loved than we can even comprehend. I know that I am a mess, but I acknowledge my need. I look to Christ to be strong when I am weak. Especially when I fail myself and people that I care about.
If you have read this far, I am shocked! You should give yourself a pat on the back. There is so much more that I could say, but I will stop here. This website is simply an outlet for me to be creative and not waste the gifts that I feel the Lord has given me. I hope that you would support me and help keep me accountable as I go on this new adventure. I hope that you enjoy the music. This is only the beginning!
Grace and Peace.