1. Early life

2. Career
     Yussef Kamaal    The Return and Black Focus Records    Career as Henry Wu  

3. Musical style

4. Personal life

5. Discography
     As Henry Wu    With Yussef Kamaal    As Kamaal Williams    Collaborations    WU15  

6. References

• Brownswood Recordings
• Black Focus Records}}

Kamaal Williams (also known as Henry Wu) is a British musician and record producer. Williams rose to prominence alongside drummer Yussef Dayes in 2016 as one half of the London-based jazz group Yussef Kamaal following the release of the duo's debut album, Black Focus, which earned them the 'Breakthrough Act' award at the 2017 Jazz FM awards.^[1] In addition to live instrumentation, Williams also releases electronic music under the name Henry Wu.

Early life

Williams was born in Peckham in South London to a Taiwanese mother and British father.^[2] Growing up, Williams took an interest in learning Mandarin and Chinese calligraphy.^[2] From an early age, Williams was involved with a number of creative pursuits. His interest in calligraphy, as well as his parents' involvement with graphic design, contributed to an interest in street art and graffiti culture, an influence which is reflected in the album art of later projects such as Black Focus and The Return.^[2]

Williams took an early interest in music. In high school, he learnt drums and percussion^[3] which he played in the school band.^[2] It was during this time that Williams cultivated a formative grounding in jazz, funk and house music. His father was instrumental in introducing him to jazz names such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane.^[2] Alongside an interest in jazz, Williams also developed a taste for garage and grime music, citing the 2001 release Execute by fellow South Londoners Oxide & Neutrino as a major influence.

Williams mainly played drums during his youth, and was initially primarily influenced in producing hip hop in the style of 90s boom bap.^[4]

Career

After high school, Williams progressed to the Bermondsey Centre of Southwark College, where he studied music production and began to learn the keyboard.^[2][5] Around this time, Williams began gigging regularly around London, eventually landing a place in the band of Katy B alongside drummer Joshua McKenzie, with whom he would later work on The Return.^[3] In 2008, Williams put on a show with the then fourteen-year-old drummer Yussef Dayes,^[6] with whom he would later form Yussef Kamaal. Williams remained with Katy B for two years before leaving the band to focus on his own music.

From 2012 onward, Williams released a number of short, broken-beat and house releases under the name Henry Wu, including 2014's Natural Complexion, which featured former bandmate and fellow London musician, Ed 'Tenderlonious' Cawthorne.^[7] In 2013, Williams assisted Cawthorne in establishing 22a, a London-based, artist run record label.^[3] Amidst this period, Williams almost quit music. In 2012, he sold what he approximates to be 80% of his musical equipment, citing "disillusionment" as the main contributing factor.^[5]

In 2015, Williams invited Dayes to perform Henry Wu material live for the Boiler Room,^[8] an event which would initiate further collaboration.

On his success following the success of Yussef Kamaal and Black Focus Records, Williams commented on his years spent in anonymity:

"I’ve been grafting for 10 years solid. For me this isn’t the fast lane, for me, I’ve been at the back of the queue. I’ve had to graft my way in. I would say that some people got given speedy boarding, and some other people they don’t. I would say, nurture your craft. Don’t worry about making money, that’s going to come. If it’s your destiny to become successful then it will happen regardless. Just focus on the craft. If you love what you do, people around, they will see that."^[9]

Yussef Kamaal

In 2016, Williams recruited both Dayes and Cawthorne to perform at the 2016 Worldwide Awards hosted by London DJ and broadcaster Gilles Peterson.^[2] The group played a short, thirty minute set during which an original composition, 'Strings of Light', was performed.^[10] At the end of the set, Peterson suggested he might have to sign the pair.^[10] Williams and Dayes were subsequently signed to Peterson's independent label, Brownswood Recordings.

The duo released their debut album, Black Focus, under the name Yussef Kamaal in November 2016. The album was met with critical acclaim. Clash Music described the sound as "exceptional, vital" and "enthralling";^[11] whilst Canadian magazine Exclaim! described it simply as "dope".^[12] The album was widely praised for its unique blend of sounds traditionally associated with jazz, hip hop and breakbeat music.^[12][13] Williams revealed that large amounts of the album were improvised in the studio, and emphasised the importance of musical dialogue between the musicians in structuring the performances.^[4][14] The album was engineered by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics and recorded at his studio in London.^[4][15] Williams praised his "old school" approach to recording and crediting him with mixing two of the tracks on the album.^[4]

Williams and Dayes collaborated for a brief and tumultuous period following the album's release. Shortly before embarking on a tour of the United States, the band were refused entry to the country after Dayes' visa was revoked in accordance with an executive immigration order implemented by the Trump Administration.^[16] Several weeks later, the duo unexpectedly announced their split.^[1] Williams has since been reticent regarding the incident, but has maintained that he continues to admire and support Dayes in his solo ventures.^[6]

On his split with Dayes, Williams commented: "It was not really a split up with Yussef. Music is about continuing the exploration of what it started off… Nothing has really ended; it travelled into something new and fresh now."^[17]

The Return and Black Focus Records

In the years following, Williams established his own label, Black Focus Records.^[2] Less than two years after the release of Black Focus, Williams enlisted the services of former bandmate and drummer Josh 'MckNasty' McKenzie and bassist Pete Martin to produce his solo bandleader debut, The Return. The album was recorded in the house the Williams grew up in, belonging to his mother, in South London.^[18] The album was recorded over the course of a week. Recording engineer Richard Samuels remarked that, despite having the opportunity to record in professional studios, the performance of the musicians in a familiar and comfortable environment was preferable and more conducive to a "free flowing album".^[18] Drummer, MckNasty, recounted the improvisational nature of the recording, paraphrasing Williams as having said, "this is what I’m seeing in my head, here’s a blank canvas with the outlines, right boys get your paintbrushes out, let’s add some colour."^[19]

In many ways, The Return was received as a "sequel" to Black Focus^[20]—obvious parallels were drawn between the two album artworks as well as the instrumentation, which features the reappearance of tones distinctive to Black Focus, such as the synthesizer patch from 'Strings of Light'.^[21] The album holds an aggregated score of 76 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favourable" reviews.^[22] The album was praised for its blend of genres, a sound Williams has called "a London thing".^[20] Pitchfork praised the album for its sonic palette, and offered light criticism with respect to the brevity of some of the tracks.^[23] The album peaked at sixty-three on the UK charts.^[24] The release of The Return prompted Williams' first global tour, spanning across the UK, Europe, Australian and New Zealand, with former bandmate Mansur Brown as support.^[25]

The album was supported by the release of a music video for Salaam, the album's opening track.^[26] The album was directed by Greg Barnes and was shot in and around Marrakesh, Morocco.^[26] Williams commented on the significance of Marrakesh for him artistically, stating, "Marrakech is a special place for me, both spiritually and creatively. Every time I go, I feel alive again and it's a huge inspiration for my work." Williams dedicated the album to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire of 2017.^[27]

Following the album's release, The Return was remixed with vocal samples from the Wu-Tang Clan by Snips.

In early 2018, Black Focus Records added a second artist to its roster in Mansur Brown.^[29] Brown had previously featured on both Black Focus and The Return.

Career as Henry Wu

Williams hosts a monthly radio show on NTS Radio as Henry Wu, playing a selection of music from his influences and associated acts in the London scene.^[30]

In 2015, Williams collaborated with fellow London based producer, K15, to produce an EP entitled WU15. Williams and K15 were friends prior to the collaboration and intend to produce more music together in the future.^[17]

In 2018, Williams revealed that he was collaborating with Manchester-based artist, IAMDDB.^[31]

Musical style

Williams has emphasised the importance of rhythm in his music. Having previously been a drummer, Williams aims to bring a percussive approach to the keyboard.^[17]

Despite citing influences such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock, Williams has frequently rejected the term 'jazz' being applied to his music, rejecting the "elitist" and traditionalist connotations it evokes.^[2][6] Williams has instead opted to create music under the eponymous genre of 'Wu funk'.^[21]

Williams has also listed other influences on his sound. Amongst them are British acid jazz pioneers Jamiroquai, as well as American soul and jazz legends Roy Ayers and Donald Byrd.^[2] Williams has also confessed to be a fan of The Mighty Ryeders, Weather Report, Sun Ra, Jaco Pastorius, Donell Jones and Ginuwine.^[32] Various influences have been attributed to Williams by critics, including hip hop producer J Dilla.^[3]

Williams' sound on Black Focus and The Return has been called a blend of several genres, among them jazz, funk, hip hop, grime, garage and broken beat.^[33]

Williams has frequently stressed the influence that his home city, London, has had on his music. Speaking on The Return, Williams emphasised the fact that the album represents all of London, in that the various contributors came from a diverse cross-section of the city's areas.^[9]

The first album Williams ever bought was Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock.^[32]

Personal life

Williams adopted the name Kamaal upon converting to Islam in 2011. According to a 2018 interview, religion has played a key role in Williams' approach to his career, reminding him to remain humble and grateful in the face of success.^[6] The doctrinal principles of Islam are the "foundations" of Williams' beliefs, and, according to the artist, "translate into his music".^[5] In a 2018 interview, Williams said on the topic of changing his name: "...as a creative it just allows you to express yourself in a different way. Henry Wu is my ethnic background, and Kamaal is my spiritual background."^[9]

Williams has identified a personal tendency to avoid the public gaze as an artist. He has called the idolisation of and obsession over celebrities "sadistic",^[5] and has rejected the notion that public approval is necessarily an indication of success or artistic quality.^[5] He has professed a love of music and a desire to provide for himself and his family as his primary career motivations.^[5]

Discography

As Henry Wu

• Stir Fry Beats (2012)
• Natural Complexion (2014)
• Negotiate EP (2015)
• Good Morning Peckham (2015)
• ££ CRUCIAL WU ££ (2015)
• 27 Karat Years (2016)
• Deep in the Mud (2017)
• Shades of Wu (2017)
• Projections EP (2018)

With Yussef Kamaal

• Black Focus (2016)

As Kamaal Williams

• The Return (2018)

Collaborations

WU15

• WU15 (2015)

References

• Blue Monday (Eureka Seven episode)
• Blue Monday (Flunk album)
• Blue Monday (Flunk song)
• Blue Monday (Orgy song)
• Blue Monday Remixes
• Blue Monday/Stitches
• Blue Monday (White Lion song)
• Blue Monk
• Blue Monkey (Ape Escape)
• Blue (monster)
• Bluemont, VA
• Blue Moods
• Blue Moon (2002 movie)
• Blue Moon (2006 film)
• Blue Moon (beer)
• Blue Moon beer
• Blue moon beer
• Blue moon danio
• Blue Moon Danio
• Blue Moon (game)
• Blue Moon (Hamilton novel)
• Blue moon (ice cream)
• Blue Mooning
• Blue Moon (Moon)
• Blue Moon (moon)