HOW IT HAPPENED…
As a South Philadelphia native, Philly Will was exposed to a vast array of music at early age. Though his passion for music is unmatched, it had not always been that way. Born William B. Harrison, Jr., Philly Will grew up watching his father (a 30-year veteran DJ) rock every type of event. Fascinated by the craft, he began to learn how to mix at the age of 13. During his high school years, his life through music began to take off…but on a very unsuspected course. Connecting with fellow classmate Raak (producer for Gilbere Forte), he began rapping, writing, and producing music. Starting to accept music as an artform, he became passionate about his craft and started to embody all things hip-hop. Sporadically, he would spend a few hours in the basement of his parents’ home brushing up on his mixing and beat juggling skills but DJ’ing was never a passion; just something he knew how to do since as far back as he could remember. During Philly Will’s junior year at Temple University everything had started to become clear to him. The first 20 years of his life had prepared him to be just who his is now. His creativity and passion began to mold with his vast knowledge of music. Those attributes began to fuse with his innate talent and knack for DJ’ing and have shaped the musical intellect you see today. This is a true calling.
CURRENT CAREER…
Club DJ. Live-show DJ. Producer.
Since fully embracing the DJ lifestyle in 2009, Philly Will has made quite a name for himself. With a focus on making every opportunity count, he’s taken smaller platforms and built himself a buzz large enough to attract the likes of brands such as AnmlHse and Babylon Cartel. Those affiliations led to a number of special guest DJ appearances throughout the Philly nightlife scene. His path has earned him respect by both up-and-coming and seasoned DJs. Solidifying that, he’s one of only two DJs (Skratch Bastid being the other) to ever be invited back for a 2nd guest set at Bo Bliz & Emynd’s ‘The Bounce’. His unique open platform style and exceptional turntable skills have also allowed him to storm onto the Atlantic City scene, nailing venues such as Blue Martini at Bally’s and X-Bar at Harrah’s.
Philly Will is also the creator and co-pilot of the Phlight School collective and the official DJ for hip-hop artist Chris Vance. Going from the club to the stage is seamless for him. Expect nothing but growth.