Today we’d like to introduce you to Hilton Wright II.
Hilton, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My love for music started in the late 80s with Michael Jackson and the BAD album era. I sang in the children’s choir at church and played alto saxophone in the school band until I graduated from high school. In the 9th grade, I started rapping and producing my own songs. I joined forces with my cousin Brian in 10th grade to form a production duo and company: WrighTrax. We recorded, released, and performed our music in the metro Detroit area. In 2004, I moved to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College and to break into the music industry. I made a buzz in the city and online from winning beat battles and networking like crazy. In the summer of 2006 while back home on break, my cousin and I connected with a then unknown and recent high school graduate named Big Sean through Jay John Henry, a mutual friend. Sean had just met and rapped for Kanye a few weeks prior and the superstar showed interest in his talents. We began to create music with Sean and he’d share it with Kanye. About a year later, Sean signed to Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music and then to Def Jam after playing L.A. Reid four of his songs that we produced, including his very first single “Getcha Some”.
While working with Sean, we also met an unknown and Duke-bound Mike Posner. We went on to collaborate with Mike on various musical ideas and ended up also producing his very first single “Drug Dealer Girl”. From there I’ve gone on to work with artists like Sofia Reyes, Faith Evans, Rick Ross, Pusha T, Drake, Mr. Hudson, Fonzworth Bentley, and more. I’ve also created music for ads & visual media including clients like Jeep, Walmart, Corona, Ford, MIT, and TVOne’s Hollywood Divas (theme). Most recently, I helped create the songs “Juneteenth” and “We Built This” that were performed on the Season Four premiere of the hit abc TV show Black-ish. The former of the two songs is the Guild of Music Supervisors’ 2019 award winner for Best Song/Recording Created for Television. This has been the journey thus far.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a record producer, songwriter, and composer. Helping artists shape their story is my main goal. From the lyrics to the way the message is delivered, every piece of a song/recording is essential to it connecting with the listener.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
The role of the artist is the same as its always been: to reflect the times and to provide an outlet for escapism. Art can also provide a middle ground that helps usher in peace and understanding for opposing parties. I’ve witnessed tv shows, movies, and songs soften hearts and change people’s perspectives countless times.
With L.A. being a large international hub, it’s only natural for the world’s issues to affect my art, especially in a positive way. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with different artists, songwriters, and producers from all over the world and that has influenced the decisions I make in the process of creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hiltonwright.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deucewt/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeuceWT
Image Credit:
Tommey Walker, Scott E Myers, Mika Sellens, Maria Wright, Deborah Wright, Ida Morrison
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