Freddy Will

Wilfred Kanu Jr. was born in Brookfields, Freetown, to parents who hailed from Sierra Leone.^[2] At the age of 2, he relocated with his parents to Monrovia, Liberia. There, he discovered a passion for music, theater performance, and literary expression. As a teenager, he navigated through the tumultuous Liberian and Sierra Leonean civil conflicts, residing in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Senegal. Eventually, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.^[3]

In 2006, Freddy Will traveled to Toronto, Canada, to record his debut album.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6] All three books were published in a book plus album concomitant. He also launched The Freddy Will Hope Foundation.^[7][8]

Freddy Will relocated to Berlin, Germany, and established a connection to the African continent through his Berlin-based publishing venture, Badson Publishing. Will's literary efforts are said to reflect his identity as an Afropolitan—a member of the African diaspora characterized by geographic mobility. In Germany, he articulates this experience through the lens of his own educational journey, having attended primary school in Liberia, secondary school in Sierra Leone, and universities in the United States and Canada, all while maintaining a strong connection to his roots in Sierra Leone. He has published twenty titles. They include three paperbacks in Toronto, Canada, seven eBooks in Brussels, Belgium, and ten paperbacks, audiobooks, and eBooks in Berlin, Germany.^[9]

In his 2024 interview with Jatinder Padda, editor with Read African Books, a division of the African Books Collective (an African-owned, worldwide marketing and distribution outlet for books from Africa – scholarly, literature, and children’s books),^[10] Freddy Will stated that Badson Publishing is a registered company in the United States and Estonia. It, however, operates in Berlin, Germany, serving as the publishing subsidiary of The Theatre of Literary & Performing Arts. The company partnered with the African Books Collective in Oxford, United Kingdom, with a commitment to embrace African creativity. There are also divisions for feminist and LGBTQIA+ authors.^[9]

During the interview, he professed the importance of African languages in his publishing model. He spoke about the challenges faced by African authors writing in their native languages, noting the legacy of colonialism that has positioned European languages as prominent on the world stage. He advocated for African writers to consider translating their works to enhance their global reach, while also emphasizing the importance of showcasing and promoting African languages to foster a richer literary heritage. Through this, Will hopes to amplify African voices and narratives, bridge cultural gaps, and enhance the visibility of diverse literary expressions from the continent.^[9]

During his interview with award-winning Ghanaian journalist, Jefferson Sackey, Freddy Will stated that he started rapping when he was still living in Liberia.^[11] 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 film.^[12]

In 2010, Freddy Will was among several musicians, music producers, spoken word artists, chefs and children's book authors who participated in a children's compilation album consisting of 60 selections of prose, poems, and songs about food, nutrition, and self-awareness that can be used as part of a childhood obesity awareness curriculum and to promote awareness for Type 2 Diabetes among school children.^[13] This album was executive produced in Philadelphia by the New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods. In 2011, the Recording Academy nominated the Double CD charity album for a Grammy Award.^[14][15][16]