William Thomas Trenell Brown (born July 5, 1983), known professionally as Willie B or by the stage name The Ichiban Don, is an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Los Angeles, California. He is an original member of West Coast hip hop production team Digi+Phonics of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He is also a member of the hip hop collective A Room Full of Mirrors, alongside fellow rappers Punch and Daylyt, among others.[1][2]

Willie B
Birth nameWilliam Thomas Trenell Brown
Also known asThe Ichiban Don
Born (1983-07-05) July 5, 1983 (age 40)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • rapper
Instrument(s)
Years active2005–present
LabelsTop Dawg

Musical career edit

On January 6, 2011, Willie B released a mixtape titled I'm Not a Producer hosted by DJ Age and featuring guest appearances from Jay Rock, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, Little Brother, Crooked I, Kendrick Lamar, Bishop Lamont, Glasses Malone, and Kurupt.[3] He is best known for producing Kendrick Lamar's "Ignorance Is Bliss" and "Rigamortis" from Lamar's Overly Dedicated and Section 80, respectively. He has also produced Ab-Soul's "Black Lip Bastard", and Schoolboy Q's "Gangsta in Designer (No Concept)", from his second studio album Habits & Contradictions, among other songs for TDE.[4] Outside of TDE he has produced for artists such as Freddie Gibbs, Childish Gambino, Wale and Apollo the Great, among others.[5][6] On July 27, 2013, he released the first ever Instagram-only instrumental mixtape.[7]

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

  • Let There B Lyt (with Daylyt) (2017)[8]
  • Heroes (with Daylyt) (2021)[9]

Mixtapes edit

  • I'm Not a Producer (2011)[10]

Guest appearances edit

List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Artist(s) Album
"B.O.B. (Barack Over Bad Guys)" 2009 Bishop Lamont, Indef, Affion Crockett Team America Fuck Yeah: Special Forces
"Holla!" (Remix) 2010 Kida, Busta Rhymes, Little Brother, Kurupt, Crooked I, Talib Kweli, Jay Rock The Endemic
"My Wife" Curtiss King Jet Pack On E
"Is It" 2012 Moe-D, K.D. Out of Nowhere

Production discography edit

2009 edit

Bishop Lamont & Indef - Team America Fuck Yeah: Special Forces
  • 13. "B.O.B. (Barack Over Bad Guys)" (featuring Affion Crockett and Willie B)

2010 edit

Ab-Soul - Longterm 2: Lifestyles of the Broke & Almost Famous
  • 07. "Soul Cry"
  • 11. "Mayday"
Kendrick Lamar - Overly Dedicated
  • 06. "Opposites Attract (Tomorrow W/O Her)" (featuring JaVonté)
  • 08. "Ignorance Is Bliss"
Jay Rock - Black Friday
  • 01. "No Joke" (featuring Ab-Soul)

2011 edit

ScHoolboy Q - Setbacks
  • 02. "Kamikaze"
Kendrick Lamar - Section.80
  • 08. "Poe Man's Dream (His Voice)" (featuring GLC)
  • 12. "Rigamortus" (produced with Sounwave)
Jay Rock - Follow Me Home
  • 04. "No Joke" (featuring Ab-Soul)
  • 09. "All I Know Is"
  • 10. "I'm Thuggin'"
  • 11. "Kill or Be Killed" (featuring Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko)

2012 edit

ScHoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
  • 11. "Gangsta in Designer (No Concept)"
Ab-Soul - Control System
  • 12. "Showin' Love"
  • 17. "Black Lip Bastard (Remix)" (featuring Black Hippy)
Wale - Folarin
  • 14. "Fa We We Freestyle"

2013 edit

Freddie Gibbs - Evil Seeds Grow Naturally
  • 06. "Lay It Down"
Raven Sorvino - Queen of HeArts
Eric Bellinger - Your Favorite Christmas Songs
  • 07. "Chestnuts Roasting"

2014 edit

ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron
  • 07. "Prescription / Oxymoron" (produced with Sounwave)
J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive
  • 04. "03' Adolescence"

2015 edit

Mickey Taelor - HiiGrade Vol. 2
  • 07. "Gemini 2.0 (featuring DJ Rhettmatic)
  • 09. "Love In Time (produced with DAE ONE)
  • 10. "Wassup" (Willie B Remix)

2016 edit

J. Cole - Forest Hills Drive: Live
  • 04. "03' Adolescence (Live)"
Mickey Taelor - Essentials
  • 01. "Essentials (Intro)"
  • 02. "XYZ (Julie’s Song)"
  • 03. "This Iz 4 U" (produced with Don Parker)
  • 04. "3stacks"
  • 05. "Work It Out" (produced with J. Anthny)
  • 06. "Trainwreck"
  • 07. "Gemini 3.0" (featuring J. Anthny)
  • 09. "Complicated" (featuring Boogie)
  • 10. "Love Architects/Roll Up" (feat. Stoney Tha Dealer)
ScHoolboy Q - Blank Face LP
  • 14. "Black Thoughts"
J. Anthny - Two Sides EP
  • 02. "Where's Your Money" (produced with J. Anthny)
  • 03. "My NY Bitch"
  • 04. "Two Sides" (featuring Elle Pierre)
  • 05. "Down" (produced with J. Anthny)
  • 06. "What You Want" (featuring Jessica Jolia)
  • 07. "Risky (Interlude)"
  • 10. "100 Miles" (featuring Mickey Taelor and Chevy Jones) [produced with J. Anthny]
Ab-Soul - Do What Thou Wilt.
  • 03. "Huey Knew THEN" (featuring Da$H)
J.I.D - "BRUUUH - Single"
  • 1. "BRUUUH"

2017 edit

Daylyt & Willie B - "Let There B Lyt"
  • 01. "Let There B Lyt"
  • 02. "Finnessegawd" [produced with DJ Swish]
  • 03. "First Breath"
  • 04. "King of Thuh Dot" (featuring J.Anthny)
  • 05. "Ratchets"
  • 06. "Girl Shit" (featuring Mickey Taelor)
  • 07. "Day Electronica" (featuring Chevy Jones)
  • 08. "Queen"
  • 09. "Last Breath"
J. Cole
  • 00. "Want You to Fly"

References edit

  1. ^ "Punch, Daylyt & More Spit Bars on a Room Full of Mirrors' "RAWAR"". Hotnewhiphop.com. 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ "TDE's Punch Introduces New Collective a Room Full of Mirrors, Announces Visual EP Release Date". Billboard. 29 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Willie B - Im Not A Producer Hosted by DJ AGE // Free Mixtape @". Datpiff.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  4. ^ "Digi + Phonics — 25 New Producers To Watch Out For". Complex.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  5. ^ "Re-Produced Profile: Willie B. (of Digi+Phonics) [DJBooth Interview Exclusive] - Hip Hop News". www.djbooth.net. Archived from the original on 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2013-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  6. ^ Fairfax, Jesse (2013-03-18). "Producer Willie B Says Kendrick Lamar's "Rigamortis" Led To Work With Wale, Freddie Gibbs | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  7. ^ Meara, Paul (2013-07-27). "Willie B of Digi+Phonics Releases First Ever Instagram Only Beat Tape | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  8. ^ "Listen To Daylyt & Willie B's New Project "Let There B Lyt"". HipHopDX.com. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Heroes (Deluxe)". Spotify.
  10. ^ "DJ Age presents I'm Not A Producer, by Willie B". Rickhughes2.bandcamp. Retrieved 24 February 2022.