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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pure Mission Entertainment’s Willie J releases “In The Morning”
Tom Estey • Jul 10, 2020
“In the Morning”
To borrow from a well-known spiritual cliché, sometimes the musical muse works in mysterious ways. When Willie J joined forces in 2019 with Atlanta producer Cool Kid Diddy and his late friend, vocalist Terry Stanford, to record his soulful and inspirational hip-hop anthem “In the Morning,” the St. Louis singer, entertainer and producer was trying to encourage himself as he processed a series of personal losses. His intuition, backed by the support his production team, told him not to drop the song immediately, but wait for the right season when the world would need to hear it most. Willie couldn’t have known it at the time, but that moment is now, in the midst of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.
The release of “In the Morning” on Pure Mission Entertainment – the label he partners on with Aaron Emig - follows on the heels of the global success Willie had with another easy grooving expression of compassion, “We Love You Puerto Rico,” a powerful – a “we got your back” shout out to those still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which reached #2 on the World Indie Music Charts Top 100.
Proceeds from “In the Morning” will be donated to the United Way of Greater St. Louis, whose COVID-19 Response will support organizations that are providing resources right now to community members impacted by this crisis. For more information: https://helpingpeople.org/covid-19/
Building off an edgy, soul-seductive foundation featuring the familiar infectious opening chords of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “In the Morning” features Willie singing the infectious chorus between his freestyle rap verses that uplift the spirit via a hopeful stream of consciousness. Every ounce of courage and optimism riffs off the irrepressible hook: “Through the storm/Through the rain/Through the hurt/Through the pain/You can make it/I can make it/We gon’ make it/In the morning, it’s alright.”
Incredibly, in line with his trademark process of just letting words flow freely through him, Willie had not written down any lyrics when he entered the studio, yet found the following words pouring out as the vibe took hold: “Don’t you worry/Don’t you fret/Cause its not really over yet/Keep on holding to the end/cause only the strong survive and win/And when they try to hold you back, don’t let up/And when they try to knock you down, just get up. . .Don’t you dare throw in the towel/Even through the trouble gotta smile/Gotta keep a smile for the extra mile….” Later, Willie offers more empowerment for the journey when he raps: “Even though it’s looking dark today/There will truly be a brighter day . . .Keep on turning that pain into gain/Sunshine filled with rain. . .When they try to keep you from winning, tell them all we do is win…”
“My favorite song is ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, so when my producer Cool Kid Diddy let me hear that track he created from it, I felt a rush of emotions that came out spontaneously, and I felt prompted to write to it,” says Willie. “It was befitting for what I was going though at the time, losing an auntie, a close friend, thinking about my mom who passed in 2006 and dealing with my recent divorce. It started with all those personal losses, but as the track took shape, it became a much broader concept, like an opportunity to share medicine with the world during difficult moments. I started thinking about my friends going through things and then about people in general struggling with personal challenges. When the session was taking shape, everyone in the studio felt like this song could change lives someday – at the right time. Because everyone needs the hope that comes in the morning after the terrible dark nights.”
Prior to “We Love You Puerto Rico,” Willie J established himself as a powerful presence on the indie music scene with a handful of other hit singles. His 2018 track “Moving Up” lived up to its title, climbing three global charts, two of which were spotlighted in the Top-20 DRT, peaking at #14. “Level Up” reached #7 on the DRT Independent chart; and “Sunshine with the Rain,” featuring Arthur “Flash” Johnson, rose to #3 twice on the Euro Indie Top 200 chart. As with “We Love You Puerto Rico,” Willie J wrote “Sunshine with the Rain” in the hopes of empowering people and changing lives.
“From my experience, the only people who can truly inspire others to hope are those who have experienced hopelessness in their lives,” Willie says. “I know that if a song uplifts me and my team, it’s medicine that can work for someone else. Our company slogan at Pure Mission Entertainment is to empower people and change lives. I want to use that medicine for good in the world and songs are the perfect vehicle to inspire great hope and transformation.”
1. Willie J Willie J, CEO of Pure Mission Entertainment, is an entrepreneur, recording artist, author, coach, and speaker. Featured in LA Weekly’s Top Entrepreneurs to Watch for in 2023 and Yahoo’s Top 10 Entrepreneurs with Grant Cardone, he has hit #1 in LA Weekly’s Top 10 Amazing Innovators Revolutionizing Their Industry and NY Weekly’s Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies. He aims to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs with a new EP and personal growth book later this year. IG Handle: @williejpme
Willie J Willie J is a native of East Saint Louis/Washington Park, Illinois who happens to be an international CEO, recording artist, published author, songwriter, producer and motivational speaker. He has been blessed with opportunities such as being featured on the cover of many notable high profile A-List magazines. He is also apart of a major production company based in Los Angeles and Illinois entitled (MuzicDoctorz). He has also done many international speaking gigs across every social platform. He hopes to continue to live up to his company’s vision, mission, and slogans, which is “Empowering people Changing Lives” and “Creating Hope through arts and entertainment!” For more info, visit their website. Website: www.puremissionent.com
1. Willie J., Artist and Entrepreneur Willie J. is an artist and entrepreneur who has risen from a life of struggles to build an internationally known entertainment company from the ground up. He has created two successful global musical charities, “We Love You Puerto Rico” and “In the Morning,” which were streamed millions of times worldwide. Willie J.’s message is about hope and resilience, and his vision, mission, and company slogans are “Creating Hope through Arts and Entertainment” and “Empowering People Changing Lives.” Willie J. plans to keep creating hope through arts and entertainment and release his first personal growth book globally this year.
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In a busy world wracked by news and devastation of a persistent virus, hope and peace are concepts that are now elusive. Bringing light and spreading optimism within his audience, the rising music artist and entrepreneur Willie J has soared up the charts with uplifting music and advocacies. Born and raised in East Saint Louis, Illinois, Willie J is a CEO, artist, author, songwriter, producer, motivational speaker, and versatile musician. He is an internationally well-loved character, and it is hard to believe that the enterprising creative carries a heartwarming success story beneath his sleeves. Willie J had always carried a strong faith even at an early age. Recognizing his God-given musical potential, he explored and honed his talents, revealing an infectious love for life and inspiring the same from his reach. However, life would soon test Willie’s conviction. To say that the next few years of his life were a struggle would be an understatement. From losing his mother to cancer, facing six to 30 years in prison, being slipped a Mickey with 42 blade cuts, and dealing with addiction, the bright young artist’s light dimmed. So lost and determined to rediscover his path, he found solace in music. Experiencing the wonders that the art had done to him and knowing the countless suffering through the same situation he was in, Willie J launched Pure Mission Entertainment. “My motivation was just seeing the need for creating hope through arts and entertainment,” he reveals. “So my president and I started masterminding and meeting annually and just seeing how we can impact the world with our brand.” From being high off substances to riding high success, Willie J’s drive to spread music and love translated into his work and drove his company to become a well-known international voice for hope and peace. Since its inception, Pure Mission Entertainment has stood behind the scoring accomplishments of the movies Waist Deep and Johnson Family Vacation . The company has also worked with top artists such as Boyz II Men, Iggy Azalea, Anthony Hamilton, Lil Zhane, and Cedric the Entertainer. Outside of elevating his fellow artists, Willie J is an award-winning artist himself. Mixing philanthropy with passion, the brilliant entrepreneur released “We Love You, Puerto Rico,” a Hurricane Maria survivors’ tribute featuring various artists with a portion of the proceeds going to the Puerto Rican Society. It was an instant hit. The song climbed to the #2 spot on the European Top 200 Music Indie Charts and the Top 100 World Music Charts with a staggering three million streams on SoundCloud. It was immediately followed by the overwhelmingly positive feedback received by his latest masterpiece, “In The Morning.” Written and dedicated to the victims of COVID-19, including Willie’s friend and rock artist Terry Sanford, “In the Morning” carries uplifting notes and, sung with soulful vocals, imparts a message of hope and faith in its listeners. The song gained 5.1 million SoundCloud streams. The international recognition and numerous features that the song gained set the ideal stage for the artist’s recently released EP Sunshine with the Rain vol 1 , which dropped just in time for International Women’s Day. When asked about the inspiration behind his powerful tracks, Willie reveals, “I’ve seen teens as young as 15 who have reported that they were about to commit suicide until hearing one of my songs. So stories like that and beyond motivated me to build my own brand and to have creative control over the content.” Going back to his faith, he continues with, “God was my greatest motivation. He gave me the gifts, the vision and pure mission to build,” and build is precisely what he’s doing. Shaping a community of like-minded, positive individuals through Pure Mission Entertainment, Willie J empowers people worldwide. Fulfilling his mission to mold his company into a vehicle of change and hope, the artist is working on an upcoming song, “Isabell”, which seeks to raise awareness on mental health and the dangers of cyberbullying. Stay updated on the release of “Isabell” and learn more about the multi-talented Willie J by visiting Pure Mission Entertainment’s official website . https://nywire.com/willie-j-brings-listeners-on-the-high-of-success-and-life-through-pure-mission-entertainment/
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Mentored by billionaire entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 executives, he has raised millions of dollars for his clients and planned many star-studded business networking and charity events in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Honolulu, Hawaii and Portland, Oregon.
Pure Mission Entertainment Spark Hope, Change Lives, and Empower Others Through Arts and Entertainment
TPure Mission Entertainment Spark Hope, Change Lives, and Empower Others Through Arts and Entertainment