Justin Williams (born March 3, 1990) is an American
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...
. Williams began his career using the stage name Lil iROCC Williams, but eventually dropped the "Lil". His name is often stylized multiple ways, including Irocc, iROCC, irocc, and iroCc.
Williams is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
, which is heavily reflected in his lyrics. His moniker, which is inspired by
Proverbs
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial ...
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
to a father and a mother, Treiva, but the family moved to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
when he was still a young child. At the age of three, Williams began modeling and appearing in TV spots. In 1997, Williams' mother was diagnosed with cancer; during her treatment, William's mother and father converted to Christianity, which led Williams to follow suit. Williams showed an interest in rapping at the age of ten, while his father was working to develop local artists to showcase to major record labels.
Williams' first live performance came in 2001, after his parents entered him in a local talent contest sponsored by an Atlanta R&B radio station. Williams was chosen as one of 15 finalists, and subsequently won the grand prize.
Lil iROCC Williams (2002-2003)
In 2003, Williams was signed to major Christian
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...
ForeFront Records. On June 25, 2003, at the age of 13, Williams released his debut, self-titled album, ''Lil iROCC Williams''. The album was met with great success, charting on a number of Billboard charts, and earning Williams nominations at both the 2004
Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...
s and the 2004
Stellar Award
A Stellar Award is an award presented by SAGMA to recognize achievements in the gospel music industry.Sagma The Stell ...
s. The release featured guest appearances from a number of big name Christian artists, including
tobyMac
Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...
GRITS
Grits are a type of porridge made from boiled cornmeal. Hominy grits are a type of grits made from hominy – corn that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization, with the pericarp (ovary wall) removed. Grits are o ...
Continued Output, Name Change and Acting (2004-2007)
After the release of his first album, Williams was released from ForeFront Records by label parent EMI. In 2004, Williams released an EP, ''iROCC'', and a full-length album, ''The Sequel'', under his own music label, Authentic Music. Distribution for both releases was handled by Whitaker House Publishing's musical imprint Authority Music. During this time, Williams also took a break from music, and worked toward finishing his high school education.
''The Sequel'' earned Williams two award nominations at 2006 Stellar Awards. Williams won both awards, for Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the Year and Children's Performance of the Year. That same year, Williams dropped the "Lil" from his name, in an attempt to reflect a maturation in his music. Under his shortened moniker "iROCC Williams", he released a second EP, ''Mo' Heat 4 Da' Streets'', online. Once again, the EP was distributed by Authority Music.
In 2007, Williams was featured in his first acting role, playing Reggie "Corn" Hackett in ''Christmas...Who Needs It?'', a direct-to-DVD film written, directed and produced by gospel singer Fred Hammond. The film was released on December 21, 2007.
Born A King and Current Activities (2007-Present)
In September 2007, Williams announced his latest project, a new album titled ''Born A King''. The album was released on his new record label, JusRoCc Entertainment, on September 16, 2008. The album was distributed nationally by Central South Distribution.
Williams has continued acting, appearing as Chris Hutchinson in ''Life 101: Angel's Secret'', a 2009 direct-to-DVD film, and as Omar in ''Blessed & Cursed'', a 2010 direct-to-DVD film starring gospel singer Deitrick Haddon.
In 2010, it was announced that Williams would star in the 10-part B.E.T. webseries ''8 Days a Week'', based on the book series ''The Come Up'' by Lyah Beth LeFlore. The series premiered August 24, 2011. Williams plays Blue Reynolds, an amateur rapper struggling to make a name for himself in the music industry.