Denzel Spencer (born April 18, 1996), better known by his stage name Roy Woods (also stylized as Roy Wood$), is a Canadian singer and rapper. Woods is signed to

OVO Sound OVO Sound (also known simply as OVO) is a Toronto-based Canadian record label, founded in 2012 by hip hop artist Drake, producer 40, and Oliver El-Khatib. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Warner Music Group's Warner ...

, the record label co-founded by Canadian rapper and singer

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

, record producer

Noah "40" Shebib Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

and Oliver El-Khatib. Woods is also the founder of his own collective, Unlock The Underground.

Early life

Denzel Spencer was born April 18, 1996, in

Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it ...

, Ontario, Canada. For over three years, Woods attended Turner Fenton High School and eventually made a decision to move to St. Augustine Secondary School during his final year. Before his music career took off, he was often recognized for his commitment and talent in the sport of football. The origin of his name "Roy" comes from a youth that lived in the same building as him from Brampton. Woods took a survey throughout his high school and "Roy Wood$" seemed to be the winning ticket.

Career

2014–present: Career beginnings and ''Say Less''

On July 11, 2015,

premiered "Drama", the first song from Woods' EP'', Exis''. The song was also premiered on

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

's Beats 1 radio during the first

radio show. The track also features with the guest appearances from Woods' label boss, Drake. On July 25, 2015, a second song titled "Get You Good" premiered on the second episode of the OVO Sound radio show. On July 31, 2015, Roy released his debut EP ''Exis'' digitally through OVO Sound, of which was the record label co-founded by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. On October 9, 2015, Woods released his first music video for his song, "Jealousy". It has since garnered over 9,000,000 views on YouTube. Roy Woods

On July 1, 2016, Wood's first mixtape, '' Waking at Dawn,'' was released and promoted by Woods and other artists, including Drake and

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 20 ...

through social media. On December 23, 2016, Woods released his second EP, titled ''Nocturnal''. On July 20, 2017, Woods released the track, "What Are You On?", as the lead single from his debut album, '' Say Less''. On November 17, 2017, Woods released the title track, "Say Less". On December 1, 2017, Woods released his debut studio album, ''Say Less''. On June 8, 2018, Woods released two new singles, titled "Russian Cream" and "Snow White", with no prior announcement. On February 8, 2019, Roy Woods released a single titled "Worth It". On September 18, 2019, Roy Woods released a single titled "Bubbly". On May 8, 2020, Roy Woods released his newest single titled "I Feel It" On May 15, 2020, Roy Woods released his third EP, titled ''Dem Times''.

Artistry

Woods has said some of his biggest influences are

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

, Nelly,

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and ...

and

PartyNextDoor Jahron Anthony Brathwaite (born July 3, 1993), known professionally as PartyNextDoor (stylized as PARTYNEXTDOOR), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. PartyNextDoor was the first artist signed to Drake's OVO Sound record labe ...

. Woods has also started an artist collective, titled Unlock The Underground, which is a branch of the

. The artists on this collective include In-house Producer/Engineer BATMANONTHEBEATZ, RAYNY, and DOLOINDACUT as Wood's Official DJ.

Discography

Studio albums

Mixtapes

Extended plays

Singles

Other charted and certified songs

Music videos

Tours

;Headlining * Unlocked Tour (2016) * Say Less Tour (2018) ;Supporting *

Summer Sixteen Tour The Summer Sixteen Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by Canadian rapper Drake, and American rapper Future. It began on July 20, 2016 in Austin, and concluded with its final show in Toronto, Ontario on October 8, 2016. Scheduled for 60 perfor ...

(2016) * Aubrey and the Three Migos Tour (2018)

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Woods, Roy 1996 births Living people Black Canadian musicians Musicians from Toronto OVO Sound artists People from Brampton Warner Records artists