#bill waves

a Selfie with Bill Waves

1. How’d you come up with the name Bill Waves, and why the switch from previous names like Bill The Kid?

I used a few different variations with “Bill” in the past but I never really cared because I never really thought I would take my music seriously. When I started to do that I decided to rebrand and I was in an Uber trying to figure out what I really wanted to be called. I was showing the driver my music and when I got out he was like “alright Billy Waves be easy” and I was like yea that's it. The way it rung made me happy.

2. What’s your role in the clothing brand, Daily Bread?

I founded Daily Bread, I am the sole creator of it. Shit was real when I started it, and throughout my time there. My life turned into a living hell using and selling drugs for years to keep up with what I thought I wanted. It was so bad I would show up to our events so fucked up. I made some bad decisions, and by that time there was a team behind Daily Bread helping it to continue while I did whatever I wanted. I agreed to sign it all away because I really needed help with my drug problem, but wouldn't receive any help. I left it to the people that were trying to help me. It was truthfully a relief to me because my vision had been lost for a long time anyway.

3. Who are your top 3 favorite Pittsburgh MCs and why?

Jimmy Wopo because he reminds me so much of one of my best friends growing up so idk he just hits home. Norman Dean he currently does my engineering, and Wopo’s as well and I think he's dope. Then I'd have to say myself because lyrically nobody's reaching me. Period.

4. When did you first link up with Mac Miller and how would you describe your relationship?

He started buying weed off of me when he was 15 and I was a pretty angry person at the time, but he would just lighten me up and he really grew on me. So we kicked it all the time and moved into a house in south Oakland with a couple friends. That's when I started Daily Bread but also when I started using drugs heavily. He confronted me about it but, he’s 4 years younger than me so I didn't listen. Before any of us knew it he was selling out every show in Cali. I think it all weighed on us and we all started doing a lot of drugs. I personally believe a lot of blessings came out of these things though. Mac is like a brother to me. We're not connected musically, I have a lot to prove with my music on my own before that will even be thought of by either of us. I've only been back at it for 9 months. We’ll have a short conversation about life to see how each other is doing after it's been a while though. I'll always love him like a brother.

“Hostage” by Bill Waves prod. by DOGOBYN

You’d be hard-pressed to find me a style of rap that I can’t enjoy, but in my heart, my favorite MCs will always be the ones that can sew together a bar full of multis. It’s for that reason that “Hostage” by Bill Waves is such an enjoyable listen. If you’re up for some YouTube deep-digging, you can even find a nearly decade old video of Bill freestyling with Mac Miller, and that’s a great explanation for why he’s able to fasten together these rhymes so effortlessly.