Willie Wilson (born July 25, 1996), also known as 454, is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Florida, he is known for his distinctive psychedelic rap and plugg sound. He has released three mixtapes and also provided production on songs by Denzel Curry, Freddie Gibbs, Zelooperz, Playboi Carti, and Tony Shhnow.
Early life Willie Wilson was born in Florida on July 25, 1996. His sister is also a rapper, going by the alias Pig the Gemini. 454's family moved to Longwood in 2007. His father, who had been in prison for six years from 1997 to 2003, was shot in 2008 and 2009, dying from the latter. His family then moved all over Florida, to Tampa and Orlando.
Career 454 began to create beats at his home and rapped over them with his sister and cousin for fun. His alias, 454, comes from the 454 model of Chevrolet big-block engine and is a tribute to his father, who had a passion for cars. He and his girlfriend later moved to New York City in 2018, and he got a job at the Alife Rivington Club shoe store. The fast pace of the city allowed him to get into music again, uploading music to his friend Tommy Bohn's SoundCloud under the names Sqvxlls and Lil 454. One of his songs, "Late Night", went viral and encouraged him to create a full project. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 454 was able to drive back down to his native Florida and complete his first mixtape, 4 Real, which was released on March 16, 2021.
454 received even more attention in that year when his music was used as the soundtrack for Frank Ocean's luxury company Homer. He also collaborated with Denzel Curry on his 2022 album Melt My Eyez See Your Future and accompanied Aminé as an opening act for his The Best Tour Ever Tour. 454's second mixtape, Fast Trax 3, was released on October 26, 2022. He opened for Mike's Ipari Park Tour in 2023. On July 12, 2023, 454 released a collaborative extended play with Surf Gang, Fast 5. His third mixtape, Casts of a Dreamer, was released on October 2, 2024.
Personal life After his father died, 454 turned to skateboarding to cope, and has been a frequent feature on magazines focused around the sport like Transworld Skateboarding.
Influences and artistry 454's music has been described as psychedelic rap and plugg, although he has put out songs that go into J Dilla-inspired neo soul or hyperpop. He has stated that his first influence was the pitched-up voice of Quasimoto, the side project of noted hip hop producer Madlib. Other influences include jungle music, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lil Wayne, DJ Screw, Zaytoven, Pi'erre Bourne, Pharrell Williams, Lex Luger, and Currensy. 454's signature style is pitching-up the first half of the track and then slowing the second half to a normal pace.
Discography Extended plays Title Details Fast 5 (with Surf Gang) Released: July 12, 2023 Label: Surf Gang Records Formats: Digital download
Mixtapes Title Details Fast Trax Released: August 23, 2020 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download 4 Real Released: March 16, 2021 Label: Math / Honeymoon Formats: Digital download Fast Trax 2 Released: July 10, 2021 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Fast Trax 3 Released: October 26, 2022 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Casts of a Dreamer Released: October 2, 2024 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download
Singles Title Year Album "Thankful" 2022 rowspan="1" "Gangster Party" 2023 Fast 5 "One In a Million" 2024 rowspan="2" "Beretta"
Tours Supporting The Best Tour Ever Tour (Aminé) (2022) Ipari Park Tour (Mike) (2023) Somebody Fine Me Trouble Tour (Mike) (2024) Mischievous South Tour (Denzel Curry) (2025)
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