Guy Williams, a senior communication major, recently released his debut album, “
Simmer Down.”
Though Williams is best known on campus as the “raccoon guy,” for a
famous raccoon-stealing-a-phone video that went viral back in late 2016, he
is also becoming increasingly known for his musical talents. “I’ve been writing music since middle school, and even when I was at school here I’ve been writing music,” Williams said.
“Coming into winter break, I had six songs written and I decided to go into the studio for about four to five hours a day and just knocked it out,” Williams said. “The album is different. It has a lot of different sounds, different elements,
and I just try to mix it up.”
The album features Williams' unique style of rap music. He said the album’s title originates from the tempo of his songs. “For me there are slower songs and not that many songs that are cranked up or hyped,” Williams said. “I’m
writing about real things that mean something to me, so just simmer down.”
Williams said he plays a variety of instruments, including the ukulele, to help him compose. He said he likes to write music when he is feeling happy, sad or upset, using these emotions as an outlet to create his musical content.
Sadly, Stanley the raccoon did not have any influence in the making of this album, but the past popularity with the infamous raccoon did help Williams in releasing his music through his social media accounts. “What the raccoon video did for my social
media platforms has helped this album a lot," he said. "Having that following on Twitter now has definitely helped me push content."
Williams will continue to create music back in his hometown in Elizabethtown, Ky. He was planning to work on a single recording during spring break. He also plans to continue studying at Bellarmine, where he will pursue a master’s degree in communication.
Williams will graduate from the undergraduate program in May.
Find Williams’ album under the name G-Willi on various sources like Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and Google Play.
Article by Daniel Spitza, intern in Bellarmine's Office of Marketing and Communications.