Kamaal Williams

Kamaal Williams (born Henry Gilbert Williams, 14 December 1989) is a British musician and record producer.

He began his career producing house and broken beat music as Henry Wu, but rose to prominence with drummer Yussef Dayes as Yussef Kamaal, releasing their only album Black Focus (2016). Williams has since released three solo albums under his record label Black Focus, including The Return (2018), Wu Hen (2020), and Stings (2023).

Williams' musical style relies on improvisation, including live performances, and he creates music under his own genre of jazz, hip-hop, R&B and EDM which he dubs "Wu Funk". In 2024, he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women.

Life and career Early life and career beginnings

Williams was born as Henry Gilbert Williams on 14 December 1989, in Peckham, South London to a Taiwanese mother and British father who both worked as architects.

Around this time, Williams began gigging regularly around London and, aged 17, started a band with Katy B alongside drummer Joshua McKenzie. In 2016, the band performed a 20-minute live set at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, after which Peterson landed them a deal at his Brownswood Recordings record label. Under the label, the band released their only studio album Black Focus on 4 November and reached number 26 in the Official Charts Company's Jazz & Blues chart. Thom Jurek of AllMusic described the album as having "spiritual jazz funk, broken beat, and global sounds". and has also said that the duo "captured the unpredictable and at times fragmented intensity of [jazz being played live]". On 4 May 2017, they issued a statement that "for private and unforeseen reasons the original line up of Yussef Kamaal will no longer perform together". On his split with Dayes, Williams commented: "Nothing has really ended; it travelled into something new and fresh now." Ammar said that the album contributed to Williams' rise to prominence. It also earned the duo the 'Breakthrough Act' award at the 2017 Jazz FM awards.

Solo career In 2018, Williams released his debut solo album The Return under his newly established Black Focus Records label, charting in the UK at number 63. Following the album's release, The Return was remixed by Snips with vocal samples from the Wu-Tang Clan. The staff of Mixmag ranked Black Focus Records as number one in its list of the Best Record Labels of 2018.

Williams released a 12" single titled "New Heights (Visions of Aisha Malik)" in 2019, with "Snitches Brew" as its b-side. The single's video was directed by Greg Barnes and its visuals take inspiration from martial arts.

In 2020, Williams released his second album Wu Hen under his Black Focus label. Critics noted the maturity of Williams in the album, and considered it his proper debut, which drifted from the sound in his previous albums The Return and Black Focus. Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit classified the album as a jazz record, but stated that it experiments with genres, "Wu Hen could be an R&B album, it could be funk the next minute and then a house or breakbeat track the next minute".

His third studio album, Stings, had been announced, where with it, he intends to "integrate more oriental imagery and add more melodic elements." It was released on 27 September 2023 under Black Focus Records.

Career as Henry Wu From 2011 onward, Williams released house and broken beat music under the name Henry Wu. In 2021, he was collaborated on the track "Homies" with British DJ Fred again.. as a B-side to the single "Hannah (the sun)." It was re-released as a deluxe bonus track on Fred again..'s third album, Actual Life 3.

Williams released an anthology of his Henry Wu material titled Shades of Wu on 27 November 2020. He also released an EP titled Phone Call on July 14, 2022.

Musical style Listen filename = Kamaal Williams Mr Wu.ogg title = "Mr. Wu" description = A 21-second sample of "Mr. Wu", taken from Wu Hen (2020). Williams considers its "four-to-floor beat" as his signature sound.

According to Williams, when playing live he and his band "completely improvise with the base of the song. On the night we don't know how it's going to sound. Spontaneous and loose in the structure, it allows us to express ourselves. We just let it roll out." However, Orlov opined that the duo's album Black Focus undermined William's musical abilities.

Instruments

On his album The Return, Williams has used a Nord Electro keyboard, a Roland Juno 106 and a Wurlitzer piano.

Personal life Williams adopted the name Kamaal (meaning "perfect") upon converting to Islam in 2011, and combined it with his father's surname. In a 2018 interview, Williams said that religion has played a key role in his career, reminding him to remain humble and grateful in the face of success. The doctrinal principles of Islam are the "foundations" of Williams' beliefs, and, according to the artist, "translate into his music".

Williams has claimed in an interview that he has Asperger syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder classed as an autism spectrum disorder.

Williams has been accused of aggressive behaviour towards fellow musicians, in Twitter threads posted by multiple music industry professionals.

In May 2024, Williams was accused of sexual assault by three women, with the alleged offences occurring in November 2010, August 2021 and August 2023. A representative of Williams stated that the "very serious allegations are untrue and emphatically denied by him and that he will be able to demonstrate the same." No further demonstration was forthcoming. After the publication of the accusations in Resident Advisor, at least 18 others came forward with allegations against Williams ranging from inappropriate behaviour to sexual assault.

Discography

As Henry Wu Stir Fry Beats (GorillaTech, 2012) Natural Complexion (XVI, 2014) Negotiate EP (Ho Tep, 2015) Good Morning Peckham (Rhythm Section International, 2015) Motions Of Wu Vol. 1 (Odd Socks, 2015) 27 Karat Years (with Tito Wun) (Tartelet, 2016) Henry Wu & Banton (Soundofspeed, 2016) Deep in the Mud (with Banton) (Eglo, 2017) Projections EP (with Earl Jeffers) (MCDE, 2018) Shades Of Wu: The Anthology (2020) Phone Call (2022)

With Yussef Kamaal Black Focus (2016)

As Kamaal Williams The Return (2018) Wu Hen (2020) Stings (2023)

Collaborations WU15 WU15 (2015)

DJ mix albums DJ-Kicks: Kamaal Williams (2019)

Soundtrack contributions Boogie (2021)