Meet Willie Of Wilshire

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Willie Of Wilshire. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Willie Of Wilshire, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
A lot of people don’t know but I have suffered from bouts of depression. I would be lying if I said I have never thought of suicide. I usually present a happy face to others and I do my best to be of support to others, but when it came to me I was neglecting my own mental health. Music has always been a form of therapy for me. It helps me vent and I am able to express my feelings by putting it in song form. And for most of my life it has helped me a great deal. However during 2020 I went through a rough breakup that led to a deep depression, with thoughts of self harm, and I didn’t really feel like writing music or doing much else. It took a lot of effort to just get up in the morning and complete simple tasks. It wasn’t until I discovered Meditation, Yoga, NLP, and started taking Self Development Courses that I was able to lift myself out of depression. During this process I also practiced a lot of Gratitude and Ho’oponopono which is a Hawaiian healing and cleansing mantra you repeat over and over consisting of the phrases, “I Love You, I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me, Thank You.” I also worked extensively with Relationship Coaches to address the underlying issues that had led to the breakup and in turn all these tools and inner work helped me to overcome my depression and to become a more empowered and self-aware version of myself. And the music that I created during this time actually led to one of my most streamed songs ever called “In My Lowrider”, from my project “A Day In LA.” Looking back I am proud of how far I have come on my own inner journey and how I was able to take something painful and turn it into something beautiful and empowering that I can now share with the world. And now whenever I face challenges I have trained myself to always look for the silver lining in them. There is always something to learn and grow in every situation.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Music Artist by the name of Willie Of Wilshire (WOW). I was born and raised in Los Angeles California. First generation, born Willie Arevalo from Mayan Guatemalan and El Salvadoran immigrant parents and raised in a rough neighborhood in Downtown LA full of gangs, drugs, Police brutality and poverty. I developed a love and passion for Hip Hop Music as a way to express my creativity and as a form of therapy to vent my life struggles. It’s always been my dream to be a successful music artist and to be able to make a living doing what I Love to do. I did take me a while to develop a strong belief in myself and in my abilities. Growing up I had a lot of self doubt and limiting beliefs that I wasn’t good enough or worthy of accomplishing my dreams. Whenever cops would frisk me as a kid and pull me over just for my skin color it would lead to me feeling like a victim, powerless and like a second class citizen. The poverty and environment I grew up in contributed to my lack mindset and beliefs of not being good enough or having what it takes to make it. It took me a long time to realize these were all limiting beliefs I was carrying in my subconscious and that had been getting in the way of me living the life that I dreamed of. Once I was finally able to change those limiting beliefs to empowering ones such as, “I am more than good enough, I am more than worthy of living the life that I choose,” then I started to see those beliefs reflected back to me in my world. I had more confidence in myself and I started writing better music, people and opportunities would come to me that hadn’t before. In the past I would do a lot of chasing and now things would just come to me. Photographers would hit me up to model for them, people would hit me up for free music videos, producers would send me beats, graphic designers would do my covers, I even got invited to go on a national tour across the United States which was something I had always dreamed of since a kid. As such I am a big believer in cultivating a positive mindset, and I am very excited to see where this new trajectory takes me.

I have already started seeing my fanbase grow and I am getting more monthly listeners and streams than ever before. I just released a music video to my most streamed song “In My Lowrider” which you can go see on YouTube. I feel I have evolved and grown as an artist and you can hear it in my music more than ever.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the three qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey have been the following. The first is mindset. You have to believe in yourself no matter what the circumstances look like. If you want to scale a mountain you first have to believe that you can do it. Don’t worry if you don’t have the proper gear, or the expertise to climb it. Just believe you can and with every step you take the how will reveal itself in ways you could have never foreseen.
The second is practice, practice, practice. I would write at least a song a day and I would rap lyrics until my voice would give way. I was building up my skill this way. Once you truly 100% believe in yourself and you are perfecting your craft over and over, you will see results. Climbing that mountain will get easier and easier with every step you take.
And third is being resourceful. Growing up in poverty I had to learn to think outside the box and utilize what I already had or could get to accomplish my goals. If you wait around until you have enough money to start something, or until you have the proper gear or the know how, or the right connections, you will be waiting around forever. Be resourceful and use what you already have. You might not be able to afford the best recording equipment but just get what you can and start. Record your own vocals to save on studio time, do your music videos on your phone, learn anything you need to by watching YouTube. Use what’s already at your fingertips. And once you do get to a position where you have the resources you want you will be able to leverage them and utilize them in a more efficient and effective matter than before.
All in all, just take that first step and keep going. Sooner or later those that win are those that think they can.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
For me when it comes to music my biggest blessing has been my producer Eddie Ruxspin. When I first met him my raps were garbage and instead of him turning me down, he took me under his wing and showed me how to rap. He gave me songs to listen too, which I studied and would record myself rapping over to improve my timing and delivery. When Rux would record me, he would tell me to do it over and over again until my timing was right. I truly believe the Universe lines up people and opportunities in your life journey to help you along your way, and I know Rux has been one of them. He helped me develop the skills I needed and coached me to become a better music artist overall. I wouldn’t be where I am or be half as good if it wasn’t for him.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photographers: Gilbert Ortiz Karen Mata Allie Ramsey Elizabeth Vazquez

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