Hailee Olivia Williams (born 1998), known professionally as Liv.e (pronounced 'Liv'), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. Originally from

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, her sound has been described as 'defying categorisation', incorporating elements from R&B,

neo-soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contem ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. Liv.e began her career with a series of EPs in 2017 and 2018. After collaborating with artists such as

Earl Sweatshirt Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), known professionally as Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, but changed his na ...

and Pink Siifu, she released her solo debut album '' Couldn't Wait to Tell You'' in 2020 to critical acclaim. Her following album, '' Girl in the Half Pearl'', was released to further acclaim in 2023. Liv.e's most recent release was the synth-punk and

synthwave Synthwave (also called retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with the Film score, film soundtracks of action films, science fiction films, and horror films of the 1980s. ...

-influenced ''Past Futur.e'' (2024). Liv.e produces music under the alias HayLee, and also raps under the name Jade Fox as part of the music group Kryptonyte.

Early life

Hailee Olivia Williams was born in

in 1998. She was raised in a religious

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

household and has described her parents as 'avid church-goers'. Her family is highly musical: her father, Norman Williams, played piano for several blues and gospel ensembles, her mother sang in the local church choir, and her brother, drummer TaRon Lockett, has played with artists including

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...

and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. She attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, graduating in 2016, and then studied architecture and object design at the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...

for a year before dropping out.

Career

2017-2019: Early career

Liv.e began experimenting with DJing in 2014, uploading several

chopped and screwed Chopped and screwed (also called screwed and chopped or slowed and throwed) is a genre of hip-hop music and technique of remixing music that involves slowing down the tempo and DJing. It was pioneered by DJ Screw, and became a staple in the ...

mixes to

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. However, seeking to move away from her family's musical background, she did not seriously consider a career in music until 2017 whilst at university in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. After meeting Ben Hixon, president of Dallas-based record label and music collective Dolfin Records, at a jazz show, Liv.e began working with the label and several of its members. She released her debut EP, ''Frank,'' in 2017 under Dolfin. Her EP ''Raw Daybreaks, Vol. 1'' was recorded in a single night and released later that year; its follow-up, entitled ''Raw Daybreaks, Vol. 2'' (a collaboration with producer Swarvy) was released in 2018. Also in 2018, she formed the music group Kryptonyte with frequent collaborators Pink Siifu and Lord Byron, rapping with them under the alias Jade Fox; the group released a self-titled album that year. Liv.e's 2018 EP ''Hoopdreams'', which was also recorded in one night, caught the attention of

Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...

and

. She subsequently opened for Earl Sweatshirt on his Fire It Up! tour, in support of his album ''

Some Rap Songs ''Some Rap Songs'' is the third studio album by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. It was released on November 30, 2018, through Tan Cressida Records and distributed by Columbia Records. The album features guest contributions from Navy Blue, Sta ...

''. Liv.e also featured on the track 'Mtomb' from his 2019 EP ''Feet of Clay''.

2020-2022: ''Couldn't Wait to Tell You''

On July 31, 2020, Liv.e released her debut studio album as a solo artist, '' Couldn't Wait to Tell You'', under the label In Real Life. The album was recorded in Liv.e's bedroom in her mother's house in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. Liv.e worked in

Urban Outfitters Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) is a multinational lifestyle retail corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, select Western European countries, Poland, the United Arab Em ...

during the writing of the album. The album debuted via livestream on singer Erykah Badu's website as part of her Quarantine Concert Series project. Badu, who attended the same high school as Liv.e over a decade prior, has described Liv.e as 'family since forever' and termed her work 'an extension of what I am creating'. The album received critical acclaim from music journalists, with Liv.e being named 'one to watch' by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

s Kate Hutchinson. However, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, she was unable to tour extensively in support of ''Couldn't Wait to Tell You''. She continued to collaborate with other artists in 2020 and appeared on

Black Noi$e Robert Mansel, known professionally as Black Noi$e or Black Noise, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his work as a tour DJ for M.I.A. and Earl Sweatshirt as well as producing and writ ...

's track "The Band", released in June that year. Liv.e released an EP composed of six leftover songs from ''Couldn't Wait to Tell You,'' entitled '' CWTTY+,'' in 2021. ''CWTTY+'' was named one of the best R&B albums of 2021 by

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

. Later that year, Liv.e released the single “Bout It”, and embarked on a co-headlining tour with

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

-based rapper MIKE.

2023-present: ''Girl in the Half Pearl'' and ''Past Futur.e''

Ahead of the release of her second studio album, '' Girl in the Half Pearl'', Liv.e was named one of 25 "New and Rising Artists Shaping the Future of Music in 2023" by ''Pitchfork''. Preceded by three singles, "Ghost", "Wild Animals" and "Find Out", the album was released in February 2023 to critical acclaim. She has described ''Girl in the Half Pearl'' as informed by an 'emotionally addictive, unbalanced romantic relationship'. It was named as one of the best albums of 2023 in year-end lists from publications including ''Clash'', ''Pitchfork'' and ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

''. ''GITHPRemixEdition,'' a

remix album A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...

of ''Girl in the Half Pearl'' in collaboration with Ben Hixon, was released later in 2023. Liv.e performed at Tyler, the Creator's festival

Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival (formerly known as the OFWGKTA Carnival or Odd Future carnival) is an annual American music festival and carnival created by Tyler, the Creator and has been held annually since its inception in the fall of 2012, except fro ...

in November that year. In 2024, Liv.e surprise released the record ''Past Futur.e''. Its condensed recording process was inspired by her 2018 EP ''Hoopdreams''. ''Past Futur.e'', which has been described as an album, EP and mixtape, marks a departure from the sound of her previous work, taking inspiration from

and synth-punk.

Influences

Growing up, Liv.e listened to artists including

The Clark Sisters The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group originally consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948), Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), ...

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), often known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned 40 year ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...

N.E.R.D. N.E.R.D. (a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) was an American rock and hip-hop band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1994. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists ...

, and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

. Her early DJ mixes feature music from artists such as the

Fugees The Fugees () are an American hip hop group formed in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1990. The trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill was known for their fusion of hip hop, reggae, R&B, and funk; their socially conscious lyrics; and ...

Madlib Otis Lee Jackson Jr. (born October 24, 1973), known professionally as Madlib, is an American record producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. Critically acclaimed for his eclectic, music sample, sample-heavy production style, he is rega ...

and Knxwledge.

Personal life

Liv.e is based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Discography

Studio albums * '' Couldn't Wait to Tell You'' (2020) * '' Girl in the Half Pearl'' (2023) Albums with Kryptonyte * ''Kryptonyte'' (2018) EPs * ''Frank'' (2017) * ''Raw Daybreaks, Vol. 1'' (2017) * ''Raw Daybreaks, Vol. 2'' (2018) (with Swarvy) * ''Hoopdreams'' (2018) * '' CWTTY+'' (2021) * ''Past Futur.e'' (2024) Remix albums * ''GITHPRemixEdition'' (2023) (with Ben Hixon)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liv.e 1998 births Living people 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers African-American record producers African-American women singer-songwriters American women singer-songwriters Alternative R&B musicians American contemporary R&B singers American neo soul singers American women record producers Singers from Dallas Rappers from Dallas Record producers from Texas Singer-songwriters from Texas 21st-century American women rappers African-American women rappers American women hip-hop singers School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni