Willie Larry Griggs was born on January 21st, 1966 in Detroit, Michigan to Ronald and Gladys Griggs. Life was hard in Detroit, with constant violence, and economic hardship, the family moved to Columbus, Ohio, minus their father in 1975. It was difficult, yet it was a time for change and growth. Larry (that’s what he preferred to be called) had an avid imagination, and a knack for creativity. With his siblings preoccupied with their own activities, he was often isolated and left alone. He had an interest in art, both visual (he would draw his own comics, as well as collect) and musical. At the age of 12, he first discovered his ability to play music by ear. Using a musical calculator, he would listen to the radio, and replay what he heard, one note at a time. This ability transformed into formal theory, while in school band, where he learned the Alto Clarinet. Difficult financial times were the norm in the Griggs household, so at the age of 18, Larry made the decision to join the Army. With a love for science and anatomy, Larry chose a career that encompassed both, by becoming an X-ray technologist. On September 13, 1984 he entered the service. Stationed at Fort Sam Houston, TX (San Antonio) Larry continued his love of music, and made several friends and acquaintances along the way. The most notable was his time with the Hip Hop/RnB Group called Born Fresh Posse. At that time (1985), they were one of the hottest local acts in town. They opened for several notable artists such as: Ice Tee, Krs-one, Eric B and Rakim, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Moe Dee, and Biz Markee (1988). Larry’s Production skills had advanced to such a degree, that KRS-ONE offered to bring his music to New York. That particular event led to an exchange of contact info, and a month later, Larry was given an offer from RCA records. Unfortunately, he was still on active duty in the Military, and with a newborn on the way, he made the difficult decision to stick with Radiology. The uncertainty of music success outweighed his dream of actually doing it full time. It’s a decision that still haunts him to this day. After leaving the service in 1990, he continued his Radiology career, with intermittent pursuits of his music dreams, while raising a family, amidst all of the struggles and hardships associated with family life. Fast forward to the present, he continues his Radiology career, yet he holds on to what has sustained him throughout all these years, his faith. Having been baptized and accepting Jesus Christ since the age of 14, he knew it was going to be a tough road. There have been many struggles, but also much joy and hope, by virtue of him and his wife’s success in raising 5 children, with 5 grandchildren and 2 more grandchildren on the way. Larry’s hopes and dreams of the future include owning his own production studio, working on projects for film/TV/radio/animation, etc. He has plans to create a graphic novel, based on concepts from his imaginative dreams (he’s a big sci-fi buff and comic collector). He plans to develop it into a feature film in a few years. He also plans on making a feature film about his time with 80’s rap group, ‘Born Fresh Posse’. Rapper/actor Ice Tee spoke to the group after their set and proclaimed, “ Ya’ll are the next generation of hip hop” (They were one of a handful of groups back then that rapped and sang with clean lyrics). It seems that that generation has finally arrived.
