Willy William

Even though he has been active in the French electronic music scene since the early aughts, DJ, producer, and songwriter Willy William (April 14, 1981) rose to international acclaim in the 2010s through his involvement in the Latin-tinged moombahton mega-hit “Mi Gente.” Born in Fréjus, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, to Mauritanian parents, he spent a big part of his childhood in the small town of Champagné in northwestern France. After becoming a notable presence in the French club music scene thanks to his DJ Flex collaboration “B Boyz Shake da Body” (2003), Willy William joined the Collectif Métissé and worked extensively with a whole host of artists from all genres, including DJ Assad, Les Jumo, Keen’V, and Ridsa. Featured in his 2016 studio debut Une Seule Vie, his self-produced breakthrough single “Ego” peaked at Number 12 in France and cracked the Top 10 in Belgium and the Netherlands. Only a year later, Willy William scored his first international hit by co-writing and producing J Balvin’s “Mi Gente,” which went to Number 1 in several European countries and spawned a remix featuring Beyoncé. The single's success opened the doors to collaborations with some of the most relevant figures in both the EDM and pop music realm, including David Guetta, Jason Derulo, and Steve Aoki. Released in 2022, his single “Trompeta” fared quite well on the European charts and even entered the Canadian Top 50.