454 (rapper)

{{Short description|American rapper (born 1996)}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{infobox musical artist | name = 454 | image = 454 2022 Live in LA Soda Club 07.png | caption = 454 performing in 2022 | birth_name = Willie Wilson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|7|25}} | birth_place = Florida {{Infobox person | child=yes | education = }} | alias = {{flatlist|*Sqvxlls *Lil 454}} | genre = {{flatlist|*Psychedelic rap *plugg *trap *neo soul *hyperpop}} | occupation = {{flatlist|*Rapper *record producer}} | years_active = 2018–present | label = | past_member_of = | spouse = | partner = | website = {{URL|https://www.454.life/}} }}

'''Willie Wilson''' (born July 25, 1996), also known as '''454''', is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Florida, he is known for his distinctive psychedelic rap and plugg sound. He has released three mixtapes and also provided production on songs by Denzel Curry, Freddie Gibbs, Zelooperz, Playboi Carti, and Tony Shhnow.

==Early life== Willie Wilson was born in Florida on July 25, 1996.<ref name="genius">{{Cite web |title=454 |url=https://genius.com/artists/454 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Genius |language=en |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908152628/https://genius.com/artists/454 |url-status=live }}</ref> His sister is also a rapper, going by the alias Pig the Gemini. 454's family moved to Longwood in 2007. His father, who had been in prison for six years from 1997 to 2003, was shot in 2008 and 2009, dying from the latter.<ref name="ihaza">{{Cite web |last=Ihaza |first=Jeff |date=2021-06-02 |title=The Cool, Calm, Cosmic Rap of 454 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/454-rapper-interview-1176411/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=August 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230821155508/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/454-rapper-interview-1176411/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="davies"/> His family then moved all over Florida, to Tampa and Orlando.<ref name="bliss"/>

==Career== 454 began to create beats at his home and rapped over them with his sister and cousin for fun. His alias, 454, comes from the 454 model of Chevrolet big-block engine and is a tribute to his father, who had a passion for cars. He and his girlfriend later moved to New York City in 2018, and he got a job at the Alife Rivington Club shoe store. The fast pace of the city allowed him to get into music again, uploading music to his friend Tommy Bohn's SoundCloud under the names Sqvxlls and Lil 454. One of his songs, "Late Night", went viral and encouraged him to create a full project.<ref name="davies"/> During the COVID-19 pandemic, 454 was able to drive back down to his native Florida and complete his first mixtape, ''4 Real'', which was released on March 16, 2021.<ref name="ihaza"/><ref name="bliss"/>

454 received even more attention in that year when his music was used as the soundtrack for Frank Ocean's luxury company Homer.<ref name="curto">{{Cite web |last=Curto |first=Justin |date=2021-08-06 |title=No, Frank Ocean’s New Luxury Company Isn’t a Front for a New Album |url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/frank-ocean-album-rumors-luxury-company-homer.html |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> He also collaborated with Denzel Curry on his 2022 album ''Melt My Eyez See Your Future'' and accompanied Aminé as an opening act for his The Best Tour Ever Tour.<ref name="smith"/> 454's second mixtape, ''Fast Trax 3'', was released on October 26, 2022.<ref name="ft3">{{Cite web |last=Darville |first=Jordan |date=2022-09-06 |title=454 returns with new collection Fast Trax 3 |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/09/06/454-fast-trax-3 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524190839/http://www.thefader.com/2022/09/06/454-fast-trax-3 |url-status=live }}</ref> He opened for Mike's Ipari Park Tour in 2023.<ref name="sacher">{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=2022-11-03 |title=MIKE shares "What Do I Do?," announces 2023 tour |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mike-shares-what-do-i-do-announces-2023-tour/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US |archive-date=November 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121155605/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/mike-shares-what-do-i-do-announces-2023-tour/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 12, 2023, 454 released a collaborative extended play with Surf Gang, ''Fast 5''.<ref name="an5">{{Cite web |last=Darville |first=Jordan |date=2023-06-21 |title=454 and Surf Gang announce Fast 5, share “Gangster Party” |url=https://www.thefader.com/2023/06/21/454-and-surf-gang-announce-fast-5-share-gangster-party |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en |archive-date=December 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214120553/http://www.thefader.com/2023/06/21/454-and-surf-gang-announce-fast-5-share-gangster-party |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="helfand">{{Cite web |last=Helfand |first=Raphael |date=2023-07-12 |title=454 and Surf Gang share Fast 5 EP |url=https://www.thefader.com/2023/07/12/454-and-surf-gang-share-fast-5-ep |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en |archive-date=December 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241204222300/http://www.thefader.com/2023/07/12/454-and-surf-gang-share-fast-5-ep |url-status=live }}</ref> His third mixtape, ''Casts of a Dreamer'', was released on October 2, 2024.<ref name="hyland">{{Cite web |last=Hyland |first=Samuel |date=2024-10-11 |title=454: Casts of a Dreamer |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/454-casts-of-a-dreamer/ |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US |archive-date=January 28, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128173803/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/454-casts-of-a-dreamer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Personal life== After his father died, 454 turned to skateboarding to cope, and has been a frequent feature on magazines focused around the sport like ''Transworld Skateboarding''.<ref name="ihaza"/>

==Influences and artistry== 454's music has been described as psychedelic rap and plugg,<ref name="bliss">{{Cite web |last=Darville |first=Jordan |date=2021-03-16 |title=The border-tripping bliss of 454’s psych-rap |url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/03/16/454-squills-face-time-late-night-interview |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213194411/https://www.thefader.com/2021/03/16/454-squills-face-time-late-night-interview |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="callender">{{Cite web |last=Callender |first=Brandon |date=2022-03-04 |title=454 shares two-part video for “SKITTLES + GATORLAND” |url=https://www.thefader.com/2022/03/04/454-shares-two-part-video-for-skittles-gatorland-listen |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207115032/https://www.thefader.com/2022/03/04/454-shares-two-part-video-for-skittles-gatorland-listen |url-status=live }}</ref> although he has put out songs that go into J Dilla-inspired neo soul or hyperpop.<ref name="smith">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Niall |date=2022-07-06 |title=454: the Florida rap star being championed by Frank Ocean and Denzel Curry |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/454-interview-florida-rapper-frank-ocean-denzel-curry-radar-3262107 |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> He has stated that his first influence was the pitched-up voice of Quasimoto, the side project of noted hip hop producer Madlib. Other influences include jungle music, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Lil Wayne, DJ Screw, Zaytoven, Pi'erre Bourne, Pharrell Williams, Lex Luger, and Currensy.<ref name="davies">{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Sam |date=2022-10-25 |title=In Peckham with 454, the Looney Tune of 2020s hip-hop |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/57284/1/454-willie-wilson-2020s-4-real-hip-hop-frank-ocean-interview |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Dazed |language=en |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515193155/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/57284/1/454-willie-wilson-2020s-4-real-hip-hop-frank-ocean-interview |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="randall">{{Cite web |last=Randall |first=Tiana |date=2021-10-13 |title=454 makes Colors, Sonically |url=https://officemagazine.net/454-makes-colors-sonically |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=Office Magazine |language=en |archive-date=March 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303115058/https://officemagazine.net/454-makes-colors-sonically |url-status=live }}</ref> 454's signature style is pitching-up the first half of the track and then slowing the second half to a normal pace.<ref name="ihaza"/><ref name="darville">{{Cite web |last=Darville |first=Jordan |date=2021-01-26 |title=454 has rap’s number with new song “FACE TIME” |url=https://www.thefader.com/2021/01/26/454-face-time-music-video |access-date=2025-03-21 |website=The Fader |language=en}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:18em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Fast 5'' (with Surf Gang) | * Released: July 12, 2023 * Label: Surf Gang Records * Formats: Digital download |- |}

===Mixtapes=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:18em;"| Details |- ! scope="row"| ''Fast Trax'' | * Released: August 23, 2020 * Label: Self-released * Formats: Digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''4 Real'' | * Released: March 16, 2021 * Label: Math / Honeymoon * Formats: Digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''Fast Trax 2'' | * Released: July 10, 2021 * Label: Self-released * Formats: Digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''Fast Trax 3'' | * Released: October 26, 2022 * Label: Self-released * Formats: Digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''Casts of a Dreamer'' | * Released: October 2, 2024 * Label: Self-released * Formats: Digital download |- |}

===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Album |- ! scope="row" | "Thankful" | rowspan="1" | ''2022'' | rowspan="1" {{Non-album single}} |- ! scope="row" | "Gangster Party" | rowspan="1" | ''2023'' | rowspan="1" | ''Fast 5'' |- ! scope="row" | "One In a Million" | rowspan="2" | ''2024'' | rowspan="2" {{Non-album single}} |- ! scope="row" | "Beretta" |- |}

==Tours== ===Supporting=== *The Best Tour Ever Tour (Aminé) (2022) *Ipari Park Tour (Mike) (2023) *Somebody Fine Me Trouble Tour (Mike) (2024) *Mischievous South Tour (Denzel Curry) (2025)

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{Official website|https://www.454.life/}} {{commons category}}

Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American male rappers Category:21st-century American rappers Category:Rappers from Florida Category:Plugg musicians