Angel Haze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids ROES
Wilson performing in October 2012
Background information
Birth name	Raykeea Angel Wilson
Born	(1991-07-10) July 10, 1991 (age 33) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Origin	Brooklyn, New York
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Republic Island

Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson (born July 10, 1991) known professionally as ROES (fka Angel Haze), is an American rapper and singer. In 2012, Wilson released the mixtape Reservation and later signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records before moving to Republic Records. On December 31, 2013, Wilson released their debut album Dirty Gold, which featured the singles "Echelon (It's My Way)" and "Battle Cry.” Wilson has released a number of mixtapes, including Reservation, which was ranked the sixth-best mixtape of 2012 by Mike Diver of the BBC, the most recent one Back to the Woods appeared in 2015.

Early life

Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan to a military family. Their father, who died from a gunshot wound before their birth, was African American and their mother is Native American Cherokee. When Wilson was a young child, their mother met a preacher in the Greater Apostolic Faith and the two moved into his home with his wife and children, into what Wilson describes as a cult. In an interview with The Guardian, Wilson stated: "We all lived in the same community, within 10 minutes of each other. You weren't allowed to talk to anyone outside of that, you weren't allowed to wear jewelry, listen to music, to eat certain things, to date people … you weren't allowed to do pretty much anything."

Wilson's family moved around frequently, mainly due to their mother running away from the church. At one point the family was living in a shelter and Wilson was teased at school for it. They were also mocked for their clothes and had difficulties making friends and connections due to moving around. They switched between homeschool and public school for many years and finished high school a year early.

After a pastor threatened Wilson's mother, the family left the church, moving to Brooklyn, New York, when they were 15 years old. The pastor told Haze's family that God was going to kill them, and they lived in fear for years afterward.

Wilson began writing as a form of therapy and expressed an interest in creative writing, poetry and journalism. Their first poem was published at the age of 13 after winning a school competition. As a child, Wilson took creative writing lessons and wanted to be a songwriter or gospel artist. Eventually, they began making YouTube videos and freestyle rapping at the age of 18. Wilson began distributing music on the Internet through sites such as Tumblr, where a fan base began to form.

Career

Wilson performing live at Øyafestivalen in 2013

From 2009 to 2012, Wilson put out a number of mixtapes for free download on the Internet: New Moon, Altered Ego, King, and Voice. In July 2012, they released the free mixtape Reservation to critical acclaim, receiving an 88/100 score from Metacritic. The title Reservation is an homage to their self-identified Cherokee heritage. Wilson was nominated for BBC the Sound of 2013 poll.

On August 28, 2013, Wilson released "Echelon (It's My Way)" as the lead single from the debut album Dirty Gold. The entire album was leaked on December 18, 2013, prior to scheduled March 2014 release. The album release date was advanced, and it appeared through Island Records and Republic Records on December 30, 2013, to positive reviews. It had low first-week sales of just over 500 copies. On September 14, 2015, Wilson released the mixtape Back to the Woods announcing that the project was just "something to share before a sophomore". In March 2017 Wilson released "Resurrection".

Artistry

Influences

After Wilson moved to New York and began listening to secular music, they became inspired by artists such as Eminem, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne. "The artists that I identify [with] mostly are the ones who are so uncompromisingly themselves," Wilson said in a 2014 Rolling Stone interview.

Public image

Wilson raps about themes such as homophobia and racism.

Wilson sees their goal as an artist to reach out to people who are similar to them or going through difficult experiences. They said, "It's not about the Bible. It's not about going to church. It's not about anything other than that we are all energies connected with a force that's greater than us. It's an energy that's omniscient, it covers the whole world, and everybody here is created for a reason. Mine happens to be to make the music and inspire the people who are stuck in dark places."

In a 2014 Vice column, Wilson discussed cultural appropriation and white artists making hip hop, saying "There seems to be this hypocrisy because people want to appropriate black culture but only when it's cool or beneficial to them … And that's the reason that people don't have a right, to some extent, to use black music to their own gains."

Personal life

Wilson is pansexual and agender. Wilson uses they/them pronouns.

In 2014, Haze was in a relationship with model Ireland Baldwin. The two broke up a year later.

Wilson is self-taught in the Cherokee language and celebrates their multiracial heritage. They also self-identify as two-spirit.

Discography

• Dirty Gold (2013)
• Back to the Woods (2015)

Filmography

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Angel Haze para niños

• LGBT culture in New York City
• List of LGBT people from New York City