Baltimore’s own William M. March, A.K.A ‘DJ Willy Wow’ is “wowing” audiences all over the globe with his musical talents. The composer specializes in “profanity-free” children’s music, and has performed at The White House, South Africa’s Comic-Con, Home Depot Backyard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and other events. His impressive resume also includes performing for Target, Kellogg’s, and Porsche.
The accomplished artist wrote, arranged, and recorded “Nothing Wrong with the Black Crayon.” The song is featured on the Grammy-nominated album “All One Tribe,” by 1 Tribe Collective, released by Bob Marley’s record label, Tuff Gong International. The album features songs in varying styles from 26 Black children’s artists, and earned him a trip to the 64th Grammy Awards last month in Las Vegas.
“The Grammy Awards was an amazing experience,” said DJ Willy Wow. “It was also a historical experience because it was the first time over twenty five Black children’s artists came together to create an album, and show the world that Black voices are needed and are here to represent Black voices in the children’s music genre. It was also a historical event because a Black compilation has never been nominated before.”
He added, “The experience was very fulfilling. I’ve been writing children’s music and doing children’s entertainment for over 15 years. In my career, I’ve performed at the White House under the Obamas, and I’ve worked with major brands such as Delta Airlines, but being Grammy-nominated was really something special.”
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The popular performer is the grandson of March Funeral Homes founder William March, and the son of Erich March. He talked about the meaning behind “Nothing Wrong with the Black Crayon.”
“That song was supposed to go on my album that I was planning to release right before COVID hit, and I ended up not putting it out,” he said. “And then, I got the call to submit a song to the 1 Tribe Collective. I thought, I would give them ‘Nothing Wrong with the Black Crayon,’ because it actually fit. The concept of the song was for the entire world, and to let everyone know there’s nothing wrong with being different, there’s nothing wrong with being Black, and when we all come together, we can all paint a beautiful world.”
He added, “And I just wanted to use crayons, because, the first time I ever wrote with anything, [it] was with a crayon. When people think of crayons, they think of children, they think of family-friendly restaurants, and they think of arts and crafts with kids. What better way to paint a picture for children and families than to give them the metaphor of crayons…not leaving anything out of the box, and not leaving anything in the box.”
DJ Willy Wow has over 200 songs for kids, and also has a weekend show on Sirius XM.
“I’m a jack of all trades,” he said. “I work hard, and if somebody can’t do something, I pick up the ball and do it myself. Having that approach, I learned how to do a lot of things when I couldn’t depend on others. I couldn’t find a deejay, so I started deejaying. You have to be resourceful and use all the God-given talents you have. You can’t leave anything on the table.”
The Baltimore native talked about his lifelong interest in music.
“I’ve always loved music,” he said. “I grew up in a house where music was always played. And when Hip Hop came along, I was all over it. Music has always been my happy place.”
DJ Willy Wow says after graduating from high school, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated from Morehouse College.
“I felt my creativity would always relate to children’s music because I’ve always been a storyteller,” he said. “I thought, ‘What better way than Hip Hop to get my music out there and to make an impact on children with positive messages and education?’ Everybody from eight to eighty can relate to my music, because it’s going to teach you something.”
Through songs such as “Nothing Wrong with the Black Crayon”, DJ Willy Wow plans to continue to make his “mark” on the world.
“I want to continue to entertain children and families,” he said. “The goal is serve as an example that you can have a positive impact on the world with good music that is clean and can touch any person, no matter their race, color, or creed.”
This summer, he will be releasing a new album entitled, “Hip Hope for Kids.”
For more information about DJ Willy Wow visit https://www.djwillywow.com.