Today we’d like to introduce you to Whayne Clarke Jr
Hi Whayne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My creative journey started with music. My mother owned a piano and early on I couldn’t keep my hands off of it. Before I knew it I was playing simple songs by ear. I started piano lessons in elementary school and quickly grew a love for music. Music wasn’t my only love, though. I started acting classes in elementary school as well and though I didn’t take them very far, it solidified my love for acting and performing. As I got older I began to create my own melodies and lyrics. In 6th grade I joined band and picked up the saxophone. Even though I wanted to play the trumpet, the saxophone quickly grew on me. By 7th grade I was developing a real talent for music. Then, in April of 2008 my sister gave birth to my niece, a beautiful baby girl named DeaShaun Francois Clarke. This child would change the trajectory of all of our lives. My niece was not only born prematurely, but also had trisomy 18. The doctors said she’d never make it out of the hospital. Though we were able to get her home, she died at 6 weeks old. The emotion surrounding this experience led me to write my first couple of songs. This was how I got into music production. Throughout the rest of middle school I stayed in band and continued to write music. By 8th grade my parents had bought me my first version of protools, and in my freshman year of high school I decided I wanted to pursue music as a career. Through being in band class, marching band, and performing my own songs, I grew my love of performing more and more. In the summer after I graduated high school I released my first EP titled “Deashaun”. The next step was college. My heart was set on Full Sail University and that’s where I went. After some ups and downs, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Recording Arts in 2016. After graduating, however, things weren’t easy. Though I started trying to release and promote my own music, things weren’t going as planned and life started to get in the way. A child, a wedding, and severe writers block led to me giving up music completely. I spent 5 years trying to figure out what to do with my life. Then at the end of 2020, when I was jobless and unable to find work during covid, I decided it was time to get back into music. I created a tiktok account to promote my music and started posting duets and eventually snippets of original music. Since then I’ve gained over 2,000 followers on tiktok. I released my first single in 2022 titled “Why Won’t You Love Me” and after a couple years of work I released my first album in May of this year. My album “Undergrad” is a peak into my life as a college student and the things I was going through during that time. Not long after I gave my life to God, and now I’m focused on using my business, The Millennial Christian Company, to release content and music that glorifies God and shares the truth about the gospel. On top of making music, I now also create content on tiktok, am active on threads, and have a podcast called Millennial Christian Conversations.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road. I struggled to keep my grades up in college and almost didn’t earn my degree. Since college I’ve been plagued with financial struggles, writers block, relationship issues, severe depression, and anxiety. Some of these things are still affecting me right now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I love to produce. Production as a whole is a love of mine, but I’d say I specialize specifically in music production. The music I release is mainly Hip-Hop but I enjoy writing and producing all kinds of music and thanks to my education from Full Sail I have the knowledge that allows me to do most of the work myself in my own home. Though my music would fit under the umbrella of Hip-Hop I would say it’s quite different from mainstream hip-hop. My music is mostly centered around my life, my experiences, and my feelings and is grounded in my belief and faith in God. This extends to all other content I create including my short from content on tiktok and my podcast.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My immediate family has always supported me and cheered me on. My uncles, my sister, and my grandparents have always been supportive. However, the majority of the credit definitely goes to my parents. They have done more for me and my dreams than anyone ever could. They paid for my piano lessons, bought me every instrument I own, bought me my first version of protools, helped pay my tuition to go to the college of my choice and paid my rent while I was there. My parents have supported me and continue to support me in more ways than I can imagine. I may not be super successful, but If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t even be close to where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/whaynemusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whaynemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whaynesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhayneMusic
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@whaynemusic
Image Credits
John Miller
Hanson Prather
