Part Olympian, part rapper: Meet South Phoenix’s sonic outlier Will Claye

Will Claye isn’t your average singer-songwriter. Nor is he your average Olympic athlete. He strives to be successful at both, and he succeeds.

Born and raised in Arizona, Claye grew up at the intersection of two worlds: the West African roots of his Sierra Leonean parents and the rugged, often unforgiving streets of South Phoenix. “There was no silver spoon,” Claye says. “No handouts. I had to work for everything.”

Most people know him for his athletic resume: Olympic medals in Track and Field, global accolades, the kind of discipline that makes headlines every four years. But behind the highlight reels and national anthems is an artist who’s spent just as much time in the studio as he has on the track. “Right around the time I started to bud as an athlete was when my music started taking off,” he says.

After earning a bronze medal in the long jump and a silver in the triple jump during his Olympic debut in 2012, Claye took his victory to Los Angeles to soak up the California sun. It was there, while celebrating, that he crossed paths with rapper YG. The two connected instantly, and not long after, they dropped “IDGAF” on YG’s mixtape “Just Re’d Up 2.” From there, the rest was history.

What makes Claye’s work stand out isn’t just the polish; it’s the perspective. Tracks like “Put You on Top” and “Me and Mines” don’t just sound good; they feel lived-in. You can hear the struggle in the cadence, the faith in the lyrics, the hunger in every verse. He’s not out here chasing a hit. He’s telling his story.
“I wanted to create a worldly sound,” he says. “My family is from Sierra Leone, and I grew up in South Phoenix. Those are two very different dynamics, but both shaped who I am. That’s what makes the music different.”

His creativity doesn’t stop at the mic. Claye directs many of his visuals himself, pulling cues from cinema legends. “I get a lot of inspiration from Tarantino,” he says. “The way he builds tension, the detail in his shots, I try to bring that to my videos.”

Reserved as a kid, Claye learned the art of observation. That quiet introspection has become his superpower, whether he’s launching from a runway or writing 16s (16 bars of music) in a booth. He has been able to do it all while navigating the weird double life of being an athlete-musician. “People don’t take athletes seriously when they make music,” he says. “That’s why I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder.”

To keep control of his vision, he started his own label, Desert Water Records, a move that lets him stay hands-on and keep things authentic. “This ain’t some manufactured sound,” he says. “These are real stories. Real producers. Real visuals.”

Now, somewhere between prepping for Olympic qualifiers and recording new tracks, Claye is gearing up to release his next project; no timeline, no PR fluff, just a man who refuses to be boxed in.

For now, “Ladies First” and “Put You on Top” are available on streaming platforms, but don’t expect Will Claye to stay in one lane for long. He is @willclaye on social media.