Some days I'm convinced I'm an alien, and the life that surrounds me is all foreign territory. Other days I'm sure I'm crazy, while others I am the funniest person I know (Score one for my ego!). The name given to me as a sentient being is William Krouse II. Sometimes, I google myself. When performing hip hop music and spoken word poetry, I go by the pen name of Apollo's Sun. I've been at it since I was 13. I was horrible until I recognized my flaws and decided I had to get better. Getting better? You bet! Good? I'm not sure yet. I'm a work in process.
For all those record label types who like to see that I can hold my own package before offering their so-called help, I've been performing live since 2005, and have toured the upper East coast with my previous label and great friends, the collective known as STLP. I've opened for heavy hitting acts such as the Wu Tang Clan, KRS ONE, Bone Thugz N Harmony, The Pharcyde, Hieroglyphics, Louis Logic, Blue Scholars, and have shared many stages with fellow lyricists from the Central Pennsylvania hip hop scene. By the age of 17, I was featured on MTV's Direct Effect as a finalist in a freestyle battle that was to be held in New Jersey.
I've put out three solo albums titled: The Happy Masochist (2006), Rust. (2007), and Falling Becomes Great (2010). I was a part of a wonderful group known as After.Words, and we released an album called Before the War in 2009. In 2012, I self-published a book of lyrics titled I'm Only Here to Help. In July of 2013, I released a collaborative EP with a production duo from Finland who go by the name, The Boomjacks. The title of that little gem is: The Ownlife Sessions, Vol. 1.
A lovely song I put out titled Finding Sunshine was featured on a compilation (In Ya Mellow Tone 2) from Japan-based label, Goontrax, and from what I've gathered, this album sold over 1 million copies and was one of the best selling albums of all time in Japan. A publishing company from LA tried to buy the rights from me for Finding Sunshine, and offered me a worthless contract that I declined to take part in.
So here I am, 2013, rhyming because I HAVE to. No record labels backing me. Broke as ever. Going to college and trying to spread truth through music and conversation. Welcome to my world, or your world, interpreted by me. Enjoy, and don't fall in.
