Wilko Wilkes Color Display About Wilko Wilkes

Wilko Wilkes is an alternative rapper, songwriter, producer and workshop facilitator from West Yorkshire, UK.

During a course of counselling for chronic depression in 2019, lacking confidence and struggling under the weight of his unfulfilled urge for a creative outlet, he talked about what he thought was a pipe-dream of being a recording artist and live performer. After talking it through, he decided to make a commitment to developing his art.

Charities I Support

Wilko is passionate about his local community, holds several volunteer roles and has raised thousands of pounds for charities close to his heart such as:

My Journey So Far

More About Me

Following that fateful counselling session I set myself a target of writing ten songs and playing one gig, and slowly but surely I started putting together a catalogue of work. The Covid-19 pandemic threw me a few curveballs but I completed my mission and performed my first ever live set in July 2021 at Bradford Buskival.

I have now played numerous gigs and festivals, as well as supporting big names such as Arrested Development and Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer. I have performed in a number of unusual locations such as Leeds Central Library, several churches, in-store at HMV Bradford and atop the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor.

My live set is fast-paced and engaging and I love to connect with the audience and take them on a journey from the sublime to the ridiculous.

2022 saw the release of my debut album Life Is Not A Rehearsal with support from Help Musicians, completing another lifelong dream that had seemed unattainable.

In September 2022 at my album launch party I performed it from start to finish at The Underground, Bradford in front of 100 people, a day I'll never forget.  The album was later voted by fellow artists as New Artist Spotlight Album of the Year. 

I write and rap from the heart, I like to tell stories in my lyrics which blend my sometimes troubled and uneasy outlook on life with messages of hope, unity & respect.  My songs are peppered with wordplay, poetic devices, mundane real-life references and unexpected twists.

A lifelong lover of music, I take inspiration from a wide variety of styles and I love to bend genres and try new things, hence why I call myself an alternative rapper.

I am always learning and now fully self-produce my music from composition to release following mentoring sessions with legendary UK hip hop producer Hashfinger, funded by Bradford Producing Hub.

Also a keen filmmaker, I have enjoyed honing my craft by self-producing my music videos.

I am very passionate about my local community and giving back to those less fortunate than myself.

I now regularly facilitate fun, confidence-building workshops for children at community venues and education settings across Yorkshire and beyond.

In February 2023 I launched Rap for Good – a programme of free workshops for young people in Bradford and Keighley to enjoy creative writing and performance alongside learning the benefits of creativity, self-expression and music for good mental health.  I want this to be a long term project that really makes a difference for young people who haven't had the same opportunities that I have. 

September 2023 brought the amazing opportunity to host the West Yorkshire Young Poet Laureate awards ceremony at Leeds Central Library alongside mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, and the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, in partnership with BBC Contains Strong Language and National Literacy Trust.

I love what I do and I am so glad I took that first step and conquered the initial anxiety, being involved in music and education has been an exciting and humbling experience.  I put my all into every opportunity and I’m excited to see what the future holds.

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I live in Bingley with my wife and our cat Desmond, who occasionally makes appearances on my social media. I work full time and I am a lead facilitator at Andy’s Man Club Leeds, as well as holding other volunteer positions.

From a musical background, I played piano as a child and studied music theory to Grade 3.  I was obsessed with lyrics and could regularly be found studying album sleeves and learning or transcribing the words. 

My dad is an accomplished prog-rock keyboard player and Grade 8 organist who has played in several bands. Music was everywhere in our family and is a key cornerstone of my life.

I have always loved the power that music has to convey intense emotions and get the adrenaline pumping. I listen to lots of different genres, favouring high-tempo music with raw feeling and power behind it.

Despite my usually cheerful nature, I’ve always had struggles and internal battles with various aspects of my mental health. One dream I always had was writing and performing my own music but I was held back for many years by the shackles of my own mind, too scared to put myself out there. I couldn’t even finish a song for most of my life, I’d often start writing but I would quickly lose faith and tear it up after a few lines.

I have worked hard on improving my mental health including counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, peer support and medication, as well as countless other strategies like getting enough exercise, fresh air, water etc. and of course writing about it. I am now stronger and more resilient than I’ve ever been and I am able to help others through my work with Andy’s Man Club every Monday night and beyond.

Having a creative outlet has been a key part of my mental health recovery and I admire, support and encourage anyone who has the courage to put themselves out there in whatever they do. Being involved in the arts amongst so many creative people is always massively inspiring for me.

Now that I’m playing live regularly, I have released an album and lived the dream, I won’t forget the steps that got me here. I relish and cherish every opportunity and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey.

I hugely enjoy conducting rap workshops with young people and giving them the chance to build confidence and express themselves through creative writing and performance. This has been an unexpected and beautiful addition to my work and has quickly become one of my most important priorities.

I’m fuelled by a burning passion for music, a hunger to push myself and improve, and a desire to help others less fortunate than myself.

I hope by doing all this that I can inspire a few people to shake off their own mental barriers and start creating their own art or doing whatever it is they’ve been putting off that they really desire.

I’m scratching the itch that I’ve always had, and you know what itches are like…the more you scratch them, the itchier they get!

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@wilkowilkesmusic
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