Spree Wilson

Biography

Spree Wilson is a Nashville-born singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer whose career is defined by genre-blurring creativity and a deep connection to melody and storytelling. Raised in a musical household in Nashville, Tennessee, his earliest influences came less from the city’s country roots and more from his mother’s eclectic record collection, which included Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Whitney Houston, and classical composers like Bach and Stravinsky. As a child, he was forced into the school band, where he began playing saxophone, and later discovered The Beatles, which profoundly reshaped his understanding of music. By high school, after receiving his first guitar from his grandmother, he began writing his own songs and realized music was what he wanted to do for a living.

Wilson’s career developed through a series of high-profile collaborations and songwriting credits that span pop, hip-hop, rock, and soul. He co-wrote Afrojack’s global hit “The Spark” and contributed to Kanye West’s Cruel Summer album, working alongside legends like Q-Tip and Dallas Austin. He has also collaborated with top producers such as No I.D. and Malay, the latter of whom he met just before the release of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange. His music has been featured in major films, TV series, and global ad campaigns. As of late 2025, Wilson is preparing to release his highly anticipated EP These Days Don’t Last Long, a deeply personal project inspired by the loss of his grandmother, exploring themes of pain, joy, and the fleeting nature of life.

Fun Facts

• As a 7-year-old, Spree Wilson performed a rap song written by his mother and his best friend’s aunt in front of 500 people at a church convention, dressed like a mini-Temptations with white turtlenecks, black slacks, and patent leather shoes, rapping over the MC Hammer ‘Pray’ instrumental.
• He describes his musical style as if ‘Andre 3000 and Janelle Monáe had a baby, and Cee-Lo was the uncle of that baby and Pharrell was the Godfather.’
• Wilson is a self-proclaimed nerd whose life was changed by the De La Soul album 3 Feet High and Rising, which deeply influenced his approach to rap and wordplay.
• His upcoming EP These Days Don’t Last Long is inspired by the loss of his grandmother, who gave him his first guitar and helped spark his songwriting journey.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Mother - Primary early musical influence; exposed him to a wide range of music and insisted he play in the school band (Classical, pop, and R&B records; school band experience) [Childhood]
• Malay - Producer and collaborator who became a key creative influence; Wilson sought him out after hearing his work with Cris Cab and was impressed by his sound and work ethic (Collaborative sessions in Los Angeles around the time of Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange) [Early 2010s]

Key Collaborators

• Afrojack - Co-writer on the single “The Spark” (“The Spark”) [2013–2014]
• Kanye West - Contributed to the Cruel Summer album (Cruel Summer) [Early 2010s]
• Q-Tip - Worked with Wilson in a professional capacity (Unspecified projects) [Early 2010s]
• Dallas Austin - Worked with Wilson in a professional capacity (Unspecified projects) [Early 2010s]
• No I.D. - Collaborated with Wilson as a producer (Unspecified projects) [Early 2010s]
• Malay - Producer and frequent collaborator (Multiple sessions and recordings) [Early 2010s–present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. The Spark (Forget The World (Deluxe))
2. The Weekend (feat. Eva Shaw)
3. Champagne Supernova
4. The Spark - Tiësto vs twoloud Remix
5. Counterfeit
6. The Spark (Forget The World)
7. The Weekend (feat. Eva Shaw) - DRYM Remix
8. Moonlight & Madness
9. The Spark (Forget The World)
10. The Spark

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz