George Watsky | |
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Watsky at VidCon 2012
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Background information | |
Birth name | George Virden Watsky |
Born |
September 15, 1986 (age 30) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | Steel Wool Media |
Associated acts |
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Website | georgewatsky |
George Virden Watsky (born September 15, 1986), known professionally as Watsky, is an American hip hop artist, author, and poet from San Francisco, California. Watsky performs slam poetry, and was featured on Season 6 of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. His talents began to receive national and international acclaim in 2006 when he was the Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion, and was also named Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam Champion.
Watsky broke out as a rapper with his viral video "Pale kid raps fast" in 2011. He went on to record several hip hop albums, including Cardboard Castles in 2013, All You Can Do in 2014, and x Infinity in 2016, and held many live performances with his touring band Créme Fraîche. Watsky is also known for his appearances in Epic Rap Battles of History, and as an author following the publication of How to Ruin Everything in 2016.
Watsky was born in San Francisco, California, to Clare (née Miller, daughter of politician Clement Woodnutt Miller) and Paul Watsky, a librarian and a psychotherapist. George has a twin brother, Simon, who is a helicopter pilot. He has described himself as "half Jewish" (on his father's side). Watsky attended San Francisco University High School and then attended Emerson College in Boston.
Watsky started slam poetry at the age of 15, and has since exploded in popularity to reach a national audience. He was described as the Bay Area's reigning teen champion as the winner of nearly a dozen slams, and was on the team that took fourth place in the national contest in 2005.