DISTINCT LIFE X Puma "INSPIRE 2" Collection

In 2020, Rick “geezy” Williams took an art form he loved for more than two decades and elevated it into a form of self-care. The Detroit native — also known for his prowess in the fashion and creative industries — had already spent 26 years hoofing, better known as tap dancing, with his talent landing him time with the legends of the artform. But at the height of the pandemic, he turned to “The Dance” for more than self-expression. One day at five in the morning, Williams donned his tap shoes and rocked for four hours straight. The morning gave him a shot of new life and inspiration, which was in short supply as the world was shutting down from COVID-19. “The Dance” quickly became a daily meditative practice, an opportunity for him to focus on gratitude and connect with The Most High. From that daily meditation, the debut album by geezy — a nickname used by Williams’ close friends and family — began to come into focus.

THE geezy EXPERIMENT merges Rick Williams’ longtime passion for hip-hop and The Dance to create a wholly original, improvisational percussive opus. Williams assembled a roster of some of Detroit’s most talented rappers and musicians and added the element of improvised, unrehearsed hoofing, recorded in one take. He draws from various avenues of inspiration: “NORTHLAND” enlists ZO!, Tall Black Guy and DJ Dez to pay homage to a shuttered Detroit shopping mall, “WE ARE SEEDS” feeds off of a collaborative mural with artist BMike that pays homage to the resilience of Detroiters and New Orleanians, and “DETROITS SUN” enlists Guilty Simpson for the same lushly sampled, hard rhyming hip-hop that Williams grew up listening to. There’s an assortment of guest musicians and vibes, but God’s unfettered presence lives throughout.