Exposed Vocals just sat down with Haitian-American rapper, Cloudy Wingz for an exclusive interview

William Michael Clark (born January 26th, 1989), age 28, known professionally as Cloudy Wingz, is a Haitian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Cloudy was born in the slums of Port au Prince, Haiti and adopted into America at 3 years of age after most of his biological family was either murdered or died from natural disasters and natural causes. He first lived in St. Paul, Minnesota and then in the rough city of Indianapolis, Indiana where he grew up. Cloudy was a child model and also a child TV host, introducing weekend cartoons on the local TV channels. He was a Boy Scout as a kid and did a lot of traveling while young. Cloudys father knew a lot of celebrities so he was able to meet a lot of different famous people growing up. He was also put in guitar lessons and drum lessons as a kid so he knows how to play a little of both.

One things for sure, music has always been a part of Cloudy’s life. His adoption father was into classic rock and country while his adoption mother was more into soft rock and classical music.. so he always listened to all kinds of music. Both his adoption parents were into concerts, theatrical plays, operas, and orchestras and bring a reluctant Cloudy along with them to these events. When Cloudy was a child he would join in school plays, talent shows, and musicals at his elementary school. His adoption mother, Anne B. O’Connor-Clark, who divorced his adoption father due to mental and physical abuse, was a single mother who worked as a department store manager for most of Cloudy’s childhood until eventually going back to college and getting a degree as a Registered Nurse. As a child and teenager Cloudy was in and out of juvenile detention centers, group homes, therapeutic care centers, military themed boot camps, and psychiatric offices due to his violent outbursts and erratic behavior. He was very much a hot head. In his childhood home, tough love was believed to build a good work ethic, and his parents weren’t wealthy so clothing and things that weren’t needed were seldom bought after the age of ten.

Cloudy started stealing and selling candy out of his locker while attending Fall Creek Valley Middle School in order to get what he wanted. That eventually turned into robbery and selling drugs. Cloudy played a variety of sports growing up. Taekwondo, Golf, Basketball, Baseball, Track, Cross country, Tennis, Swimming, and Soccer to name a few, but Football seemed to stick with him. He played in High school with a chance at a state championship until he got into a fistfight with one of his coaches and was caught smoking and selling marijuana on school grounds. When being expelled from multiple high schools became the norm, Cloudy dropped out in the tenth grade and received his G. E. D. while incarcerated at a program for troubled teens. He initially started taking music seriously around the age of 16, but after getting into some serious legal troubles and gaining many responsibilities, music was the last thing on his mind. His oldest son, Brayden Maddox Arnold’s birth on January 29th 2008, while Cloudy was serving time in a state penitentiary, changed his outlook on life. Or so he thought. Wanting to stick around to have the relationship with his son that he didn’t have with his father, Cloudy opened up a clothing store called Leonce once he was released from prison. When the store was shut down a couple years later, he went back to selling drugs from state-to-state and enforcing for fellow drug dealers and business men, which led him to be arrested on federal weapons charges. The case was later dismissed due to illegal search and seizure. After facing life in a federal penitentiary twice, Cloudy wanted again to change his ways. He moved from Indiana to start a new life in New Mexico with a long lost Haitian family member. This time around he was back to making music and doing shows. When unfortunate situations with that so called family member caused him to become homeless and living in his car, he went back to the only thing he knew would change his situation fast, selling drugs. Cloudy was sentenced to two years and six months of probation for an incident that caused him to be charged with one count of murder, three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing great bodily harm, and three counts of aggravated assault, after shooting four people who attempted to rob him of his drugs in an Olive Garden parking lot.

The murder charge was later dismissed due to lack of evidence and a plea deal was signed. Cloudy then left the street life for good in order to attend college at Central New Mexico Community College. He then invested in many different business ventures and stayed focused on his music career. Which eventually led him to sign with Tama Industries, whom he is currently signed with. After being signed for only six months Cloudy turned down a major record deal with Rick Ross label MMG and then opened his own record label (Organized Royalty) in 2017, which he is the founder/CEO of. The rest is Legendary History.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

Cloudy: I was born in the slums of Port au Prince, Haiti. After most my biological family was murdered I briefly spent some time in an Orphanage until I was adopted into America. I grew up in the rough city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Growing up I was exposed to all kinds of music and was always being dragged to orchestras and symphonies and plays and musicals and concerts which had a big impact on me. My dad would always show me the possibilities in life. You know that you don’t have to follow society’s normal guidelines in order to be happy and live the way you want. He would expose me to luxurious things and was always introducing me to celebrities. As a kid I took guitar and drum lessons and would always volunteer to be in school plays and talent shows in elementary. A local TV show saw me perform and invited me to introduce the weekend cartoons on their network, so I did that for awhile. Then in middle school one summer I auditioned to be a child model which didn’t go very well after awhile. I was always acting out and getting into trouble and Eventually music became more of an outlet for me than anything else.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Cloudy: Yea, in this game you’ve got to have money to make money in most cases. So spend that last dollar on your dreams. Cause if you don’t you might regret it one day. Do that show even though you’re not making money for it and hardly no one will be there. Talk to people, make connections, reach out to places you might think impossible. Submit your music to online radio stations and smaller stations. It’s exposure. You’d be surprised at how far communication can take you in this game. So my advice is to grow some nuts get out there n go get it

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Cloudy: Hell yea I make mistakes. Even the greats make mistakes. I remember when I was a kid I had the part in a play and I was playing a fisherman. In this particular scene I was fishing and the fish hook got stuck in my overalls but instead of panicking I played it off like the fish bit me. I remember another time when I was performing one of my songs I threw up. Had too much to drink lol but I shrugged it off like a champ and kept performing. I remember champ and kept performing. I remember I forgot my lyrics one time but I did Adlibs until I could remember em. Never let em see you sweat. The show must go on.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

Cloudy: I haven’t done a show in a little while and I’ve performed in many cities and states but I do have a 28 city tour coming up in the near future. I also have a show July 22nd in Killeen TX. It’s called the Above All Concerts show. But there was a time when I got caught cheating on a now exgirlfriend at a show. She showed up as I was making out with this girl backstage. That sucked because we were just about to get nasty and I would’ve loved to get up in that. She was sexy as hell

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

Cloudy: Well Im signed to a label (Tama Industries) and I own a record label too (Organized Royalty) so we’re teaming up and building a professional studio from the ground up. Brand new building and brand new equipment with an inhouse producer/engineer. Should be done in a few months. Any artist can purchase studio time from me too. We’re starting at $10 an hour with food, transportation, and hotel all covered

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Cloudy: Everything and anything in any way shape size or form I can get it. I promote my music when I’m grocery shopping. I promote my music when I’m on the toilet. I look for new ways to promote almost everyday. I look for new companies to help me promote almost every week. Promo is key. Promo is money