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With great sorrow, I say goodbye to my dear brother, friend, and number one promoter in Sierra Leone – Prince Willctc. It was 3 a.m. when I received the news that he had succumbed to the complications of a health condition that began only a month prior. Prince, who felt that he was wholesome and active on social media, coped with the sudden illness that was practically unfathomable. Unaware of what was happening, I received a call from his friend and Sierra Leonean music development colleague, Siltech. He notified me that Prince was gravely ailing. I turned to Prince, who confirmed that Siltech was right while expressing concerns about his chances of improvement.
At the time, I was on the verge of taking a long flight to India and could only encourage Prince to go to a hospital and get an official diagnosis. I intended to send money for his treatment and recovery. So I advised him on the steps to find out what was wrong and how that could be solved. 2019 has coupled long flights to Canada with the Caribbean and seen a slight resurgence in my music career. I also published two books this year. My trip to India concerned a new song I recorded for a cameo in a film. Now I’m far away from my family in the United States and split my time between Brussels, Toronto, and Berlin. Living in Brussels now, my lifestyle is not as relaxed as it used to be.
I must admit that since 2018, I’ve been a bit distracted from Sierra Leone. When I returned to Europe from India, Prince was bedridden as his health deteriorated quickly. I never met Prince, but his devotion and support for my talents touched me profoundly. Our alliance was effective on social media and WhatsApp. Our connection started ten years ago while I lived in Toronto, Canada. He messaged me on Facebook to introduce himself and let me know he liked my new album. He believed that my talents were underrated in Sierra Leone. Prince made it his mission to promote my records and books in Sierra Leone and did so diligently until the day he died.
One of the marvelous things he did was to name his son, Wilfred Freddy Will, after me. My name is Wilfred Kanu Jr., and my stage name is Freddy Will. The fascinating reality is that Will was Prince’s last name. As a result of Prince’s loyalty, I gave him the Chill Town Crew as his youth organization to lead. Unfortunately, when I traveled to Sierra Leone in 2017, he was in Tunisia, so we missed each other and never met. I would have loved to meet him in person. Prince was among the few Sierra Leoneans who supported and promoted my work and awards. May the Most High have mercy on his soul as he rests in paradise!!! I will never forget you, Prince Will!!! Your personality lives forever!!! RIP, Prince Will!!!
