Texan Interscope signee Wash (b. Ronald Washington Jr.) is planning on sweeping up the charts with his new single “Can’t Trust Thots,” featuring French Montana, but don’t count him out as just a one-hit wonder, who can only churn out catchy club tunes; Wash is a certified musician who can play the piano, drums and saxophone by ear, which he attributes to his gospel roots. With a hearty musical foundation (which also includes an older sister who played keyboards for Beyoncé), big things are expected, and with a name like "Wash," you better be able to clean up!
Is Wash the next to blow? You be the judge after you peep our interview below:
How did you get the name “Wash”?
I used to play basketball, and because Washington is such a long name, he took it upon himself to call me Wash and it really stuck. I got a few nicknames, but Wash stood out the most.
Is basketball your favorite sport?
I love basketball, but I’m a fan of football, too.
Tell us about your upbringing in Port Arthur, TX.
Living in Port Arthur, it was really interesting as far as the way things run and people’s mindsets are, because I come from a city where people don’t make it out. You got three options: you can work in the refinery, you in community college or you’re in jail. Luckily for me, I was blessed enough to get a job at the refinery, which is very dangerous. It consists of you climbing like, 50 ft. in the air. They make you sign papers in case, God forbid, you die or something crazy happens, which, I almost lost my life more than a few times, but it definitely made me grateful of what I have now as far as meeting up with my writer and producer Chef Tone and my manager Bobby Fisher. It makes you very aware of how fast things can be taken away from you and how fast things can change if you really block yourself off from the negativity, so I’m grateful for growing up in Port Arthur; it’s a very rugged city. I feel like it made me who I am, and be the man I’m destined to be.
How did music come into your life as a kid?
Music came into my life when I was born. I remember listening to music with my parents, both were pastors so I grew up in the church. Even though they were pastors, they listened to a lot of old school music. When I was a kid, I thought a lot of those songs were current because that’s all I would hear. So when I would hear Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker, Sade, I thought they were on the radio, right then and there, I thought they were new artists. But all my family members are musically inclined; my second oldest sister, she was the keyboardist for Beyonce, my oldest sister sings background on X-Factor and my father sings, mother sings, write songs. So we would be up 3 o’clock in the morning; everybody doing something musical, whether it’s playing the piano, singing, so that’s the type of house I grew up in.
How did you come to learn three musical instruments (piano, drums and saxophone)?
Well, being a pastor’s kid you gon’ learn to do SOMETHIN’ in church, they gon’ make you do SOMETHIN’! I started playing the drums when I was 5, then when my sister got the gig with Beyonce we needed a church musician, so I went on YouTube and taught myself how to play the piano. Then I started playing the saxophone when I was 12. And being inspired by different artists I picked up a little of the guitar, too. I play a little harmonica.
So you play by ear?
Yeah, I’m now developing the patience to go learn notes, which I know a little bit, but I just go by feeling.
