Dr. William E. Smith (W.E.S.) is an author/musician/producer/educator. He has recorded and/or performed with many notable artists: Hezekiah Walker, Fred Hammond, James Moody, Donald Byrd, Cynda Williams, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Wayna, Mike Phillips, Aster Aweke, Gigi. He has released five albums with his jazz group The W.E.S. Group and five albums as a solo artist W.E.S. He continues to produce and record music for other artists as well and creates music for TV and film. He is a published author (Hip Hop as Performance and Ritual) and an assistant professor of music in music technology at Bowie State University and also teaches classes at Howard University. He has shared the stage with DMC (Run DMC), McCoy Tyner, Gary Thomas, Ravi Coltrane, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mike Phillips, Cassandra Wilson, Wynton Marsalis