Alan “Wyld Money” Archer is the latest in the long
stream of Hip Hop phenoms to hail from the so-called “Southern Cities” of Virginia more widely known as the Tide
Water area. Born in the early 80’s to a music teacher mother, Alan was
a rambunctious child earning him the moniker “Wild Child” from family and friends.
Aside, from his penchant for mischief, Wyld developed a keen interest in his mother’s passion for music and learned
to read sheet music as well as play several instruments including the piano. The instrument that he most preferred though
was the drums, and Wyld’s innate sense of rhythm and timing advanced simultaneously with his drum playing. Both would
come to serve him well in his future profession.
Not long before Wyld’s
entry to Tallwood H.S. in Virginia Beach, the immensely successful producer Teddy Riley, at the height of his New Jack swing
fame set up shop in Virginia Beach bringing about a musical explosion in the Southern Cities. The influx of A list talent
to Teddy’s studio in Va. Beach captured the imagination of the locals and ignited a wave of musical creativity in the
area. Among those caught up in Teddy’s musical rapture was Missy Elliot,
Timbaland, Magoo, Pharell and many more. Not to be left out, Wyld also caught
the industry bug and sought to exploit his musical skill and background in a production capacity but purchasing high-end midi-equipment
proved quite expensive and like many young men in the early 90’s he turned to the streets.
With supplemental income
from his blossoming street hustle “Wild Child” morphed into Wyld Money, as he became known among his peers. Attending
the same school as Wyld was Lorenzo “Nittiman” Nichols, son of infamous Queens, NY crime boss, Lorenzo “Fat
Cat” Nichols. The two became fast friends with a shared interest in taking the music industry by storm and formed a
production company called Crown Life Entertainment, the namesake of The Seven Crowns street gang Nittiman’s father belonged
to as a kid. With music in his blood and the ability to play instruments, Wlyd naturally assumed the position of producer.
The crew received stiff competition from a rival group headed by fellow classmate and producer Nate “DanjaHandz”
Hills. The competing producers maintained a fierce but civil rivalry that was brought to an end by a life-altering event.
Senior year, Tallwood
High, Virginia Beach, Wyld Money sits in class preparing to take a final exam when suddenly several well dressed men enter
and arrest him right in the classroom. Incarcerated and facing federal time for a small role in a drug conspiracy Wyld still
maintained his musical aspirations. From prison he contacted former rival producer DanjaHandz to make sure Crown Life could
carry on musically in his absence. Danja’s eagerness to assist in whichever way he could impressed Wyld and consequently
the two forged a close friendship during this period. Luckily for Wyld the case
against him was weak and he ended up spending little more than one year in federal prison. Upon his release, he resumed his
musical ambitions but from a completely different perspective.
Now with DanjaHandz supplying
the necessary production for Crown Life Wyld decided to study engineering as a means to get the crew cheap studio time and
save money. He graduated quickly and was hired as an engineer at Teddy Riley’s studio in Virginia Beach. The job lasted
all of one day once Teddy instructed Wyld to perform some menial duties. In hindsight, Wyld says he now knows Teddy did nothing
wrong but it was still that “street” in him that made him take offense and quit on the spot. From that experience
he reinvented himself yet again and decided to pick up the microphone. With an intricate knowledge of music and rhythm Wyld
easily mastered beats from the most primal, heavily layered percussions to the more complex compositions, making him a favorite
with producers yearning to test their creative limits. No one appreciated this skill more than Danja Handz and that appreciation
went both ways because from Wyld’s perspective most producers are beat makers but Danja is a musician. Tracks that major
artist would want but couldn’t deal with Wyld would easily flow over. A
consistent ability to meet the challenges no other artist could or would is what makes Wyld Money the next to blow. That type
of versatility is a forgotten trait among the current crop of rappers who Wyld jokingly refers to as “Swagger Jackers.”
Today, the crew that
started in Tallwood High School back in the 90’s are still working together and planning their takeover. Danjahandz
has become an accomplished producer in his own right. Crown Life is successfully growing and expanding into all facets of
entertainment and Wyld Money has been patiently honing his craft - waiting for the right time to strike. Like a long awaited
breath of fresh air his time has finally come!
