There are many terrific teachers, administrators, and staff here at Millbrook, but one that stands out in particular is Mr. Williams, or as many know him, Rise Rashid. Mr. Williams came to Millbrook during the 2013 school year and has been here for six years. Over time, his responsibilities here have included anything from keeping students out of trouble to coaching sports all year long. He started off coaching Track and Field and the Freshman Basketball team, and now he assists with the Men’s Varsity Basketball team.

 While Mr. Williams’ contributions around the school are greatly appreciated, they are not the only things he does. Mr. Williams is a musical ICON. Going by the name Rise Rashid, Mr. Williams has been on his musical journey since his middle school years! His first album was released when he was only in high school, and he has created many more since. After that his first professional album, A Mic & A Dream, came out when he was only twenty-one while at the time he was hosting two popular radio shows. With this album started his fame, and helped his musical career become a reality. This brought him a tour along the East Coast, many interviews, and professional performances. Assistant Principal Ms. Overdiep described Mr. Williams as “the Pied Piper of Millbrook.”

 Rise Rashid’s most popular album was released in 2013, The Microphone Series. Each year on his birthday, which is January 24, he releases an album under the series. In this series, Rise titles albums after the names of his icons. Instead of just being the name of his favorite artists, he replaces their first name with the word “Microphone.” This led to albums with the names of “Microphone X,” “Microphone Ali,” “Microphone Jackson,” and “Microphone Marley.” Mr. Williams has done so well in his music career, and now all of his music can be found on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Google Play, YouTube, and on his very own website: Riserashidofficial.com.

 Mr. Williams has made a huge impact on Millbrook and has even included the school in his music! “In 2015 the Maniacs requested a song for a competition against other student sections, and I wrote “Growl Back” as a tribute to our sports programs. Prior to that, I made two songs specifically for the Men’s Basketball Teams and one for the Varsity Football team in their 2014-2015 season,” said Mr. Williams. This summer, Rise will be touring with people like Lil Durk, Meagan Good, Rick Ross, and Cardi B! All of this and more, shows why Mr. Williams deserves a tribute!