Angel Haze

Raykeea Raeen-Roes Wilson, known professionally as ROES and formerly as Angel Haze, is an American rapper and singer born on July 10, 1991. Wilson is best known for their personal lyricism, critical acclaim within hip-hop, and open discussions surrounding identity, social issues, and mental health.

Wilson was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a military family. Their mother is of Cherokee descent, and their father, who died from a gunshot wound before Wilson was born, was African American. Wilson also has Blackfoot and Creole ancestry. During early childhood, Wilson's mother moved into the home of a preacher in the Greater Apostolic Faith, entering an environment Wilson describes as a cult. Raised in this strict community, Wilson experienced isolation, domestic violence, manipulation, and childhood sexual abuse.

After a pastor threatened Wilson's mother, the family left the church and moved to Brooklyn, New York, when Wilson was 15 years old. Due to frequent moves and time spent living in a shelter, Wilson struggled to make connections and alternated between homeschooling and public school, eventually finishing high school a year early. Wilson turned to writing as therapy, publishing a poem at age 13 after winning a school competition. By age 18, Wilson began posting freestyle raps on YouTube and sharing music online through platforms like Tumblr to build an audience.

Between 2009 and 2012, Wilson released several free mixtapes, including New Moon, Altered Ego, King, and Voice. In July 2012, Wilson achieved a critical breakthrough with the mixtape Reservation, named in homage to their Cherokee heritage. The release received an 88 out of 100 score on Metacritic and earned Wilson a nomination for the BBC Sound of 2013 poll. Later in 2012, Wilson released the mixtape Classick, which included "Cleaning Out My Closet," a song addressing their childhood assault.

Wilson subsequently signed with Universal Republic Records before transitioning to Republic Records. In August 2013, they released "Echelon (It's My Way)" as the lead single for their debut studio album. Following an internet leak, the album, Dirty Gold, was officially released early on December 30, 2013, through Island Records and Republic Records. The album earned positive reviews and featured the singles "Echelon (It's My Way)" and "Battle Cry."

In September 2015, Wilson released the mixtape Back to the Woods, followed by the single "Resurrection" in March 2017. Inspired by artists such as Eminem, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne, Wilson's music explores themes of racism, homophobia, rape culture, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anorexia, aiming to connect with listeners experiencing dark places.

Wilson identifies as pansexual, agender, and two-spirit, and uses they/them pronouns. In addition to music, Wilson has discussed their personal experiences through projects such as a cover of Macklemore's "Same Love" and launched a body image initiative titled "The Naked Eye" in 2015. Wilson is also self-taught in the Cherokee language.