Merlyn Wood

Merlyn Wood, born William Anku Kraka Mawuli Andoh Wood Jr. in Accra on 1 May 1996, is a Ghanaian-American rapper and songwriter best known as a member of the hip hop collective Brockhampton, which released eight studio albums between 2014 and 2022. His high-energy verses and Ghanaian accent made him the group's hype man.

Early life

He was raised in Austin, Texas. In seventh grade his parents sent him to boarding school in Ghana, where he fell in love with music. Back in Texas he met future bandmates Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Ameer Vann and Joba at The Woodlands High School. He twice dropped out of an architecture degree at the University of Texas before moving to Los Angeles with the group. His stage name comes from Merlin, the wizard he admired for succeeding despite his eccentricity.

Brockhampton

He joined AliveSinceForever in 2012 and stayed when it became Brockhampton. He was central to the acclaimed 2017 Saturation trilogy, and the group's 2018 album Iridescence debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Ginger (2019) and Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (2021) followed, and the group ended with The Family and TM in November 2022.

Solo work

He released S.Y.K. and Green Light with producer Connie, his debut solo EP Dirty Thunder in October 2023, and Slime In The Ice Machine, a joint album with Ameer Vann, later that month.