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Honoring and recognizing lifelong Philadelphian and Central High School and Temple University alum, Will Yip, as the first Asian American and second Philadelphian producer to win the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, and for his outstanding work as an audio engineer and record producer in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Will Yip grew up in Northeast Philly and graduated from Central High School where he recalled being heavily influenced by cassette tapes of Dr. Dre and Nirvana, which he said opened his eyes to the "grungier" side of music; and
WHEREAS, As a teenager, Yip started recording his friends’ bands-one of which is Philly’s hardcore quartet, Blacklisted in his mom’s basement in Northeast Philly. He also helped at a nearby studio, making a few bucks an hour, watching and learning as much as possible; and
WHEREAS, At 19-years-old, Yip studied recording at Temple University's Klein College of Media and Communication, where he improved his skills under the mentorship of Grammy Award-winning producer and adjunct professor Phil Nicolo, who owns the acclaimed Studio 4, and which he later became co-owner, in Conshohocken; and
WHEREAS, Since then, he has become a sought-after collaborator of acclaimed bands, including Pennsylvania’s Title Fight and Baltimore’s Turnstile. He recorded Turnstile’s breakthrough album, NEVER ENOUGH, which earned him his first Grammy Award this year; and
WHEREAS, Yip has also become one of the busiest producer-engineers in the music business and is ranked by Muso, the music industry website that tracks creator credits, as the 88th most active producer of all-time with 37,116 credits, including Menzingers, Title Fight, and Balance and Composure; and
WHEREAS, Yip’s passion and commitment to create music is beyond chasing a paycheck or prestige, but rather rooted in the desire to build a space of positivity, mutual respect, and creativity for artists, a vision that led to the opening of his new recording space, Memory Music Studio in South Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Yip attributed his work and success to his home, Philadelphia, saying, “Philly is the capital for indie rock in the world. I will stand by that... Philly has given me so much, and I want to give something back and leave it better than when I found it;” now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and recognizes lifelong Philadelphian and Central High School and Temple University alum, Will Yip as the first Asian American and second Philadelphian producer to win the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and for his outstanding work as an audio engineer and
record producer.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Will Yip as evidence of the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
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