By Destiny Rodney ’22 News Reporter
Rap as a genre is constantly redefining itself and has been since the 1970s when American hip-hop culture was first established.
This year Tierra Whack, a rapper from Philadelphia has risen to fame since she debuted her first album Whack World. She has headlined the massive festival Lollapalooza and performed on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Her sudden ascent to stardom is heavily attributed to the unique rhythmic lull of her voice which contrasts the quick and quirky beats she raps over. “Only Child,” one of her most popular songs, embodies her unique style but also carries a poppy vibe. Her personality, blunt yet cordial, adds to her overall appeal. If one does not know her because of her music, then it is most likely because of her fashionable and bizarre outfits.
Whack World isa medley of hip hop and R&B with a unique whimsical and imaginative tone. Although her songs are seemingly light on a superficial level, the tracks on her album talk about Whack’s experience being bullied during school and the “emotional labor” that accompanied her troubles.
In her song “Bug’s Life,” she comments on her struggle for recognition
in the music industry saying, “Probably woulda blew overnight if I was
white.”
Tierra claims the song “Hungry Hippo,” which is the album’s top-seller, was inspired by Jay-Z and Pharrell William’s song “Change Clothes.” Tierra said, “I just thought of “Change Clothes” […]and it just came together.”
Each song also has an extremely distinct mood ranging from positive to sassy and somber to disturbed. Whack articulates her words in a unique way that gives a sharp and direct edge to her music.
Because each song is only a minute long, she created a music video to accompany each one as a visual representation of the album as a whole. Whack claims she is a visual learner, which motivated her to make the videos.