Tierra Whack | still from video
Take a trip through Tierra Whack’s surreal visual album Whack World
On Wednesday, Philly hip-hop artist Tierra Whack introduced her surreal visual album, Whack World. Whack combines the attitude of Missy Elliot with the sultry synth beats of Blood Orange, but ultimately curates a unique persona that separates her from predecessors.
The album is a compact fifteen minute set, every song running a minute each. In it, Whack guides the viewer through the carnivalesque spheres of her universe. The cartoonish settings morph into a nail salon, veterinarian office, Chinese takeout joint, pet cemetery, and a living room trashed with the remnants of a child’s birthday party. With each changing scenario, Whack shifts through moods with correlating colors and outfits to match.
In “Dr. Suess,” Whack sits in a paper house, limbs sprouting from the windows like Alice in Wonderland. The somber “4 Wings” is aesthetically serene, lit in the blue and red of 3-D glasses, the chorus an ode to classic Philly junk food. “Sore Loser” finds her lying in a glittering coffin in a pinstripe suit, disco lights playing across her face. This project is eccentric and playful, artfully comedic. Already making a splash on the hip-hop scene at age 23, Whack is essential to keep on your radar.
Check out her visual album here below, and catch Tierra Whack at The Roots Picnic at Festival Pier on Saturday, June 2nd. Tickets and information can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar.