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Tierra Whack’s new song “Unemployed” was co-written with her mom

Tierra Whack | photo by John Vettese for WXPN

One of my favorite parts of seeing Tierra Whack at last year’s Roots Picnic was the moment she got the crowd to chant “HEY MAMA WHACK” for her mother, who was watching the set from backstage. It’s always great to see that, much as an artist might be at the center of the zeitgeist, much as they may have captured the attention and imagination of fans and tastemakers alike, they’re still a real person with real roots, and they’ve still got time for family. And it continues nearly a year later. Continue reading →

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Tierra Whack continues #WhackHistoryMonth with the L.A. dystopia “Wasteland”

Tierra Whack | photo by John Vettese for WXPN

New music has been beaming on the regular from the ridiculously creative mind of Philly rapper Tierra Whack. Since mid-February, she’s released several singles under the #WhackHistoryMonth banner, and the latest single — called “Wasteland” — finds Whack on the west coast, ruminating on her surroundings in a serious of free-associative bars. The beat moves at a mellow pace, while Whack’s bars unfurl at double-time, creating a unique low/high energy as she catalogs various observations on L.A. existence.
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Watch Tierra Whack perform “Only Child” and “Hungry Hippo” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, listen to her new single “Gloria”

Tierra Whack | still from video

“1…2…3…Whack!”

On Monday night, rising hip-hop star and Philly’s own Tierra Whack performed two singles on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Whack is known for her imaginative aesthetic and short but powerful singles. Her debut album, Whack World, was made up of fifteen songs in fifteen minutes. You heard that right. Each song is a mere one-minute long but don’t let their brevity fool you. They are dense songs that are as clever as they are short.

For her Kimmel performance, Whack wore a fire-engine red two piece adorned with stuffed animals and a pair of graphic eyeball earrings. Continue reading →

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Tierra Whack launches #WhackHistoryMonth with “Only Child” and “CLONES”

Tierra Whack | photo by Senia Lopez | senialopez.photography

If you’ve been craving new Tierra Whack tunes in the months since her debut album Whack World was released, you’re in luck — the Philly singer and rapper is two weeks into her current project, which sees her releasing a brand new track each week accompanied by the hashtag #whackhistorymonth. Whack shared the first song in the series, the deep and melodic “Only Child” last week, and followed it up this week the more rap-heavy “CLONES,” where she shouts out that she was “born and raised in Philly.” Listen to both tracks below. Continue reading →

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From Dizzle Dizz to Whack World: A beginner’s guide to Tierra Whack

Tierra Whack in her Dizzle Dizz days | still from video

When her stunning 15-minute visual album Whack World was released earlier this year, the world took notice of Tierra Whack. The Philly-born 20 something effortlessly blends traditional songwriting chops with Eminem’s syllable-bending technical prowess and Missy Elliot’s bizarre surrealist aesthetic. Despite what some may think, Tierra did not appear out of nowhere. Since 2012, she had been making a name and building her skills in Philly’s underground rap scene. We’ve compiled a beginner’s guide to one of the music world’s brightest creative lights. Continue reading →

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M.I.A., Busta Rhymes, Tierra Whack and more will join Lauryn Hill at Festival Pier next month

Busta Rhymes | photo by John Vettese for WXPN // M.I.A. | still from video // Tierra Whack | photo by John Vettese for WXPN

When iconic singer/rapper Ms. Lauryn Hill announced her upcoming tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of her debut solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, it seemed too good to be true. She’ll be playing the classic album in full, but if that isn’t reason enough to attend, we now know the opening acts for the Philly stop on the tour, happening at Festival Pier on July 13.

Two well-loved and long-running rappers are lined up for the show — Busta Rhymes, who recently appeared at the Firefly Music Festival for the second consecutive year, and M.I.A., whose last album was 2016’s AIM. Also in the mix is reggae artist Jo Mersa Marley (who just happens to be the grandson of Bob Marley). But perhaps the most exciting part of this announcement is the addition of a local act — Philly-based hip hop artist Tierra Whack. She released a new visual album, Whack World, last month, and recently appeared at Roots Picnic and Firefly. Continue reading →