- What's good?
It's Tierra Whack.
She'd be saying Texas,
but I think her and Beyonce would be like Houston,
but then it's like...
I know random facts.
I know stuff like that.
- [Host] Do you know which Philly born battle rapper
received her first Grammy nomination in 2019
for best music video,
was part of XXL's 2019 Freshman Class
alongside Megan Thee Stallion,
toured with Lauren Hill,
featured on tracks with Lil Yachty,
Alicia Keys,
Willow Smith,
and on Beyonce's The Lion King: The Gift?
Props are due to Tierra Whack.
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Tierra Helena Whack was born in 1995
in North Philadelphia,
raised by a single mom with two younger siblings.
Growing up, Whack was a shy kid
who used writing to deal with her insecurities.
She latched on to Dr. Suess' books and poetry,
loving how the rhymes formed so much,
that she would rhyme in her homework,
even if the assignment didn't call for it.
In 2018, Tierra told Vice,
"I just loved the art of rhyming words.
"That was a way to release all the little weird,
crazy, stupid-ish I was so afraid to say out loud."
In high school,
Tierra went from reciting poems to her mother
to rapping and singing in the choir
of the art academy she attended.
During this time,
she adopted the moniker,
Dizzle Dizz.
At 15 years old,
Whack got an opportunity
that changed her life.
She and her mother
were driving around the streets of Philadelphia
and saw a group of men freestyling.
Aware of Tierra's talent and drive,
her mother encouraged her to join them.
Unbeknownst to her then,
the men were part of Philly's underground music group,
We Run The Streets.
A video of the cypher went viral,
gaining attention for Tierra,
and helping grow her confidence.
She started hanging at a local radio station
and spitting for heavy hitters,
including Meek Mill and ASAP Rocky,
who told her she had a flow
like the legendary Kendrick Lamar.
Despite gaining notoriety for her flows,
Tierra knew there was more.
In 2019, she told Dazed,
"I got bored just freestyling.
"The same thing for like a few years,
"writing a rap every day,
"for what?
"There wasn't any growth."
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Tierra and her family moved to Atlanta,
where she finished high school,
worked at a car wash
to save up for the equipment she needed to make music,
and wrote for two years.
In 2015, Tierra return to Philadelphia,
struggling to reacclimate to the city.
"I was homeless for three months when I came back,
"I lived out of storage
"and from friends and family's houses,
"because nobody really let me stay with them.
"It was rough."
she told Dazed.
Despite some challenges,
Tierra met her future manager,
and with the help from Kenete Simms,
she learned to mix her music.
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Life would change in 2017,
when Tierra signed with Interscope Records,
debuting as Tierra Whack.
The video for her first breakout single,
Mumbo Jumbo
received over 2 million views on YouTube,
despite most of the lyrics
being intentionally unintelligible.
Mumbo Jumbo earned Tierra her first Grammy nomination
for best music video in 2019.
2018 was a monumental year in Tierra's career,
Tierra's debut album,
Whack World released to critical acclaim.
Pitchfork labeled the album Best New Music,
while other critics loved its innovative format.
Each song was about one minute each
and accompanied by a short film.
Vice critics gave the album an A-minus.
Complex named it the 16th best album of 2018,
and Billboard listed it number 19
on its 50 Best Albums of the year.
Tierra was also tapped
to open for one of her musical muses,
Lauryn Hill,
during the Philly stop on the legend's,
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill World Tour 2018.
On Instagram, Tierra wrote,
"Never thought I'd be performing
"on the same stage as this woman."
2019 proved another big year for Tierra,
Tierra branded February #whackhistorymonth,
releasing one single for five weeks,
and was also included in XXL's Freshman Class
as an artist to watch.
She made history as one one of three women
inducted that year,
a first for the publication.
The wins continued with performances at Coachella,
Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits,
and more throughout 2019.
Lil Yachty tapped Tierra for a verse
on his track, T.D,
alongside Tyler, The Creator
and ASAP Rocky,
a full circle moment for her.
The song peaked at 54 on the Billboard Hot 100,
becoming her first entry on the chart.
Alicia Keys featured Tierra on her song,
Me x 7 for Alicia's seventh studio album in 2020.
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With a high level of creativity,
attention from fans,
and respect from her peers,
Tierra's star will continue to rise.
Whether rapping about Sesame Street,
the city she loves, Philadelphia,
or sharing a track
with some of the industry's hugest artists,
there's no doubt Tierra Whack
will continue to delight and surprise.
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