Q&A With Portland’s Very Own Rising Hip Hop Artist, Whysir

Whysir, how is the Hip Hop scene in Portland right now? What separates you from the pack in your own words?

The Portland Hip Hop scene is bustling right now with talent that mainstream hip hop honestly isn’t ready for. Pretty soon people are gonna come from all over the place to be a part of the scene here. It’s kind of already happening. I’m from Utah originally but have been out here since the end of 2014 and the growth has been insane!!! I don’t think that I could be the artist that I am at the levels and frequency that I’m working and performing, and on the subject matter I work on, in any other place; to be honest.

How did you come up with your name?

I mean, I’ve always been that “techy” or “nerdy” guy who everyone asks to troubleshoot electronics for, but it really comes from back when I used to rap with Ghost Cr3w (SHOUT OUT!) in SLC before I was uprooted and moved to Portland, I used to kind of harp on this concept of seeing between the lines; kind of like the opposite of being “none the wiser”, but reversed.

So, at first I was gonna go by “one the wiser”, but that just sounded too convoluted from the get go, so it got shortened to “wiser”, and then when I started to do more politically charged lyrics I switched up the spelling to “Whysir”, like a polite question to an authority figure. Lol, I guess I’m not the worlds most polite person, but the name stuck so here we are. Idk.

How long have you been rapping? Are you part of a collective, or a solo artist?

I’m one of those rappers who has kind of always known I could rap but I honestly didn’t get into rapping over spoken word poetry till probably 2012 or 2013 when I started to pick up production. Before that I used to just do spoken word poems at coffee shops.

I’m actually a part of a couple of collectives in Portland, but my most recent venture has been this solo album. I belong to a group with rappers [E]mpress and Kool Chief Rocker called Figmnt as well as being half of the production duo The Techromancers along with Galloping Strider. (Projects are on the horizon for all the names mentioned above so keep your radars dialed.)

Who are some of your influences in Hip Hop?

I am influenced most heavily instrumentally by more trippy sounding artists like El-p or old Kid Cudi stuff, and lyrically I take a lot of queues from artists that focus on intricacy and emotion like Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar. I’m honestly influenced by a lot of different types of artists and actually love that part of hip hop is that no two artists sound the same, or are hitting it from quite the same angle. It’s amazing.

Congrats on the success of your new album “The Multiversal Adventures of Whysir: Journey Through The Hallways of Always”. In a few sentences, describe the creative process of the album.

Thank you so much! It’s been a turmoiltuous process of accepting loss while moving toward experience gained. I have learned to not force my writing process and instead wait to feel inspired or seek inspiration externally to fuel my creativity. I would skateboard around the city often and just absorb the vibe and wait. From there it’s just a matter of having tools like a phone or computer at my disposal to elaborate on what ever I felt inspired or compelled by. The hardest part has been learning that quality art cannot be forced and instead has to be provoked.

Who did the production on the project? Who is featured on the project?

I made all the beats and did production from my home studio in SE Portland including all recording, mixing, and mastering of the project. The artists featured on the project beyond myself are: Queue (Rockford, IL), [E]mpress (Portland, OR), After Schock (Mobile, AL), and Galloping Strider (Portland, OR). I picked the features based on content delivered and how it matched the messaging I was going for on the album and I couldn’t be more pleased with how well each emcee delivered! (Everyone should go find the above artists on social media and give them some love!)
I should also mention that the cover art was done by the incomparable Vincent Kukua as well. The project is really keystoned around the cover art and the universe it shows to the audience, so shout to Vincent for making me look good!

Any new projects in the works for the future?

Right now a lot of my energy is going toward promoting my new album but I am still in the studio regularly working on multiple projects with artists here in Portland. I’d say anyone who likes what I do should keep dialed in; because there is a lot that’s still yet to come!

Your definition of underground hip hop?

Underground hip hop to me is the hip hop that can’t help but exist even if the world isn’t ready for it. Sometimes underground artists go big but that’s never why they are doing it. I’d say most underground rappers can’t help but rap and that’s why they don’t care what a potential audience may think of them; most especially a mainstream audience.

Where can new fans find your music?

My newest album along with my old mixtapes are available on all popular streaming platforms and my album can be streamed for free or purchased for download over at hallwaysofalways.com

Lastly, any shout outs?

I wanna shout out the whole Portland hip hop community for taking me in and showing me what it means to be an artist and activist in 2019; this scene has teeth and I love it.

I also wanna shout out everyone back in Utah who has believed in me from day one and helped me to get to where I am now: No matter how small the gesture; it’s meant something to me and if I can ever find a way to pay you back I will.

I would be a fool if didn’t shout out my beautiful and ever supporting partner, Dani. She has tolerated so much of the rap life bullshit that wouldn’t even be in her atmosphere if she wasn’t hanging around with me, and her love and care has been both healing and awakening to my spirit. I couldn’t have done it without you sweetheart and I am looking forward to more adventures on the horizon!

Lastly, thank you SO MUCH to UGHHBLOG for this interview, and for posting and reviewing my album, and just for being an amazing publication for underground rappers and hip hop lovers!