GRUNGECAKE TEAM
Tierra Whack joins Nadeska Alexis on R&B Now Radio to talk her new project, ‘World Wide Whack’.
The Philadelphia-native reflects on being back in her eighth grade classroom, and how she’s gotten from there to where she is now. In a wide-ranging conversation the two discuss Tierra’s pride in the album, she says, “It’s great because I have something that I’m proud of. I got something to show. For a while I didn’t. I didn’t have anything to show, and it’s like, “Oh, this person wants to do this interview… Why? I don’t have anything good to say. I don’t have anything to talk about. But now we have something to talk about.”
The two also talk about overcoming anxiety, Tierra’s excitement about getting back on the stage and performing for fans and much more.
Tierra Whack on what it feels like to be back in her 8th grade classroom
It’s scary because I couldn’t see this far, back then, but to have come this far and then be back here is just like a mind… I’m like, I just can’t believe it. It’s honestly breathtaking almost, I just can’t believe it. I was just a kid, I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know I would really become who I am, but stuck to it.
On how it feels to have her new project, “Worldwide Whack” out in the world
I think it’s God’s time. Everything just, eventually it all aligns, but you just got to put in the work, stay persistent and always have faith. Never lose that faith, even in the toughest times you just got to be willing to push because it’s all really a test at the end of the day. Do you really want what you say you want? So many ups and downs, life itself. It is not all bad, it is good too, but you got to go through the storm to experience the sun. I am always reminding myself of that, to keep going.
For so long, I was trying to get the feeling from 27 Club, I was trying to get that feeling and I couldn’t capture it in the way I wanted to, to my satisfaction, but once I got it, I knew and I was like, okay, we got it, finally. I knew the project was missing something, and that was one of the last songs that I did to say, okay, yeah, the album is ready.
On the album in general
Nadeska: There’s a lot to process on this album, really, really as you are sharing your heart with us and we get that feeling of, it’s like people are rooting for you and then you’re growing and becoming this wonderful artist, and then it feels like things take a negative turn. You are saying they are upset because I’m a threat. How have you navigated those things behind the scenes?
Tierra Whack: I’m here in school right now. I remember a lot of my incidents I had, kids would just be mean, and I’m just minding my business just being me, we had uniform, but I’m wearing my bright colours and everything and just doing what makes me feel cool, and people were bothered by that at a young age. I’d go to my counsellor, like, “What did I do to them?” She’s like, “You just have a glow in you.” Wow, I just don’t understand. It is people’s own insecurities being projected on to you, to me. I would let it affect me for a while, but I just had to learn, like, okay, you’re just mad because you’re not okay with yourself, but I’m okay with myself, I’m having fun with this, I’m confident, not always, but I act confident and then I trick myself into believing like, oh, you got it, and then eventually it feels right.
On performing this new music for fans and giving Busta Rhymes his flowers
I want to see how this new music is going to perform. Performing is top three for me. I love to perform and just act the fool. I was studying Busta Rhymes videos for so long. He’s like one of the best performers. People sleep on Busta, he’s number one, energy, he can flip a crowd upside down. We just met not too long ago and he’s everything, he’s so sweet. I know his son a little bit, we talk here and there and I’m like, “Yo, is your dad in there?” He’s like, “Yeah, you want to go?” I said, “But I can’t.” We knock on the door, and I said, he just got off-stage though, so just let me know when he is… Because I know how it is, when you get off.
It’s crazy, people don’t think about that. As soon as the artist gets off-stage, after doing an hour and everybody wants to run in, I’m like, let me catch my breath, like, geez, but it’s a part of the job. I go in the dressing room… I put the video up not too long ago. I just was trying to give him his praise and he was like, shut up. I was like, all right. He just gave me all my flowers and I was like, I had to call my mom. I don’t usually call my mom for everything. I do, but just personal. I would’ve just told her the story, but I was like, I got to call my mom, because she is the reason that I’m a Busta stan.
Reflecting back on her previous decision to quit music
Nadeska: You scared us for a minute. In 2021, you told us for a second with no context whatsoever, I’m done, I’m quitting music, I’m out of here, and we’re like, Tierra, like what? What’s happening? Thankfully you didn’t, you did drop the EPs after that, and here we are with the album, but what was happening at that time, you just still weren’t happy with the music you were making?
Tierra Whack: Yeah, just was a lot of life. Real life was going on and I was just like, I asked for this one thing, but I didn’t know it came with all this extra and it just became too much. But this is truly what I was put on this earth to do and I’m just not going to be crying and complaining about something that I asked for. I’m way more grateful and just more willing to learn and just take it on.
On dealing with anxiety
Nadeska: I think it’s on NUMB. You were talking about feeling anxiety, not new feelings, things you felt before, and I believe towards the end you posed a question, maybe it’s, what could I have done different?
Tierra Whack: I still battle with anxiety every day. My thoughts, they get the best of me sometimes. I just psych myself out. I’m just like, I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can do this. My mom is the one, she drills it into me, what? You are everything, and I’m like, mom, somebody is paying you to say that. I mean, you’re my mom, you’re supposed to say that. But no, my mom is like, she’s never been wrong. That’s what I always remember. She’s never been wrong from the start.
Her telling me to get out the car, you need to rap to those guys. I’m like, what? What are you talking about? I remember I had a bad day, I don’t know what happened, but I was just tired. I think we had a bunch of projects and stuff, and she picked me up from school and then we were going to my grandma’s house, and I just was literally like, will climb back in the seat, and she’s like, come on, just go. I was like, oh. We pulled up and she’s like, what’s going on? I sat up, but then I tried to act like I didn’t really care, but I was curious. She’s like, you should get out and rap. I was like, what? She’s like, I’m going drive around the block and you’re going to get out. It was like, you should, and it’s like, no, you’re going to do it. I was like, all right, and then I did it, and then that’s the moment my life changed.
Shout out to mom. That’s why I say her name in every interview. Mom, mom, mom. I’m going to say something. I wasn’t sure if I was… I’m going to say it though because I’m here. Next door, Uzi also went here too.
On getting back into the studio for this project
Yeah, but you can think you’re ready, but the invisible man will be like, no, not yet, got to put you through the ringer. I can’t force it and I can’t have everything when I want it. I have to be patient. Patience is key. They were saying that when I was here, sixth and seventh grade, and I’m like, what is it? Forget patience. No, patience is everything. Like I said, while simultaneously putting in the work. You can’t just sit around and wait, you have to be constantly growing in every way, perfecting your craft, strengthening your muscles in every area to become who you really want to be.
I had Alex Da Corte who’s one of my best friends, he’s an amazing artist himself, and we worked together. He helped me do the trilogy and all the visuals. He thinks bigger than me, but he’s just on a different scale, but it was just so amazing to work with somebody who just thinks just outside the box. With him, it’s no limits, we had a blast. It’s still things that we wanted to do, but we made it work and we’re satisfied, but it’s only going to go up and up and up.
On her previous rap name, Dizzle Dizz and who came up with the name
Nadeska Alexis: I mean, yeah, I was joking with you outside about Dizzle Dizz. This was like her early Rap.
Tierra Whack: This is where I was named Dizzle Dizz.
Nadeska: Who came up with that name?
Tierra Whack: One of my friends. Snoop Dogg was like, I mean he’s still the OG, but fo shizzle my nizzle, and he was like T-Dizzle, and I was like, “Alright, let’s go with that, and I felt so cool.”
Nadeska Alexis: But every time I mention it now, you just give me one of these.
Tierra Whack: Stop, but I was so proud. I wrote it on all my notebooks, because it feels good to be given a name by your friends.
