On the evening of November 9th, at the Bam Harvey Theater in Downtown Brooklyn. Andscape a Black run production company and Hulu partnered with Tierra Whack to premier her debut film Cypher. The atmosphere exuded a Black essence, the vibe was real and the partners understood what it meant to honor Black creativity.
Tierra Whack came of age at a time when people were forming their musical identities and wanted to understand who and what they could be through the lives of the artists they listened to. Tierra’s impact was felt with her 2018 release, Whack World, a concise yet powerful album that defied expectations. From her lyrics to her videos, Tierra infused her music, art, and personality into a cohesive project. Uncompromising, whacky, unique, and native to North Philly. Tierra shows up as an authentic version of herself with the people who believe in her music. It’s giving Whack World or nothing.
Being intentional as an artist is challenging when the music industry and the market make you think that you have to compromise your artistry to sell records. Tierra has always been the antithesis of that resistance, whether it was a young 15-year-old jumping into a male-dominated cypher or creating content during the Covid lockdown. Tierra has always been herself. People want to see that in artists, their humaness.
Her punchy lines are fresh and quirky creating dialogue between listener and artist. Without veering into excess, she balances her words wisely making use of symbols in everyday life to tell a story. On the carpet we got a chance to speak with the Philly artist and ask her about where she see’s herself going in the future and her inspiration behind the project.
We also spoke with writer and film director Chris Moukarbel ( HBO’s Wig, Netflix’s Gaga: Five Foot Two) about his process shooting and directing Cypher as well as the challenges of making a film under covid restrictions.
People watching the film should expect it to be unpredictable. If you know anything about Tierra it’s always a new experience. Having worked on a film outside of a music video Tierra feels comfortable sharing her pursuits of working on more similar projects. The film gave Tierra an opportunity to prepare for the next big thing. Following the release of her single Chanel Pit on November 7, the 2024 album release comes at the perfect time. For Whack fans, who’ve been following her career this is a big deal for the artist. A lot can happen in 6 years and the music is what sets the tone for the next chapter. It’ll be a moment for the Philly native to reestablish her roots and show off her skills.
Photo courtesy of Andscape
Cypher airs on Hulu November 24
