RAP? POP? R&B?: EP TRILOGY REVIEW
Tierra Whack can best be described as an enigma. You never know where she’s going with her music. Sometimes you get absolute silence for two years, then you get a slew of weekly singles to generate some buzz, then back to total silence. 2020 saw some of Whack's best music in the form of Dora and Feel Good.
Coming as left field as ever were three separate EPs — Rap? Pop? R&B? — that all follow a similar theme and structure, but contain their own individual energy that makes each listening experience a positive one.
Each EP has its own different senses of individuality, bringing vastly different styles in production and song structure, but also showcasing Whack’s range and inspirations. Pop?’s "“Body Of Water” has a very 2000’s Andre 3000 rhyme flow with a beat that sounds straight from Stankonia with the “1,2..1,2” countdown to the sung chorus to match. This is a fun parallel to the closer on Rap?. The beat to “Millions” can be best compared to something from Kanye’s College Dropout era.
Pop? presents Tierra’s layered and innocent songwriting over instrumentals that are incredibly out of pocket. “Lazy” is a country rock-esque jangle that’s hatefully dedicated to a man too lazy for his own well-being and features some cheesy, yet brutally honest bars. “Went out to dinner / he made me pay the bill / He said he left his wallet then I said ew.” The closer on this project is somber and still incorporates the guitar instrumentals — but this one sounds more indie folk-inspired. Only a rapper like Tierra Whack can pull off. It’s the perfect segway into the closer.
R&B? is the closing entry of this fun little trilogy and of course is the most chill. Tracks like “Heaven” bring a hypnotic key that puts you in a trance — riding underneath one of Whacks most personal choruses to date. “Heaven has all my favorite people / I wanna go there and do a show there.” This level of grief continues on with the next two songs off the short project. While R&B? presents a cool and calm project to match its name, the presence of cool is woven into a more somber and vulnerable storytelling and subject matter.