Rapper Tierra Whack talks bright colours, Prince and Tokyo's futuristic style - - Mixmag

Rapper Tierra Whack talks bright colours, Prince and Tokyo's futuristic style

The 'Whack World' artist is up next in Steeze

  • Interview: Sean Griffiths | Photos: Joe Plimmer at the Cereal Killer Cafe
  • 28 June 2019

This jacket’s by Walter Van Beirendonck. He’s a designer from Belgium who designed the costumes for U2’s PopMart tour in the 90s and uses a lot of really bright colours. I like this jacket because orange is my favourite colour. The check on it is dope, too! And I like the cut-out. I like stuff that’s traditional with one out-there element.

My mom always dressed me in bright colours and said they looked good against my skin tone, but kids are rough and they’d say, “Why you wearing bright colours all the time? You’re too dark for that!”

Tokyo has the most stylish people. Everyone looks so futuristic – we need to be more like them. Even if they’re just walking to the store the Japanese have the most fly gear on.

I’ve just started working with the stylist Shirley Kurata – she’s amazing! I’ve wanted to work with her for ages. She’s done stuff with Pharrell; her outfits are loud, with crazy colours. Weirdly, I was just on a plane and she was on the cover of the in-flight magazine.

I’ve got long braids at the moment as they’re really easy to travel with and are versatile. Some of my other hairstyles wouldn’t make it out here intact!

My sneakers are Asics. Coming up in Philadelphia I’d wear Asics a lot. These have two of my favourite colours on them. I have over 200 pairs but I’m not a sneaker-head. I’m not good at knowing all the names; it’s the colour that jumps out at me. I don’t have a favourite brand. I love Y-3, I love Adidas, I love Nike.

These yellow earrings match my yellow sneakers. I like big earrings and usually wear gold ones. I have a whole lot of earrings!

I’m pretty much wearing all orange today. Anything orange I’m going to say yes to, anything yellow I’m going to say yes too and anything green I’m probably going to say yes too. I hate purple, though. I’m like the opposite of Prince. I love Prince but hate purple.

I like to shop in thrift stores. You really have to put the work in, and when you find something good, it’s now or never – you have to buy it. You’re not going to find another one. It means you’re unlikely to see someone else wearing it too.

My mom always took me to get my nails done and it’s stuck with me. My video for ‘Whack World’ starts in a nail bar. I don’t enjoy being there too much, though, as I can’t sit still for long. I get gel polish which is the quickest thing to get done.

I’m pretty simple with jewellery. I have a ring with a W on it, a bracelet that says ‘Boss Lady’ which I got for 10 bucks in Philly, and my Nefertiti necklace. Nefertiti is the goddess of beauty and love. Before she died my grandma told me she’d always wanted a Nefertiti necklace and my plan was to buy her a really iced-out one, but I didn’t manage to get it to her in time.

My pants and top are by Franziska Michael. She’s a German designer who started her label in 2009. I love them because they’re orange!

Tierra Whack plays Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 1 to 4

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