Words by Josh Abraham
Photography // WavelQ – press.
With the current climate creating tense times, L.A based artist, WavelQ, is bringing inspiration and ’90s feels in his music and visuals. Since he started making beats at the age of fourteen, he’s been thriving in the hip hop scene, to a point where he’s making a difference with his open lyricism. In this interview, we get a glimpse of how the talented artist is inspiring the younger generation and what he does to stand out from the crowd.
You’ve produced tracks for the likes of Jaden Smith and Allan Kingdom, what was that experience like?
All my production experiences have been fairly Interesting! Every artist I work with is different, and I try my best to incorporate their vision into my production world. Like I see it as being a planet that all of these ships from different worlds come to and create in. It’s super dope being able to collaborate with others.
Listen to WaveIQ while reading the piece:
You’re from Woodbridge, Virginia right? What’s the music scene like there?
The music scene in Virginia isn’t really as active as you would think. Of course you have a local rap scene there but the majority of Virginia had to leave the state to be able to prosper and make it. Mainly because of how separated and country the state is in general. There really isn’t a hub for creatives to really navigate a following since it’s multiple sections separated from hours of driving. However, the area I’m from has seen a lot of success, mainly benefiting from heading to Washington, DC and getting their music positioned that way. So it’s a mixed bag for sure.
“Everything I make has a meaning, and it might take 3 to 10 listens to fully understand what I’m trying to get across, but when it hits you, it’s like a strike of lighting.”
What do you think makes your music stand out from the rest of hip hop?
I think the one rare thing about me, if I could name anything, would be that I’m more hands-on with my music than a lot of other rappers and artists. I’m producing these records to the fullest extent… not just the beats you hear but the vocal effects, the mix-downs. I go through about 20 to 39 different versions of a song per record, mainly because I’m a perfectionist. I’ve also built my own set of rules that I excuse for each song so that the point comes across directly. Everything I make has a meaning, and it might take 3 to 10 listens to fully understand what I’m trying to get across, but when it hits you, it’s like a strike of lighting.
Finally, when we’re out of this pandemic, what’s the first thing you’ll do?
I’m honestly heading back to the studio after having to work from home this entire time. The grind for me never stops. I’ll finally be able to blast the stuff I’ve been making in quarantine at max volume, so I’m not complaining at all!
