Lil Tracy, Forever the Antagonist

April 08, 2020

At an early age, Lil Tracy was instilled with expressive liberty. "My dad just instilled confidence in me, so I have never been scared to try out any look," he tells us. Perhaps that's why he's been able to carve out such a distinct lane for himself—through his perpetually "emo" style and sound, he's become a sort of poster child as trap music's #1 "sad boi."

From then, the cosmic artist traded in his Virginia threads to move to L.A and collaborate with fellow eccentric artists like SpaceGhostpurrp and the late Lil Peep. But not everything is sunny in L.A. Tracy’s hardships with mental health declination, love, and substance abuse have taken the main stage for most of his career, leading up to a drug-induced heart attack in 2018.

Even still, his emotional sonic palettes and antagonistic lyrics are what makes the pain tangible for his young fans, who by-and-large crave an artist who feels the same inner turmoil that they do.

Interview by Tiana Randall
Photos by Cian Moore
Styling by Sebastian Jean
Photo assistant: Christopher Della Cruz
Stylist Assistant: Share Koech

Cover photo—Jacket and top by COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS

Luckily for Tracy’s peace of mind, he’s refurbishing his previous dysphoric threads and wearing a lighter and more carefree version of himself. To be known merely as a “SoundCloud rapper” would be an understatement. Tracy’s diverse discography mirrors his mutinous lifestyle, purely driven by an appetite for freedom.

In his upcoming record, Designer Talk 2, Tracy channels that insatiable hunger for pleasure and channels back to his source of confidence: his roots. This nod to his home base can be heard woven into tracks that pay homage to true designer talk, Virginia flex-flare. This style of music can be heard mastered by acclimated artists like Pharrell and The Clipse, but with a flamboyant Tracy-twist to it. It is safe to say that, at least right now, Tracy is in a pocket of flexing and fun.

The rapper stopped by our office to play dress up, and to talk about his new album and headspace.

How’re you in these trying times?

I’m good. I’ve just been playing a lot of video games.

Are you playing Animal crossing?

No, I’ve been playing Minecraft.

You’ve been dropping music at such a rapid rate ahead of the newest album. "Bonjour" is the latest single. I’m assuming you speak French?

No, I don’t. But I made the song during a time where I was talking to this French girl and she was trying to teach me to French, so yeah.

Left—Jacket, shirt, pants, and necklace by ALEXANDER MCQUEEN; glasses Lil Tracy's own

Right—Coat, sweater, pants, and shoes by ALEXANDER WANG; Gloves stylist's own

No but seriously, ["Bonjour"] definitely has a more upbeat and whimsical feeling to it. Very astrological and other-worldly sounding. Where are you traveling to with this song?

Well, I actually made this song about a year ago so it’s not my current frame of mind. But, this song is traveling to a world of, like freedom. I want everything to be carefree.

It kind of feels like you are scoring the sound of a video game or anime. What video game or anime would you think "Bonjour" best fits in with?

Probably Minecraft.

This is very different than your regular sound and kinda stray aways from your emo roots. Is this the sound that we might be hearing for the whole album of DT2?

Well, I made this song a year ago so the whole album will be completely different but it does have some similarities. I don’t know, I think it will have some of those emo roots but a more free sound.

If you could describe what pocket you’re in for this newest album, what would you say with just a few words?

Finesse, carefree, and like you said, whimsical.

Right—Jacket, top, and pants by COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS; sneakers by NIKE x COMME DES GARÇONS HOMME PLUS; necklace stylist's own

Are you scared of neglecting your emo loving fans with a different sound?

I think I’m ready for a new sound and don’t really give a fuck what people think. I think I have so much of that music, the “emo music,” that if those fans don’t like this they can always go back to that.

Because of your roots, I'm assuming you went through a hardcore emo phase. If you did what did that look like and what were/are your favorite bands?

It actually wasn't an emo phase. It was definitely more punk. I never really dressed super emo, I used to go to the thrift a lot. So whatever I got from there. In regards to bands, The Casualties, South Central Riot Squad, and the P.I.N.S. were my favorite.

On some of your other albums, you play the trope of the antagonist a lot. On your newest, would you describe yourself as the protagonist? What does this newest relationship look like?

I think I will always see myself as the antagonist. Forever.

Villian or superhero, who are you rooting for?

It’s funny you say that, because ever since I was a little kid I always rooted for the bad guy.

So this newest album is about flexing and fun, do you think producing this type of music has changed your outlook on life or does it just reflect your current frame of mind?

I think it definitely shapes my outlook. If I make happier songs then I will feel that way, as opposed to making sad music. I use it as a form of therapy and it helps me get into that right headspace.

Flex talk is definitely huge in the South. Are you taking any of that Virginia flex flare?

Definitely. I am taking a lot of inspiration from Virginia. I’m working with a lot of artists and producers from Virginia so there's a lot of that sound.

So you’re in your Pharrell pocket, so to speak?

Exactly! I fuck with Pharrell a lot.

Speaking of flexing, what was your latest flex that you bought that genuinely made you really happy?

I have a lot of things. I just bought this really nice Vivian Westwood hat. Its like wool and fur. And then this crystalized Chanel bracelet

And that you regret buying?

I regret a lot of shit, probably just these pants I have. They don’t fit. I’m giving them away.

Left—Pants by DAILY PAPER, boots stylist's own

Post-quarantine, what looks will we be seeing from Lil Tracy?

I’m really into sportswear, so I’m trying to get more into that. Like rich tennis wear.

Any specific colorways?

I'm fucking with yellows and greens lately.

It seems like you're breaking barriers when it comes to fashion and music. Where does that inspiration come from?

I think you're either born with it or you're not. From a very young age, my dad just instilled confidence in me, so I have never been scared to try out any look.

Lastly, in regards to the style, in 2018 you tweeted about not wanting to fight because you have too many piercings. I’ve always wondered, how many piercings do you have?

Now I have a lot less. When was this? In 2018 I had a shitload. Maybe like, I had my nose pierced, two eyebrows, two dermal piercing, and a lip piercing.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: