Lyricism Cypher Recap: Who Is Tierra Whack, the Philly Rapper With Bars?
The 16th annual BET Hip Hop Awards aired Tuesday (Oct.5), wrapping up another edition of the biggest night in rap.
From Nick Cannon’s antics and The 85 South hosting to Kidd Kenn’s jaw-dropping make-up and wardrobe on the red carpet, this year was full of moments that we’ll be talking about not only this week but for years to come.
As riveting as all the different aspects of the evening are, the cyphers are by large a fan favorite. Every year the Hip Hop Awards showcases artists from all backgrounds to spit their hottest 16, which creates a special moment each time.
This year was no different. With DJ HED helming the ones and twos, there’s a “Lyricism Cypher”, made up of Tierra Whack, Smino and D Smoke, a “Digital Cypher” comprised of Kidd Ken, Lakeyah and Toosii Symba and a “Hot Now Cypher” with Erica Banks, Fivio Foreign, Sleepy Hallow and Rico Nasty.
Tierra Whack’s verse in the “Lyricism Cypher” has been gaining a lot of traction, not only for her charismatic apparel but for her intricate flows, breath control and wordplay. However, many may not know about the Philly spitter, as her only studio album, Whack World, although critically acclaimed, was released back in 2018.
With her name trending and chatter about her blazing hot freestyle going around, here’s a deeper look into the rapper that stole the show.
Music Update
If you thoroughly enjoyed Tierra’s verse in the “Lyricism Freestyle” and you’re wondering where the new music is, the answer is: it’s complicated.
While her latest track “76”— a collaborative project celebrating the Philadelphia 76ers’ 2020 playoff run — dropped this summer and her campaign with Legos brought forth the single “Link” Tierra Whack ha also announced she was quitting music this year.
“I quit. I’m done doing music,” the 25-year-old Philly rapper shared via her Instagram Story. While she did not offer insight, she did follow up on Twitter the next day with a vague message: “I ain’t finna ruin nobody else day just cause I’m having a bad one!”
Let’s just hope this is a phase. After all, in a 2020 interview with Variety, she revealed she was in the recording process for her sophomore effort.
Freestyle Queen
As seen during the lyricism cypher, Tierra Whack has an off-the-wall oddball flow that forces you to stop what you’re doing to listen. On one hand, she’s just a flat-out genius with her pen. But she also freestyles quite a bit.
Whether at an official radio show or art home in a bonnet, Whack will drop heat whenever she’s inspired. It’s no wonder she had the sharpest of bars at the ceremony.
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First known as "Dizzle Dizz"
Tierra Whack is a supreme lyricist not only because she’s been doing it since an early age, but because she’s been doing it at an early age on the streets of the freestyle capital, Philly.
Starting off with the name, "Dizzle Dizz." Whack honed her skills on the Philly streets, much like the old vintage videos of “Meek with the braids” rapping on the block.
Very Allergic To Bugs
Tierra Whack has an extreme allergy to bugs. So much so, she pokes fun about it in her 2018 video for "Bug's Life" which shows half of her face swollen.
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Whack also has an affinity for Dr. Suess. The Philly spitter has explained the Author’s book series was instrumental in her childhood as she grew up striving to make every sentence rhyme and ultimately;y influenced her poetry and freestyles.
