Ralph Paul

You just dropped your first EP. What is it titled? What is the story behind the name? It’s called Call It Whatever. When I was growing up I felt like anytime I would do something, or any Black person would do something, people automatically have to label it or attack it. The title was me falling into the fact that people are going to do what they want and say what they want. Not everyone is going to love you (or hate you). I’m saying you guys can call me whatever. I’m still going to do it. We just went through a pandemic. From personal experience, music can help people cope, grow and change. What role does music play in society? What role do you want your music to play? I think music is the greatest influence on culture, especially with hip hop being the biggest genre on the planet. I think it’s even more important that we take our roles more seriously, as far as creating messages and creating outlets for everyone in our community to feel and relate to. I want to usher freedom of public speech, and public feelings. Nowadays, a Black person can’t do anything, especially a Black woman, so it is very important for me to establish a place of equality. Call It Whatever by Mister Jownz is now streaming on all platforms. Follow his journey @misterjownz on Instagram. Written by: Alfred Taylor

Ralph Paul, creatively known as “wthrxlph”, is a photographer, creative director, and model from Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying Computer Science and Interactive Design. As a prominent creative in the campus community, Ralph has worked with various organizations to capture the beauty of Black events and the Black student body. Ralph’s community contributions include work for the Black Student Union, a video anthology for Soul Revue 2022, and candid portraits for Finale 2022. Individually, he has collaborated with up-and-coming artists, shot prominent musicians, and provided creative direction for brands. Like all artists, he is not without his influences and inspirations. “A source of inspiration for me is music, especially with the videos I make. In more conceptual shoots, it’s more about living and experiencing things, so you can reflect real life in your art. That’s how people can connect to it.” Further citing photographers such as Vulandes and Neri as inspirations, Ralph’s workflow consists of studying the techniques of these influences to improve his craft. “When I see something specific that I like I usually save it. It’s usually from little things, like how someone edited something. That inspires me to shoot similarly to them, or throw in specific edits, and concepts.” In the future, he hopes to shift towards personal projects for his brand. While he has enjoyed collaborating with his contemporaries, he is hoping that the pivot will allow him to explore and fully express his own ideas. Support our artists and follow Ralph’s journey @wthrxlph on Instagram. Written by: Alfred Taylor

2024