RAGER BØY Coming off the success of "Tommy Lee'' and "Stuntin' On You", Tyla Yaweh is cementing his name as one of music's rising stars. The malleability of Yaweh's delivery has given him an edge over the leaders of the post-genre era. As some attempt to classify Yaweh's music as rap, emo, pop, or rock, more often than not, no one tag solely applies. He is continuously layering and contrasting sounds- light with dark, somber with glee, smooth with raw- the tracks off his debut album Heart Full of Rage tend to shift with his mood. Tylah Yaweh's sound is unconventionally orchestrated. The pursuit of raw originality and boundless creativity drives Tyla Yaweh sophomore album, RAGERBØY. The album has been in the offing for several months due to the pandemic, which has granted Yaweh additional opportunity to "sit with the music, create a vibe, and strategize a whole album."
On an August evening, the 25-year-old Angeleno transplant dials in from his home, where he has spent most of his time tinkering and reflecting. He describes his time in quarantine as a "blessing, although it's not the best of times right now. We're still alive. Can't stop won't stop!" This energy carries into our interview as we discuss the process of dropping an album during a pandemic, early successes in his career, and some lessons he's learned along the way.
Tiffany: How has the pandemic affected making/ finalizing RAGERBØY? Tyla Yaweh: The pandemic made it easier, to be honest. We got everything done with all the features we wanted. I got a chance to sit with the music, create a vibe, and strategize a whole album. It's a blessing to create more songs for RAGERBØY! A better vibe, a breath of fresh air for people's ears. Tiffany: Stuntin' On You is a hit! During the creative process for the track, did you know you wanted DaBaby featured on it?
Tyla Yaweh: Yes, I did! It was such a fun process making the track Stuntin' On You. Making the music video made the whole process even better because we got to vibe and get to know each other's energy. Tiffany: What inspired the visuals for the music video for Stuntin' On You?
Tyla Yaweh: We just wanted to stunt. It was so hard to create the visuals during the pandemic, but we made it happen. It's so cool that we were able to do safely. It came out perfectly- it was a movie!
Tiffany: With the pandemic, what hurdles did you encounter while making the music video for Stuntin' On You? Tyla Yaweh: Man permits. How many people we could have on set. All the restrictions that come with COVID. It was different but we figured it out. Once we met all the requirements- that was all that mattered. We got the video done and were able to release the song on time. We are going to keep stepping on people's necks with this good music. Tiffany: To look back a bit, "Tommy Lee" has had massive success. Has that created the pressure to make another hit?
Tyla Yaweh: No, not at all. Tommy Lee was created for that moment in time. There will be other moments with songs that people would say, "Can you recreate this song?" I'm going to keep creating songs and vibes that reflect the time we are living in. Tiffany: You consider RAGERBØY and all of your music to be genre-less. What do you find limiting about fitting into one genre? Tylah Yaweh: It limits you. I don't go into the studio and say, "I'm going to make a rap song today, a trap song, a pop song." It's whatever my vibe and my mood is. When I make a song, it's not for a specific crowd. I want it to sound new with different layers and a mixture of sounds. You never know who will relate to the music from a business person to someone from the hood. I am just making creative music.
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