Crunk Is Back, Featuring WHYTRI, Funder, and Maz

Massachusetts rapper WHYTRI began his creative work within the local dance community, but through increased exposure to the rap scene, he found a natural talent and direction for the craft. Forever ahead of his time, WHYTRI began cultivating a sound in 2017 that now has been sharpened and perfectly coined by the artist himself as “alternative-crunk.” Inspired by a variety of artists, including Ludacris, Linkin Park, Missy Elliot, System of a Down, James Brown, Tyler the Creator, and Soulja Boy (the list goes on), WHYTRI is a true pioneer for a genre that bridges the energies and musicality of heavy alternative rock and the eclectic, dirty-south crunk of the 2000s. Thus far, his career has led him to open tour stops for some of today’s most notable artists, including Rico Nasty, MAVI, IDK, Bhad Bhabie, and more. His latest mixtape, Collizion, has already surpassed a quarter of a million streams with no signs of slowing down yet. WHYTRI joins producer Jon Glass (BIA, J.COLE, Hopsin, and more) for a joint project, set to release this year. Stay tuned for all things WHYTRI on the horizon, including his independent tour, DAYS OF CRUNK, running through New York, Boston, and London, England, with new dates and cities coming. 

Funder is a 21-year-old artist, songwriter, producer, and engineer from Atlanta, Georgia. Although he has only been songwriting since 2018, he grew up learning instruments. He started playing trumpet in 2006 and picked up piano in 2007. He was always a quick learner and the type of person to see how much he could figure out in music. Once Funder realized writing songs was an option, he honed in on this skill and never looked back. Using his creative abilities and his solid comprehension of music, he crafts songs that challenge himself and give him opportunities to learn, heal, and grow. While he spends most of his time in Boston, Funder is co-leader of a collective in Atlanta, Rich Reapers, that presents upcoming ATL-based artists. Funder puts himself in the perspective of his audience, but he also has much perspective to offer the world.

Coming out of Miami, Florida and São Paulo, Brazil, Maz has started to make a name for himself in the alternative hip-hop realm. Whether through his own overblown, yet at times mellow production or through his unorthodox delivery, the artist looks to expand upon the idea of a “super-producer” into a self-titled “super-artist.” The son of a DJ, Maz combines his deep range of musical influences with modern takes, consistently painting a world beyond sounds into a multi-dimensional aesthetic diving into film and fashion. Although dipping into many different multicultural backgrounds, Maz plants his feet promptly into the minds of the listener, transporting them to his expression of his past, present, and future.

This show is presented by Berklee’s Hip-Hop Club.