wifisfuneral Releases His Debut Album, ‘Pain?’

wifisfuneral has been in the underground hip-hop scene for some time now and released a number of projects before signing with a major label. Now, he’s releasing his debut album on 8/28 and ready to share his “Pain?” with the masses. Take a look at our exclusive interview with wifisfuneral and let us know what you think of his new music in the comments section on social media.

Tell us about your new album.

It’s my debut album that I’ve been working on for a couple of years now. It’s been a really big process going from the underground circuit to making records. Making the album has been the biggest shock because it took me two years to make. I didn’t want to make it a regular rap album, I wanted every song to capture the emotion for anyone who’s listening. I wouldn’t even record a song unless I was feeling a certain emotion right then and there. I wanted you to hear [the emotion] in my voice when I was saying certain words or bars.

What are some of the emotions you captured in this album?

It’s a lot of pain. It goes through a lot of hardships, trials and tribulations within my life. I’m talking about my life from being signed to now. My older music was about my struggles before I was signed and now, this album is about me thinking that all of that was going to be over. I’m struggling in completely different ways—it’s a never-ending feeling of pain.

What does this album say about who you are as an artist?

If this is the first time you’re listening to me, I think this album is the best representation of me. It’s a bit more comprehensive. Back then, I used to vent on tracks and talk in riddles, now I’m just saying “this is it.”

How do you plan to promote this album during the pandemic?

We want to do the safest thing possible and take the proper precautions. We’re just waiting for the world to get back to somewhat normal, if that can even be possible at this point. Once we’re actually allowed to go places, we’ll definitely be doing shows and going on tour. We have a bunch of stuff planned and I don’t really want to announce a lot of things, because I want people to be surprised.

What collabs have you included in this album?

The two collabs that I’ve released so far are with Coi Leray and Smoove’L. Out of everyone in the New York drill movement, Smoove’L is the whole package. He’s the golden boy from out there and has the gritty sound but also can make a party bop. He brings one emotion to the next and I don’t think a lot of drill ops are doing that. I got Coi Leray on the project because I’ve been a fan of her music for about a year now and I’ve always wanted to work with her. When we linked up, I played her my songs in the studio and she chose the song she wanted to get on. Everything kind of fell into place like it was supposed to.

Any specific tracks you’re really excited about?

“All in.” If you want a summary of what I’ve been going through instead of listening to the whole album from start to finish, that’s the number one song. I put it all in a nutshell with one song from the first verse. “Ocean,” “End of Story” and “Back Ache” are good for stories as well.

What was your process of picking the songs that eventually went on the album?

My manager and I are very hands on, we don’t let anyone else come in and join the creative process when it comes to making music. We went through numerous songs and every time we thought we had the album, we didn’t feel comfortable with that being the album so we’d release it as a project. It was a lot of trial and error, throwing something at the wall and seeing if it sticks.

Do you have a formula for writing a hit song?

I feel like it’s a double edged sword because nowadays, what really is a hit? A hit could be anything. Somebody could be spitting on the ground and rapping over it, that could be a hit. It’s really about the amount of effort and energy put into a specific record. And if people can resonate with it, you know what I mean?

What was your first tattoo?

My first tattoo was my wifi bars on my face. I was 16 in a trap house and my tattoo guy was high as shit off cocaine. I asked him to do it on my face and he was like, “I’ll do it right now, just buy me an eight ball.” So I bought him an eight ball and he did my tattoo.

What’s your favorite tattoo?

My two favorite tattoos are my little sister’s name under my left eye and my little brother’s name on my left eyebrow. They’re both connected to each other.

When you’re getting a new tattoo, is it a planned out ordeal or something spontaneous?

I only get tattoos for two reasons. If I’m feeling really good and want to do something really spontaneous out of nowhere, I’ll get a tattoo. And then if I’m going through a lot of shit and I physically don’t want to hurt myself, I’ll go get a big ass tattoo just so I can feel pain.

Could you see yourself getting more face tattoos in the future?

I think getting tattoos will always be part of my life but as far as face tattoos go, I’ll focus on the rest of my body for now.

Do you see yourself getting a tattoo for your new album?

If it exceeds my expectations, then you’re going to see me wild the fuck out on the internet.

wifisfuneral’s debut album “Pain?” is available on all major streaming services on 8/28. Pick it up here!