Wynne took the first step toward moving past viral notoriety into a full-fledged rap career by dropping her debut mixtape If I May in October. The eleven-rails project came armed with plenty of firepower as some of the peak producers in Hip Hop laced her with beats for her inaugural release.

Respected names such equally Hit-Boy, DJ Dahi, Thelonious Martin, Jahaan Sweet and Theory Hazit were among the notable artists assembled for Wynne's debut. But she credits her piece of work with Pinnacle Dawg Entertainment stalwart Sounwave, who collaborated with her on the tape's closer "212," for guiding the direction of the entire project likewise every bit what's to come in the future.

In the second one-half of HipHopDX'due south 2-part interview with Wynne, the Portland-based MC breaks downwards multiple tracks from her If I May tape and explains why she views information technology as a coming-of-age projection. She likewise shares how she linked up with J.I.D, The Internet's Syd and an impressive lineup of producers for her kickoff release despite being an independent artist.

HipHopDX: As a fan of lyricism and a lyricist yourself, I've got to imagine working with J.I.D on "Ego Check" was a special moment on the mixtape. Tell me a piddling bit almost how that collaboration came to be.

Wynne: Our teams just kind of know each other, and I've been a fan of him for so long. He came on tour to Eugene where I was going to school in January. And and then we linked up and I told him I was working on a project. I played him a couple of the records. And he said he was down to hop on "Ego Cheque," and I'thousand just grateful it happened.

He's the busiest man in the globe correct now coming off the back of that [Revenge Of The] Dreamers album. So, it was definitely a dream. He's an incredibly skilled lyricist and he's just and then unique. He'due south carving his ain lane with the inflections in his voice and the way he flows and the words he chooses. So having him on there was definitely an honour.

HipHopDX: Prissy. Some other notable collab on there was Syd'south writing credit on "Petty." How did that connection happen? And did you want her to practice vocals too or did it piece of work out best to have her strictly writing?

Wynne: That connexion really came through Jahaan Sugariness, who produced that record. And that's actually the oldest tape on the project. We made that about iii years ago at present or maybe two. And so, I had a session with Jahaan. It was actually a very strange session because I had completely lost my voice and could not talk at all.

We got connected and started playing through things and he played that tape. Syd was on there with the hook. And I was like, "Hey, I call up I can kill this." And he was like, "Give-and-take?" And I was like, "Yeah, I think I tin." And he sent it to me and nosotros made the tape. Syd approved; she fucked with it.

I'm obsessed with that tape every bit information technology was similar the … Unfortunately, I manifested that state of affairs after I wrote the song. So, I definitely have a salty spot for it, but it's definitely a jam.

HipHopDX: But looking through the production credits, information technology's kind of amazing to meet some of the names that you were able to connect with on hither. Can you just tell me about doing that every bit an contained artist? How do you foster these relationships and be able to assemble such a talented lineup?

Wynne: Yes, oh my gosh. I hateful never in a million years did I think that I would be in a position to piece of work with my favorite producers on my debut mixtape. That's only absolutely absurd. I have a lot of actually great team members who have skilful relationships. And all they do is send a song and they're like, "Hey, what do you think of this?" And from there, it's me in the room with that producer and can we make magic. Practise we click? Is this the relationship that we tin build? And luckily the answer kept being yes.

The session I had with Sounwave was probably i of the most special sessions I've always had in my life. I never really was writing in the room, and Sounwave'due south i of my Top 3 of all time. Something just kind of came over me. I wrote some verses that ended upwardly kind of crafting what the sound for the project was going to be and what the sound moving forward [for] the following projects volition be conceptually.

And that but kind of changed my perspective on how to arroyo sessions, honestly. Just working with someone who's such a dope … simply the energy in that room. And same for Hit-Boy, nosotros sat downward with Striking and he played 30, 40 beats. And some of them, like the 1 that I picked that beat for "Rose Urban center," it only sounds legendary. It sounds something like something you would hear JAY-Z rapping over on Pattern or something. It's merely classic.

I tin't even explicate how lucky I feel to have those people being willing to contribute because like you said, I am independent. We accept no funding, so for them to be down to be a office of it and just kind of offer it with love and only wanting to build with a new artist that they believe in, information technology'south merely like I wake upward every day thinking nearly that.

HipHopDX: That's dope. I actually enjoyed the skit you did with Cipha Sounds. Practise you experience similar beingness a white female MC, information technology'south best to just assault the perceptions head-on and try to have fun with information technology?

Wynne: Definitely. I learned that from my dad, Eminem. [Laughs]

Cipha was 1 of the first people to detect me a couple of years ago, and nosotros just built a relationship. He'south like my funny uncle; he's always cracking jokes. He does a lot of comedy stuff now with Dave Chappelle and Michael Che, and so it was only a no brainer to bring him in and have him only absolutely roast me. It was so funny.

We just sat in the studio for a couple hours and simply freestyled some jokes. He laid it down in a couple of takes. And I mean I was on the floor when he said something like, "Me and my four friends got viii legs like a tarantula." I was like, "What does that mean?" First of all, that's bad math, yous would have 10 legs!" Information technology was so funny. Yep, he killed that.

HipHopDX: One of my favorite records on this was "Playa," which had a unique approach to information technology. Was information technology something where you wanted to let it exist ambiguous and up to the listener'due south interpretation? Or were y'all coming at it from two different perspectives?

Wynne: Yeah, I wanted to leave it open to interpretation because I like when people can have a chat. But I am rapping from two different perspectives on there. From the guy in the first poesy and from myself in the 2d verse.

That actually is a fun tape for me because I freestyled that whole record. And information technology was one of the first ones that I made for the project and I knew that I wanted to put it out, simply people weren't really fucking with it. My squad wasn't actually a big fan. It took a lot of disarming on my end. We did a lot of versions of the song, retracked the vocals quite a bit, just to go the vibe right. Particularly over the two years since I've made it, just my voice maturing and learning that I can sing and figuring that out.

It was produced by Trox, who's from Portland. Ty, my engineer, and I did a lot of additional product for information technology. Brought in a guitar and bass actor, Ian, to add some season to it. It went through a lot of lives, and at the end of the day, it's been a fan favorite. Then, information technology taught me to trust myself quite a bit because I always believed in that record. I knew that I wanted information technology to be on the first project. And then, I'm really glad that people have been fucking with it. It'south definitely a favorite.

HipHopDX: I of the best cuts is the closer, "212." It was very relatable hearing about your marvel and feeling like an old soul. Tin yous tell me a little scrap about the inspiration for that track and the story backside it?

Wynne: So, 212 degrees is the humid betoken of water and the verses in that and the hook are very much my boiling point. Because when you're in your early on 20s you're going through a lot of changes. You're figuring out who your real friends are, what you're trying to do with your life, what your purpose is. You're actually just trying to discover yourself.

And in the heart of going through all of that I'g having these bursts of meeting my idols and doing my first ruby-red carpet and going to parties that I accept no business being in. But then coming domicile and doing my midterms and my family unit is going through things and my friends are going through things. And and then it'southward really simply kind of like a … information technology feels a lilliputian bit like a coming-of-age song.

I wanted to talk about — as apace as I felt like I was going through information technology — all of those subjects inside two verses. And those things range from in the offset verse, I talk about in high schoolhouse. Like I said, I'1000 from the suburb Lake Oswego. In that location was a lot of appropriation happening. And I think my favorite line on the whole project is, "I needed to know what happened to Rodney Rex/My classmates were getting low to apple tree bottom jeans."

That as a concept — like I'm in middle school and in high schoolhouse and I'yard listening to Lupe, I'm listening to Nas. I'thou hearing these stories and I'm doing my enquiry. I'm reading books past KRS-One, trying to detect the lineage of these stories and what's happening in the world that I don't know almost within the bubble that is my world. And my friends are over there — or not fifty-fifty my friends, simply the community that's effectually me — out blasting Hip Hop music and having no idea what is really going on in the world.

Just the poetry between those two lines and the concept of like … even in Portland, at that place's a pretty intense history with Portland police and the Hip Hop scene in the city. That'southward non my story to tell considering I wasn't around for information technology. But I gotta bear on how much easier it is for me every bit a white person to go booked for events and to go that recognition.

Meanwhile, the people in the city who take been doing it for decades are getting their shows shut downward. And I tin can't go in touch on with my sis and I'thousand on a plane. And so one of my all-time friends in the whole globe, her daughter was born and I'm not there to see it because I'yard traveling. And I'm sleeping with unlike dudes that I'g coming together at bars and and so finding out that they know who I am. And it was weird, like some weird fanboy shit.

It was a weird couple of years. It was very much similar existence, I say it'due south like being Hannah Montana and what that feels like. Meanwhile, I'k losing bear upon with reality a trivial bit because my friends tin't chronicle to what I'm doing with my life. It's a very different worlds than they live in.

So, you have your team and yourself, and my squad understands super well what information technology means to do what I'm doing. And my best friend, Ty, knows exactly what it means to do what I'm doing and is here for me through everything. But notwithstanding, information technology's different to be the artist. It'southward different to experience that kind of pressure and to get those viral moments and accept all these people see a 1 infinitesimal clip of y'all and judge yous off of it.

To give the world a body of work and permit them approximate yous, information technology's just a lot. And then information technology was weird to become through already feeling this distance happening between my friends and I, just based off my career, but as well based on the fact that we're all in our early on 20s. And that kind of stuff happens naturally anyway. It's just being kind of accelerated through speeding upward. Merely you want to keep those people close because that'south everything. So "212" is kind of a culmination of all those things. And the tagline in that is, "I don't ask God anymore, I just follow her lead."

This was the kickoff song I had with Sounwave where that song kind of triggered a thought in me that volition inspire the futurity music that I make. And the hook just being like, there was a time where I was so depressed and suicidal in high school, that I was like, "Yo, am I always going to be able to do this? Am I going to be able to exist a rapper? Is this ever going to happen? Am I simply chasing something that'south not going to work out?" And saying to the universe, "Yo, assistance me out. I need an answer, I tin can't practice this anymore." And so coming to terms with, in my later years, it'southward not my place to ask that question. I just need to do what I'thou doing and take care of the people around me and follow what I think is true.

HipHopDX: It seems like this is only the beginning of your story simply releasing the mixtape has allowed you to alleviate some of the pressure off of your dorsum at present that information technology'southward finally out there.

Wynne: Aye, it'southward almost similar an added force per unit area because I took everything out of me and the people around me to the fulfill what this project became. And it's definitely a weight off my shoulders in that it'due south everything I've been living for the concluding nine months. So to put information technology out is definitely a weight off, but it's an added pressure now with whatever comes from this. Even if nobody hears this project, the fact that in that location's a project out is going to change what'southward happening around me and change the style we motility and the manner we exercise things.

So, it'southward the do it again business. I'm excited to follow it upward, but I'm nervous because I've put and then much time into information technology. I'm very proud of it. And I think it'south the best work that nosotros could do.

HipHopDX: Equally far as those future plans become, do you have whatsoever kind of a tour in the work to support this? Or are you already back in the studio working on the follow-up?

Wynne: Homo, nosotros were working on the follow-up while nosotros were working on the project! And then, at that place's ever new music coming. And we'll programme a tour equally before long as information technology makes sense, but I'm definitely trying to get on the road in the leap of next year. And we'll definitely play a little hometown prove for Portland in the coming months for sure.

Read Part 1 of HipHopDX's interview with Wynne here.