REVIEW: WHATMORE: Live at The Masquerade (Purgatory) - ATL

One of alt-rap's most exciting acts bring their authentic style to Atlanta

Alternative hip-hop act WHATMORE in ATL (Photo by Nancy Gutierrez)

This past week, The Masquerade saw the up-and-coming WHATMORE open for Laundry Day. Comprised of Cisco Swank, Elijah Judah, Seb, Jackson August, and Yoshi T, the boys and their sound are reminiscent of something like the now disbanded supergroup BROCKHAMPTON. 

WHATMORE at the legendary Masquerade in Atlanta (Photo by Nancy Gutierrez)

WHATMORE in Purgatory (Photo by Nancy Gutierrez)

Meeting at LaGuardia High School in New York, the guys have prided themselves on putting their friendship before their artistry. With a seamless melding of hip-hop, R&B, jazz and indie genres, the boys put on a show with equal parts boyish charm and a sincere type of bravado—the type that can only be earned over time and time of fleshing out material through DIY shows alongside your childhood best friends.

A few months back, I first stumbled upon one of five personal vignettes dedicated to explaining the backstory of each member and quickly realized how special this group was based off their strong conceptual style and creative visuals alone. Now, within the past year, they’ve dropped a mix of five singles and EPs before finally releasing their first self-titled album in October. With so much heart, grassroots marketing, and true artistic expression, WHATMORE could you ask for in an artist?

WHATMORE's self-titled debut album is out now.

Article and photos by Nancy Gutierrez. Please credit @nancyfiles.mp4 or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.