For some, the soft notes of a piano aren’t an exact match for a set of heartfelt rap wordplay. But Hackney-born and bred Harvey Whyte is here to challenge those norms. In his new album, ‘Piano Rap,’ he beautifully mixes his skills as a self-taught pianist and producer with vivid lyrics drenched in storytelling, abilities which can only be found in the DNA of an inner-city musician.
Bringing references from hip-hop, trap, neo-soul, and alternative R&B to jazz and electronic, Whyte’s music is a mouthful for those who are up for a complex sonic experience. In the past two years, he has worked alongside and released tracks with big names in the industry, including Footsie, Greentea Peng, and Luke RV, and has collaborations with Fatima and Sigma in the pipeline.
Here, we sat down with the East-London-based artist to discuss more about his new musical endeavour, the power and influence of growing up in a musical household on his craft, and his next career steps.
Listen to Piano Rap…
Read the full interview…
Congratulations on your debut album! Can you tell us a bit about the tracks and the story behind it?
The tracks are a collection of songs I made over the past couple years, I guess they just represent me and what I’ve been going through over that time. A lot of them are based around relationships to myself and other people in my life.
Can you tell us about your musical upbringing as a self-taught pianist, rapper, and producer? When did everything start?
I come from a musical household, my mum was a singer/songwriter so we always had musical equipment in the house. We also have an upright piano that belonged to my great grandfather sitting in the living room. I just started to play that regularly from a young age and fell in love with music I guess.
Your music blends various genres. How do you approach fusing different styles together in your work?
I always played the piano, and I used to make a lot of hip hop. I guess I just wanted to make something new or try something different as I hate to make stuff that sounds the same as everyone else, so I started trying to play and rap at the same time, kinda like what a singer would do at a piano. I also like to strip my songs all the way back to melody and vocals as I feel like that’s often where the true magic of the song is. Doing this led me to recording piano rap.
Could you share some insights into your creative process as a producer and how it influences your music?
I like to get in a deeper zone when I make music, almost like a trance. Often I’ll start with piano, find a good melody loop that inspires some emotion somehow, and just play that over and over and write to it. Then I’ll record just vocals and piano and later see if other elements are needed.
Can you share any memorable experiences or stories from your musical journey that have shaped you as an artist?
I guess just the long nights sat at the piano or the computer while everyone else is out drinking or at the club. Being completely lost in the art and staying in that zone for weeks. That’s how I really forged my sound.
