It has been said everyone has to start somewhere, but not everyone starts at the same place. For a musician, it really helps to get your name out there as much as you can. Up and coming Hip-hop rapper, Whitney Peyton, from Philadelphia, PA. is doing just that.
Walking into the venue of her performance on April 14, at Joe’s Grotto in Phoenix, AZ, the small, yet enthusiastic crowd is radiating excitement. Joe’s Grotto, a dark place with worn wooden walls and band logos on the mirrors could be called a perfect place for the type of Hardcore, nofrills music being produced by Peyton and her crew.
Unsurprisingly, the entire night consisted of Rap music by various underground performers, such as PBN Jamz, Ghetto White Boys, Hardly Sober, and Knuckleheads. All these bands fit right into the energy of the night, which was just nofilter, Hard Rap music.
Whitney Peyton’s performance was much anticipated the whole night, all the opening bands graciously mentioning her and getting the crowd pumped up. Near the end of the night, when she came out the crowd was cheering, the lights were flashing and there was not a quiet spot in the place. Peyton’s entire performance was around her enthusiasm of her home town of Philadelphia, which prompted her performance of “Fresh Prince of BelAir”.
Even though her attitude was fun and uplifting, often teasing at her own lifestyle—her being an "Indie artist with no health insurance", Peyton still took time on stage to acknowledge a serious matter; suicide and drug overdose. She performed her song, “Better” which debuted in early 2015. “Better” is a story of a few different people who made bad decisions, which cost them their own lives and the lives of others. Even though the tour life is a free and joyful one, it is reassuring to see someone acknowledge some serious problems in society.
Peyton has many members of her crew, who all interchange duties from selling merch, to driving, to booking venues, even to introducing her on stage. Christina, a member of Peyton’s team, exclaims, “We’ve been doing this for four months, it’s been amazing and I love every second of it.” It is clear that Whitney Peyton’s tour life ensures everyone is enjoying it.
For many artists, rising to fame can take a while, or just not pan out. However, with the outstanding efforts of Peyton’s team and the enthusiastic performance of Peyton herself, it is not foreseen that rising to fame will be hard.
