Picture Credit: Jenne Grabowski (StudioTrouble)
From Turin to Berlin, producer Whatafunk has remained firmly rooted in underground hip-hop culture, and his latest album, Life of an Underground Rebel, released via Little Beat More, is a celebration of everything that makes the scene special.
Across seven original tracks, Whatafunk delivers a gritty blend of dusty samples, rugged drums, chopped loops and timeless boom bap production. Austrian turntablist Chrisfader adds his signature scratches to Intro, Stay Underground and Notanotherlovesong, bringing an authentic turntablist flavour to the project.
The album also boasts an impressive international line-up of MCs, including Awon, Ché Noir, Aaqil Ali, Patch, Juga-Naut and UnLearn The World. Each brings their own distinctive style, with the latter's involvement particularly fitting given his work with hip hop For Change, using music to educate and empower the next generation.
Far from simply revisiting hip hop's golden era, Life of an Underground Rebel captures the raw energy and independent spirit that continues to drive the culture forward. Available on 12-inch vinyl, the release also features instrumental versions on the B-side alongside a jazz-infused remix from Koralle.
Raw, soulful and unapologetically underground, this is one for the true hip hop heads.
Whatafunk sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:
1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?
Ever since I was a child, my mum would play loads of music at home – mainly rock, blues and a bit of jazz. There was a record shop near my primary school, and every now and then after school we’d go and while away some time there. I used to loved getting lost in that place, often drawn more by the CD or cassette covers than by any real knowledge of music itself. Looking back, though, it was a great way to train my ear and open my mind to all sorts of musical genres.
By the age of 10, I’d already formed my first band with two school friends.
It was all very naïve, of course, but music had already become a huge part of my everyday life.
The real turning point, however, came when I went to my first rave party in my hometown, Turin. I was about 15 at the time, and I left the party feeling deeply inspired and determined to become a DJ.
Things then moved pretty quickly from there. Together with a few friends, we founded our new crew, Crop Circle Unit, and started organising parties and playing gigs here and there.
2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?
There are so many incredible producers who have shaped my sound over the years, and so many who are still pushing it forward or just emerging on the scene. But if I had to pick my personal ‘holy trinity’, it would have to be DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Marco Polo. They’ve always been a huge source of inspiration for me.
More recently, I’ve really come to appreciate the Canadian scene, which is absolutely packed with talent. Producers like Imperetiv and DJ Goadman are true masters, while B1 the Architect and Junk are two brilliant MCs I’ve been listening to constantly lately. I’d love to work with both of them.
Here in the UK, I’ve always been a huge fan of the High Focus catalogue and the artists on their roster, but lately I’ve been particularly hooked on Datkid. I’ve always liked his style, but I feel the singles he’s been dropping recently have taken things to another level. I really can’t wait to hear his new album.
And if we’re talking dream collaborations, I’d have to aim pretty high. Two MCs I’d absolutely love to hear rapping over my beats are Inspectah Deck and Ill Bill.
But I guess I’ve got still some work to do on my sound before I get there!
3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?
Life of an Underground Rebel is finally out.
It’s my debut EP, a project I’ve been working on intensively for the past year and a half, and honestly, a dream come true.
Just being able to put my own record on the turntable is an incredible feeling. In a way, it’s like coming full circle with my musical journey so far.
I’m really satisfied with how the whole project has turned out.
The MCs involved are some of my favourites on the scene, and they’ve absolutely smashed it. I feel like the whole record has come together in a very organic and authentic way.
I’m pretty confident that a fan of this classic hip-hop sound will want to give it another spin after hearing it for the first time.
As for what’s next, I’ve been working with Ty Healy on a bunch of great tracks that we’d like to turn into an EP of its own.
I’ve also already got a few ideas for a follow-up to Rebel EP… I’m currently going through my beat folder, putting things together and working day in, day out on new beats that could make it onto the tracklist.
I reckon I’ll soon start reaching out to a few MCs I’d like to collaborate with on this new project.
It’s all still very much work in progress, though, so to all the dope MCs out there who are feeling my sound: get in touch – let’s work together.
4. How would you describe your sound?
My sound is super-classic hip hop. It’s the sound I grew up with, the one that made me fall in love with this music in the first place, and the one that still makes my head nod to this day.
My approach to production is pretty classic too. I usually start with a sample and let myself be guided by whatever vibe those few seconds of music spark in me.
From there, it’s all about the drums. They need to hit hard, and the snare really has to smack. If the drums aren’t right, I know the beat isn’t going anywhere.
Once the main sample and the drums start working together, I go back to sampling other sounds, to build different layers until the beat feels complete.
5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?
One of the absolute highlights was definitely playing in front of thousands of people on the streets of Berlin with my RBL family. RBL is an independent web radio station that’s been active for over a decade across Turin, Berlin and Barcelona – big shout-out to them! We were playing on a sound truck that I’d painted and decorated myself, which made the whole experience even more special, as painting has always been another huge passion of mine.
Amongst other unforgettable moments are some of the raves I played with my old crew, Crop Circle Unit. There’s something priceless about the energy of playing in front of thousands of people, whether it’s in an abandoned factory or at an open-air party in the middle of nowhere.
As a beatmaker, though, what makes me the proudest is getting recognition from people in the scene whose work I respect, from the MCs I’ve collaborated with or, even more so, from fellow beatmakers.
The same goes for having one of my beats recognised in a beat battle. In that respect, a big shout-out to the Producers Corner and Sampledig, two contests I love taking part in whenever I get the chance. They’ve been a great way to connect with other incredible beatmakers, exchange ideas and keep pushing myself creatively.
Picture Credit: Jenne Grabowski (StudioTrouble)
6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out myself…
Joking aside, I don’t really feel like I’m part of the mad game of music. Even though I’ve been involved in music for most of my life, I’m a complete newcomer when it comes to releasing my own work. After all, this is my very first record.
Music remains the greatest passion in my life, but outside of it, I’m also very happy with my job as an educator, which gives me a great deal of satisfaction.
That said, throughout the process of creating this EP, and especially during the final stages of releasing and promoting it, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have Theo, my label manager at Little Beat More, by my side. I really owe him a massive thank you.
He’s been giving me excellent advice and constant guidance, helping me navigate this whole new world and approach this ‘mad game’ as professionally as possible. So, the advice: surround yourself with the right people, those that approach the game with love, care, and respect.
7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?
Thanks to the beat contest circuit, I’m constantly discovering incredible beatmakers.
One of them is my friend Stan Solo, an incredibly talented artist based in Prague. I wouldn’t exactly call him a newcomer, as he’s been making waves for ages, but I know he’s working on some new music, and I honestly can’t wait to hear what he’ll come up with.
Another big shout-out goes to another dear friend, Haadoob, a Berlin-based beatmaker, whose 2022 EP Words from the Wise was a real gem for me. It deeply inspired me to create something similar.
8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?
Besides the artists I’ve already mentioned, who are all pretty much always in my headphones, I must definitely mention two recent releases that I’ve been listening to on repeat: Luxury Tax by Apollo Brown and Skyzoo, and the latest Czarface album.
Che Noir’s and Rapsody’s latest releases are also absolute masterpieces.
The truth is, thankfully, there’s still a lot of top-class music coming out. Even though the pace of music consumption has accelerated in this digital age, if you’re still able to sit down and listen to an album from start to finish, there’s no shortage of instant classics out there.
9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?
When I’m not making music, I love spending time with my girlfriend and our two children, who also happen to be my favourite people in the world.
Other than that, I love catching a good live gig or heading down to the pub with friends every now and then, although the latter can be a bit risky these days.
Hangovers seem to get worse and worse once you’re past 40, and they tend to drain the energy I’d rather be putting into my projects. So I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to, but it’s always a good fun when I do!
10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?
The first “thing” would definitely have to be Lorenzo Chiabotti, a great friend of mine and an absolutely brilliant sound engineer who took care of all the mixing and mastering on my EP.
We’ve known each other since we were kids, back in our rave days, when we used to get up to all sorts of mischief on the streets of our hometown.
He went on to become a highly respected artist in Berlin’s underground electronic scene and a top sound engineer running his hown studio, Tracks on therapy.
About four or five years ago, when I bought my MPC and started messing around with it, he was always pushing me to get better and encouraging me to take things seriously. Admittedly, he was dying to work on a proper hip-hop record for a change, rather than yet another electronic music project!
Well, we’ve finally made that happen, and now we’re both eager to take things to the next level.
Another thing that’s an absolute must is a couple of cold beers in the fridge for when we’re wrapping up a studio session.
Other than that, I actually do most of my beatmaking at home, where all I really need is my MPC One and a few good records to sample. Oh, and drums that hit hard, of course! ;)
