by Melissa Komar
“When I get on stage, people already form assumptions of what I will sound like,” Whitney Peyton explains. Disregarding the ancient, proverbial saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover,’ and given her image and background, it’s easy to conjure up an idea of what genre the twenty-four year old emcee will represent. A native of the Bucks County area just outside of Philly, one might assume pop songs or rock anthems to be the majority of Peyton’s musical repertoire. Rap would probably be a pretty unlikely guess, but contrary to any preconceived notions, Whitney Peyton is a rapper, and has been for the past six years.
“I always knew a wanted to be an entertainer. It started in grade school with poetry and lead to spoken word competitions. In high school, I really started pursuing it [rap career], but a lot of times I was too young to be in the clubs to perform,” Peyton jokes as she recalls her path to becoming a rap artist.
So how does the girl with the blonde hair and rock attitude and mentality dispel the stereotypes associated with hip hop artists? For one, Peyton stays true to herself. “I’m not going to pretend I grew up in the hood,” she states. On her image, Peyton adds, “I’d consider it [image] if Machine-Gun Kelly, Pink, and Eminem had a baby.”
She also sets herself apart from the mainstream image of rappers by singing her own choruses. “So many rappers don’t write something melodic and don’t sing their chorus,” acknowledges Peyton. Although she admits she is first and foremost a rapper and doesn’t have what would be considered the greatest singing voice, she refuses to compromise this aspect of her music and references Eminem, one of her musical influences, as an example of this.
(photo credit, Jason Radoski)
Peyton also strives to generate a more positive impression of rap music in general. Since launching her independent rap career (she has no manager and is not signed to a record label), Peyton has immersed herself in several charity ventures, most notably Philly’s “Unlitter Us” campaign and the anti-bullying movement. In support of the anti-bullying movement, Peyton wrote lyrics and provided her vocals for All About Bullies…Big and Small, which went on to win the 54th Grammy Award for children’s album. Everyone involved in the album, like Peyton, are considered independent, which made the win an even more impressive feat. “Winning the Grammy was awesome because it proves you can do things independently…I mean, we were up against Disney,” reveals Peyton.
Being independent isn’t easy, Peyton admits, and Team Underdog, the movement associated with her music, centers around that. Explaining the movement, which is a lifestyle and a mentality, Peyton says, “I feel like so much like an underdog in this industry. I went to mainly white school. I was the only girl on my recent tour.”
But she also acknowledges the movement is one of believing in yourself. “You really can achieve anything despite your background. Don’t wait to be discovered, discover yourself. You are your big break.”
So, what can we expect in the upcoming year from one of the game’s up-and-coming, underdogs? She recently finished a Canadian tour with Twiztid and a national tour with Potluck and rap great R.A. the Rugged Man. Another tour is currently being shopped around, with February being the next possible time to check her out in Philly.
Her first full-length album, entitled On the Brink, is expected to drop by the end of this month. Peyton admits that she expects mixed reactions, with songs ranging from dance numbers to hardcore rap rhymes. Although the album will encompass an eclectic mix of styles, Peyton assures that her distinct flow stays consistent over the nothing less than fourteen tracks debut. Aside from a collection of versatile songs, listeners can also expect collaboration with a legendary rapper who Peyton categorizes as, “really hood,” although you’ll have to wait for the album to find out who it is.
For the most up to date information on her new album and future U.S. tour, be sure to check out Whitney Peyton’s website, http://whitneypeyton.com/, and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyPeytonMusic.
