Hip-Hop: WHYTRI’s KAHUNA

Being a native of New England around this time of the year tests your resolve. This freezing weather also plays its part in lighting fires in artists near and far by forcing them to go inside, hunker down and create. A perfect example is WHYTRI, who splits his time between Boston and Providence, with his newest project, KAHUNA.

KAHUNA is split into two waves that total 15 minutes of music that is easy to get lost in. WHYTRI sets an instant impression with the opening song, “F5FLXX.” The production by MyCompiledThoughts is a perfect partner for WHYTRI’s animated voice and energy. It’s an epic introduction to his music for first-time listeners.

We then slide right into a song that showcases WHYTRI’s personality even more: “SKK” (Stone Cold Knees). If the first song is WHYTRI’s entrance into the ring then this second song is the  match. Here he showcases his flow while dishing out a nice sample size of his rapping abilities. It’s also always fun when WWE wrestling references are thrown around.

After a brief skit, the hilarity continues with the second wave of songs. Each one adds a different flavor to the project, just like the first wave of songs.

The dial-tone driven “XURWIFI,” featuring Providence’s Lily Rayne, is without a doubt the stand-out song. If KAHUNA was an outfit, this song is the shirt that grabs your attention after you’ve glanced at the shoes and accessories. If that wasn’t enough, the self-produced “RUDUMB,” featuring Boston’s Reggie Hue, is the fire hat that says, “Hey, look at me, though.” In all honesty, “SNORKEL ON” gave me the same reaction.

I asked WHYTRI about his message with KAHUNA, and he replied, “It wasn’t so much about getting a point across, but more about showcasing my personality as WHYTRI and really bringing people into my world by giving them different tastes and aspects of my abilities.”

He also mentioned he’s working on another project, random singles, a video and so much more.

Hip-hop is full of a lot of the same. At times it’s downright difficult to sift through all of it and find something out of the norm. The greatest thing I can say about WHYTRI’s KAHUNA is that some artists don’t have to try to be different; they just are.

Stream KAHUNA on Apple Music, SoundCloud and Spotify!