Hi everyone, Yallthony Madtano here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Tierra Whack mixtape, WHACK'S MUSEUM.

Here we have a new surprise mixtape from Philly's own, Tierra Whack. Rapper, singer, songwriter, and to kick off this review, I'm just gonna come out and say it: I think Miss Whack here is honestly one of the best rappers of her generation. The problem is, though, that you wouldn't know it. I mean, her debut album Whack World did have just so much going for it: absurdist humor, unique lyricism, a strange allure to it, almost like a sad take on a Pee-Wee's Playhouse sort of energy.

But the appeal of the project was kind of niche, and personally I did kind of wish it was a little longer and more developed. As vibrant and as versatile as it was, the record did bring her a lot of momentum and attention though. However, I don't think she was able to immediately capitalize on it in the moment. Even with a pretty impressive 2019 XXL Freshman cover showing, because it took us a while to get the follow-up to this record, about six years later, WORLD WIDE WHACK in 2024, which I and many others found to be a kind of underwhelming listen due to this project's very skeletal instrumentation and kind of bare song structure builds.

I mean, for sure there were amazing moments here and there, especially "27 Club," where Whack dove into, in a really compelling way, some of the dark thoughts and mental health struggles that she had been struggling with for the past several years. Still, though, the rest of the project did feel like it was falling very much short of the very high ambitions she went into WORLD WIDE WHACK with, because she was focusing a lot less on her rap skills with this record and leaning a lot more into alternative pop and R&B.

But again, the production and writing just wasn't quite there to make this transition successful. But yeah, unfortunately I did walk away from this record kind of bewildered, because we have someone here who is just so obviously immensely talented and standout, but there's maybe some kind of disconnect preventing her from going to where she needs to be.

Is it the execution? Is it a lack of support? I don't know. But maybe what Tierra Whack is doing here on WHACK'S MUSEUM is the answer, for now. Because what we have here is essentially a back-to-basics mixtape, no more, no less, where we are getting just straight-up rap and rap only, for the most part. I mean, even the opening lines on this thing are "They said I should rap more / What more can I ask for?"

So, in a way, maybe this tape is Miss Whack kind of answering demands, or bouncing back from maybe an ill-conceived move with the last record. I mean, in one breath I would hate to think that the genesis of this tape is maybe the feeling that she has been backed into a corner and has nowhere else to go, but if that is the case, I think this project is the sound of Whack kind of fighting her way out of that corner effortlessly, and in the process putting on a master class of wit, humor, wordplay.

Of course, I can't downplay the flows on these tracks, either. Tierra's relation with rhythm on these beats is just incredible, pretty much bending herself to the best and most creative pockets on pretty much every beat here, sometimes literally. Like, on the opening track, for example, which is one of a handful of Conductor Williams beats that lands on this tape, which is a surprising choice because I feel like his sound is most closely associated with the kind of dark, gritty vibes of Griselda Records.

But simultaneously, his production does consistently have this almost kind of warped, detuned quality to it, where it's veering a little bit in and out of tune and tempo. And in the case of "Whack Job," there is a point where the beat is slowing down so much, it's gradually grinding to a halt, and over the course of that change, Tierra raps perfectly along with this slowing tempo, to the point where she's even, like, slurring many of her vowels and kind of melting along with the beat.

In total, WHACK'S MUSEUM is 12 tracks that together run 27 minutes. You can do the math on that. Clearly, there are at least a handful of songs on this thing that I do personally wish went longer.

If anything, that really is the Achilles heel of the tape. Maybe some tracks could have used another verse, or even maybe a guest. Clearly, once again, Tierra is kind of sidestepping too much focus in the world of song structure, too. But honestly, the beat choices and the rapping on this thing is so consistently good, that's not too much of a factor.

Because just as enjoyable as the opener is the follow-up "WAX PAPER," which features more Conductor Williams production, except this time Tierra meets the grim vibe of this beat with a more determined delivery. But even with a deeper sense of conviction on this track, that doesn't stop Tierra from dishing out all of these lyrical "a-ha" moments with a bit of humor. "Gotta visit with the dentist 'cause of all these plaques / Sleep man, I hardly nap, on point like a party hat / I just want my credit, man, I promise I don't need cash / pull strings like a tea bag, pray in my Gucci knee pads."

And these witty lyrical moments continue on to the track "BRAZILIAN WAX," where we can hear Tierra talking her shit once again against some really classy soul chops, comparing her to some of Philly's best like Meek Mill and saying she's "doper than veins." But my favorite lyrical moment on this track comes in the form of "My brother turnt his back, it hurt me, I can't front / All you had to do was grind to get exactly what you want / You a chump, shit, I got you out your slump / Gotta hand it to you 'cause that's exactly what you want."

What a hilariously complicated way to say a very simple sentiment, like, "You're too lazy to get up and get for yourself what you could through your own talents and abilities, but instead you want me to do it for you, and as a result, I gotta hand it to you." Not in a happy or a celebratory or a congratulatory way, but instead, "I have to do the work and give you what you feel you're owed because you're not willing to put in the effort yourself."

And actually, I lied. This is maybe not even my favorite bar on this track. "Go outside and see clones, you're never truly alone / that may go over your head, hm, you know a drone," like a drone flying over your head, and a drone like just another worker bee or whatever.

And the way during this moment, and many other bars on this record as well, where Tierra will sort of like knowingly pause in the midst of a line, and it just makes these moments come across so much more conversational in a way, effortless, like delivering these bars that are very clearly written in such a methodical way but presenting them as if, you know, you're just kind of saying this shit off the top of your head and you're just talking to somebody face to face.

The song "WIGGIDY WHACK" brings the creepy aura back, but I feel like beats of this type on this record only cause Tierra to bring out some of her most cartoony similes. "Cruella de Vil, 'cause I'm coming for my spot,' dawg / You whack without H, so that means you a knockoff / I'm bolder, which implies I gotta get my rocks off." And again, not only do I continue to be impressed with the writing on these tracks, but the way Tierra will meld certain words to sound like other phrases, like the song "TOTEM" where the hook is kind of pronounced as if she's saying "told 'em," something that is done in another way on bars like "He only feelin' froggy because he toad," while saying "toad" like "told." A

nd look, even with a lot of these songs running pretty trim and pretty brief, the memorable moments, or the tracks that somehow make a pretty bold impact despite them being as bare-bones as they are, continue. Be it on, "GODDA," which has a classic '90s boom bap cut feel, or "SIREN," which is a really awesome blend of rap and soul that I think could have been on one of Tierra's past two albums. I love the way she's able to lyrically dive into her sadness, her emotional and personal struggles, while also addressing this tendency in her life to eat right, focus more on her health, so now as a result her tears taste like cold-pressed juice. Kind of showing that, yes, you can put all of this effort into being healthy and maintaining your body, but still somehow be an emotional wreck.

Also, the bar "Even Stevie see my hunger" is insane. I'm sorry, that's out of fucking pocket.

And honestly, some of the highlights just get better and better as this project continues. "QUEENS CROWN" is a gospel-flavored stunner, where this tape takes a more contemplative turn and continues to dish out cute one-liners like "Officer, I'm the ticket, so that's why I be running lights." But also, also, "Shorty got a grudge, she mad 'cause I ain't know her /Hit the studio, animal, I ain't Noah." "Animal" like "and I'm all," "I ain't Noah" because Noah the ark. And then Noah going into "Flood the streets with heat, ask Skeei, I'm a flamethrower." It's just so good. Tierra's just too good.

I'm also inspired by the confidence on tracks like "EARWAX" as well, where we get more hilarious and clever phrases and bar builds. Like, "Do I have to spell it out? / I'm the sugar, honey / Do I have to pour it out? / You can call me iced tea." Meanwhile, the first letters of those words— sugar, honey, ice, and tea— spell out "shit." She's saying she's the shit.

I'm also loving the emotional depth on "TWO FIFTEEN" as Tierra sort of, you know, drops all these lyrical odes and nods to her mother, which are beautiful. And we have a great ending on "FLOWERS" too, where she is, yes, demanding her flowers, demanding the credit, the respect that she deserves as an artist of her caliber, which again, I feel like after this lyrical showing, she is very much owed. I mean, even on this track, for her to say, "Hate you out the blue, I'm like, damn, I see how Nipsey felt / Cut from a different cloth, I'm like silk." That is insane. That is crazy. There's so many layers to "Hate me out the blue." I'm sorry, but like, Tierra Whack continues to be one of the biggest anomalies in rap today, because there are just so few artists who you could say are writing on this level, and are doing so very clearly, with a recognizable style, and just writing on their own.

Tierra Whack is not coming at all this with, like, a million and one ghostwriters or anything like that. Like, she's putting on a show, she's showing people what lyrical quality standards can be in 2026, without coming across overly pretentious, or technical, or corny.

I mean, y'know, sidebar, maybe some people won't quite take some of the poop bars lodged into some of these tracks all that positively, but I thought they were funny. But again, despite this tape being as short as it is, and I do feel like that is its biggest issue because like there's just so much here that's so good, of course it like leaves me wanting more.

But yes, as much as I am enjoying and appreciating and loving this tape and nearly everything Tierra did on it, I'm sitting here with my fingers crossed and hoping, hoping, hoping that this is like really just the beginning and that Tierra can build from here and deliver something that, you know, is not just as good as this tape is, but is widely and broadly recognized for its creativity, for its genius, because writing and wit and wordplay like this I don't think should continue to go overlooked. Which is why I'm feeling a light 8 on this project.

Tierra Whack. WHACK'S MUSEUM. Forever.