Based in New Orleans, OFFRIP reigns as a trio, composed of Kip and Nye from Brooklyn, and Nick Coleman from Los Angeles. This small empire began in a college dorm closet, melding together culture and music from two immensely influential coastal cities.
OFFRIP creates an atmosphere chocked-full of energy, immaculate production that draws inspiration from both the G-Funk era of California rap as well as the raw, galvanizing, and painstaking grit of East Coast sound, lyrics that delve into themes of urban hedonism, self-reflection, stoic story-telling and occasionally, flat-out vaunting displays of precise delivery and meticulous flow.
“Find Out” is the third track off of the band’s self-titled debut EP. As they make this melody come to life atop yet another seamless display of production by Los Angeles producer Austin1hunnid, they turn heads with this laidback ambiance.
Enrolling the Baton Rouge native and distinguished emcee Wakai, you’re fully immersed in intoxicating melodies that lead to a standout hook resonant with the nostalgic call and response style Hip-hop owns. The smooth cadences take you through waves of talent cascading upon punchy verses and unapologetic energy. Seamlessly flowing in a river of lyrical adroitness, this record acts as a glimmering ode to the artist’s hedonism. The sonic voyage that wavers on the tightrope of Lo-fi, experimental atmospheres drenched in unmatched rhyme schemes, truly establishes the trio in their debut EP.
Allowing us to sink into our seats and minds a little bit more, OFFRIP has us falling into their spell through a mind-altering utopia of charming one-liners doused in a sizzling appetite for their craft. Focused on themes that make them stand apart from the crowd, this collaboration fuses together undeniable chemistry in the dynamism that is OFFRIP and Wakai. We’re excited to hear more collaborations from this force to be reckoned with. Holding your breath between what lands in the carefully crafted lyrics, OFFRIP allows “Find Out” to cast shadows on anyone that dares step to their work ethic and artistic versatility.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, OFFRIP! Congratulations on the release of your single, “Find Out,” from your self-titled EP, “Offrip.” Could you please tell us a bit more about the deeper meaning behind this specific track? Where did your inspiration strike?
Find out is a track talking about the different lifestyles of the south, the west, and east coasts. With artists hailing from each Hip-Hop powerhouse, the slight mannerisms and lifestyle choices mean everything. A mash-up of G-funk and southern bounce, the record was designed to hit close to home from New Orleans, to Los Angeles. The inspiration came in one of the many sessions between Wakai and the OFFRIP trio, getting into working we began talking about all the different nuances of our lifestyles. We made this record to encapsulate these feelings and nuances. How was it working with Wakai to bring this track to life?
Wakai is one of the most talented up and coming rappers from the south, so any time we get to work with him it is a blessing. The chemistry with us within the studio makes the process flow a lot smoother than with other artists. So when we got the opportunity to get him on this beat, we knew the exact direction we wanted to take it. The simple, yet captivating hook is a perfect demonstration of how flawless the workflow between us really is, I think we got that laid in like 10 minutes. Taking a look at the EP as a whole, do you happen to have any tracks that resonate with you more than the others? Why?
The EP as a whole has a lot of standout records. Our favorites are Lilac and Shaolin. These two records display the versatility that we are capable of as a group. With musical influences ranging from all over, we pride ourselves on our ability to keep it original and keep it interesting. Lilac is a modern-day love ballad utilizing electric guitars, distorted vocals, and other traditional rock elements to tell a story. Shaolin, featuring New Orleans artist Kr3wcial, has traditional boom-bap production, paying homage to our group's New York origins. Both are intense in their own right, and we view them as the most powerful tracks on the project. How is it working together as a trio from different areas of the United States? Did Covid play a role in your workflow?
We try to spend as much time together when we are able to, however, traveling especially during 2020 has been difficult. Dropbox and FaceTime are lifesavers, our updated workflow depends heavily on a lot of these technologies. We try and just stay in communication as much as possible with scheduled label meetings and band meetings, all via FaceTime. Covid definitely changed a lot of our workflow, our biggest one being communication when we are not together and sending verses to our producer Fitz. We have found a nice groove however and have definitely got our momentum in this new infrastructure. What can we expect to see next from you?
Music videos are on the way for much of the EP! We are planning to get a visual done for every track on the project. You can also expect solo releases from all of the group in 2021, the first being Nick Coleman’s ‘Off Pico’ project, set to release in February. There will also be a second OFFRIP EP dropping. On the administrative side, we are also continuing to build our podcast and multi-media company ‘Ripped Radio’, nourishing a platform for artists to grow. As our infrastructure gets bigger in 20201, expect OFFRIP to move more as a label facilitating growth all across the creative realm.