In they year of 2009, QWYK had his first performance. Since then, digital artist and rapper , QWYK has been honing his craft. Reeling in his sound and visual inspiration from many eclectic influences and philosophies, Daniel Di Salvo gave himself a unique name that uses and acronym which stands for “Question What You Know”.
Using many sounds and instrumentals, QWYK seems to be drawing inspiration from late 90s hip hop in his track, “This//that”. The track is only a minute long with various bits that are placed cohesively on top of each other while QWYK flawlessly raps his verses. While having a nostalgic sound, QWYK has a sound that seems to walk along the lines of chill hop with the aid of the epiano and 8-bit sound effects. The track itself is very eclectic and Avant garde which is a breath of fresh air to hear and see a music artist create something new and genuine. Lyrically, QWYK seems to be talking about another person or even maybe himself. QWYK is definitely passionate about his craft and work and it can be heard through the music that he creates.Overall,QWYK hopes to make new waves in his genre with embracing his individuality and creativity, which he is definitely accomplishing.
Listen to "This/That" here and get to know more about QWYK below!
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far as a musical artist?
Fighting the urge to fall into whats trendy or what I think people might want or respond to best. And timing. Making sure everything is in order before jumping the gun and releasing something prematurely.
Who or what are your biggest musical inspirations?
Mos Def and Big L are the two that really made me look into rap as real art - they made me really start to put the pen to the pad. More current guys are JID, Buddy, Boogie, Duckwrth, etc. And Trent the Hooligan, bro if you happen to see this, let's make something.
What was the inspiration behind the instrumental sounds of “this//that”?
I plead the fifth
What are lyrics about in “this//that”?
Basically a really elaborate way to say that possibilities are endless. The lyrics alternate back forth comparing likenesses to complete opposites and the track concludes with a melancholy outro: "this, that and the third," meaning it could be one of two extremes or anywhere in between.
How do you personally maintain your individuality while staying true to your genre of music?
Focusing on what a particular moment felt like and trying to maximize that moment into an entire experience. Reminding myself that only I can tell my story.
What's next for you?
Im releasing a couple more singles I have in the vault, and then an 8 track project. Im blowing up in the next year, watch.
Connect with QWYK on social media
www.instagram.com/_qwyk
www.twitter.com/qwykcardino?lang=en