THEARTI$T INTERVIEW: VIPER PRESENTS [2026 BOLD FEATURE]
In a culture often defined by “too-cool” detachment and curated personas, TheARTI$t is choosing a different path: radical vulnerability. Refusing to be boxed in by a single genre or expectation, the New Jersey-raised singer-songwriter crafts a sonic world that is as intimate as a late-night confession and as deep as the 90s R&B influences that occasionally colour her work.
Whether she is opening up about the seasons of heartbreak in her standout track ‘Sober’ or channelling the raw yearning of ‘I Need You’, her creative process remains rooted in the present. Preferring the atmosphere of a dim studio to find her flow, she has transformed personal tragedy—specifically the loss of her brother in 2019—into a driving force to carry the torch for her family’s musical legacy.
From dreams of the WNBA to selling out headlining shows in Atlanta, the woman formerly known as Erica has evolved into an individual who sees art in everything. We caught up with her to discuss the importance of dark lighting, the power of a singing crowd, and why her mum is her ultimate motivation for success.
What five words define your sound?
Vulnerable, raspy, soulful, intimate, deep.
Tell me something unique about your creative process
I prefer to wait until I am at the studio to start writing a song. I feel it’s easier for me to be more present in the moment of whatever it is I’m singing about. I also prefer dim/dark lighting in whatever space I’m creating in.
Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?
I would like them to hear ‘I Need You’ first!
What inspired you to make that song?
I was inspired by the 90’s era with a mixture of the space I was in. That record is me being vulnerable and yearning for love, the opposite of the “too-cool” culture we currently live in.
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This interview is part of our long-form content series, now hosted exclusively on our Substack. To read the full conversation with TheARTI$t and gain access to our archive of deep-dives into the architects of Hip Hop and global culture, head over to the Viper Substack.
[READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE]
@thefcknartist
