More Basquiat than DaVinci – Hoodie Weather [INTERVIEW]

A new trio has emerged on the scene that is here to not only break boundaries between genres but to combine elements of R&B, hip-hop, and electronic production into a beautiful work of art. From the collective minds of Rasp-5, Lucinda, and parkbreezy, the Hoodie Weather trio is taking the underground community by storm. As a part of the all:Lo Collective, this project clearly embodies the label’s innovative niche.

In their self-titled debut album, Hoodie Weather (released on April 4th), Rasp-5 delivers story after story with his lyricism. In each track, he gives perspective in a raw, gritty, and real way. The emotion portrayed in each song is easily felt, especially with the soulful verses that Lucinda effortlessly provides. To quote Rasp-5, her voice is ‘like Santana with Rob Thomas – smooth.’ To top it off, the musical genius (and all:Lo founder), parkbreezy, creates the perfect aura for this project with his unique fusion of lo-fi hip-hop and high-quality bass.

For those audiophiles who have a shared love of lyrical hip-hop and well-produced beats, Hoodie Weather, as well as the all:Lo Collective, should be on your radar. Additional artists featured on this album include STARFOX, MROSE, and pheel.

We got to sit down with Rasp-5 and Lucinda to discuss the album, their creative process & learn more about each of them. They are an absolute delight to know, so throw on your favorite hoodie and read along below:

Getting to know Hoodie Weather with Rasp-5 & Lucinda

Helena Yates, The Electric Hawk: Ever since the first few singles dropped, this album has been highly anticipated. The fusion between electronic, hip-hop, R&B, and soul is perfect. You guys blew it out of the water. How did this project come about?

Rasp-5: Thank you so much! This was a lot of moving parts between us, but originally, we (Rasp-5 & parkbreezy) had an EP back in 2021 doing a collaborative type of thing, but it was never going to be its own project. Parker (parkbreezy) would always send me the beats, and one of the beats he sent me was for “Waves.” I wrote the hook for it, recorded it and sang the hook and it SUCKED. Parker was like “I appreciate you, but that this song might suck.”

Lucinda: Unger (Rasp-5) always knew that I was singing, and we’ve known each other a very long time through my sister. When I was 15, he was playing a show where the female vocalist wasn’t able to make it, and he’s like “Get your sister here, she NEEDS to sing this!” It ended up being this slapdash performance that did not go very well, and Alex said, “Don’t worry. We’re going to make music together one day, I promise. We’re going to get there.” When he hit me up for the song, I thought, “This is the day. We’re going to make music again.” It’s been a much better success than the show.

Rasp-5: So I’m in Brooklyn and they’re in Denver. I set up a recording session for them, and it went super well. Parker was blown out of the water. We call Lucinda Two Take Tina because it only takes two recordings to get it perfect. Every track we did, it became “You know what would make this way better? Lucinda.” It got to a point where she was already on 9 of 11 songs. We were thinking about a name for the album, and the trio felt so right. Instead of calling the album Hoodie Weather, that’s just who we are now.

Lucinda: It was fun to receive a text from the two of them to be like, “Hey, we actually want to be in a band with you.” I was like, “Amazing, yes, I would love to!” Being in the studio with them is super fun. Everything flows really well. We give each other good, constructive feedback, and it’s been pretty seamless, honestly.

HY: I love how you all deliver three completely different elements, but they work so well together. I’m familiar with Rasp-5 and parkbreezy’s prior releases. Lucinda, what has been your musical background?

Lucinda: I’ve been pretty lowkey forever. I’ve always sung and used to do some solo stuff in college, with singing in a few bands here and there. I was in an a cappella group and was a theater kid. I have this musical inclination and a love for it, but I’ve never done anything professional with it. This is all pretty brand new for me. This is my first time putting out an actual release.

Rasp-5: It went through a couple of transitions. At first, we were thinking Stoop Kids or something along those lines. What makes you think of moody hip-hop? We were thinking of fall, windy kind of weather when you’re walking through the city, or just when you’re getting comfy in a hoodie. We wanted it to do something with hoodies, and at first it was just going to be a song, then it was the album, then it was the name of the band.

Lucinda: I love hoodie weather, though. For me, it’s like I’m looking out my window, and yeah, it’s hoodie weather. It’s a vibe. Everyone has that one hoodie where you’re like this makes me want to listen to my favorite band or sit down with a homie and shoot the shit and drink a beer. There’s something so homey and grounding about your favorite hoodie and what hoodie weather is. With all of us together and the different vibes we bring, there’s a little something for everyone.

Rasp-5: We actually had this exact conversation in the studio when we were trying to get the branding out with describing the ethos. Everybody has that one hoodie that they don’t know where it came from, like it got left at their crib. But that one hoodie brings so many memories.

HY: Each of your tracks tells a different story. Are they mainly conceptual, or are most of them real?

Rasp-5: Well, “Ordinary Day” is a completely true story that all happened to me exactly as I rapped it. The funny thing is that it happened when Lucinda’s sister and I were very close, so she was one of the first phone calls I made after the ending of that song. As far as realism, there’s a lot of it, but it’s a mixed bag. I try to pull from my own life a lot, but there’s a lot of symbolism.

HY: One of the bars that really stood out to me was “Tried to send me to heaven but I was blocked from its entry, cause my stroke more Basquiat than DaVinci.” It’s so clever. Would you say that’s an accurate way to describe your creative style?

Rasp-5: I wrote that line specifically after there was this big Basquiat exhibit in New York that I really liked. I came up in the graffiti scene, so a lot of street art. The contradictions and ethos of street art, where it’s art, so you want it to be respected, but the fact that it’s criminal and not really allowed is half of the art. I find that’s reflective of my style. It means a lot to me when fans catch some of the slick bars. I spend a nerdy amount of time on them.

Lucinda: There are so many intelligent and societal references, too. He has cultural references to music and art, and such a specific flow with what he incorporates and brings to life.

HY: The album exudes the all:Lo vibe. How was it getting to perform live in Brooklyn after the release day?

Rasp-5: I got to do some of the tracks, which was super fun. It’s a rapper’s dream his whole life to have people in the crowd know your words. It was a really good time, but it was missing Lucinda. Parker and I have played tracks with the vocals, but his headlining set at Cervantes on April 26th will be the first time we’ll all be together on stage running these songs. We’re going to rehearse the shit out of it and make it theatrical.

HY: I know this is going to be the first official set, but any plans of ever doing a tour?

Lucinda: There’s been conversation and thoughts of it, but since it’s so new, we’re going to let it simmer before anything gets concrete. We want to take the time and make it perfect.

Rasp-5: You had mentioned all:Lo and I want to shout out all of them, especially Parker, obviously, since he’s the genius behind this. Joe (Thought Process), Phil (pheel.), all those dudes have been so good to us. We’re so happy to jump on the release. If we do hit the road, it will more than likely be with those guys.

Lucinda: They are just really good people, too. It feels comfortable when we’re all together, and they’re the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.

HY: So, how did you fall into this underground electronic side of music rather than taking a more traditional route as a hip-hop group?

Rasp-5: It’s something that we just fell into, and Parker always wanted to be so much more than just a bass producer. You look at what he does, and he can do every genre, especially with Lucinda. So soulful, that just making it electronic didn’t feel right. We wanted to be honest with the project, and we knew this needed to be a hip-hop album. The production wasn’t going to be something people had heard before, and we wanted it to be brand new but stay authentic to each of our sounds. At the end of the day, you hear each of us in every song, which I love.

Lucinda: I remember sitting in the studio, and Parker said, “It’s always been my dream to do something R&B.” I feel like this project has been different for sure, but something that has a nostalgic meaning. The greatest compliment I think anyone has ever given me was from him. “I don’t even need to sample Aaliyah, I have you.” I’ve always resonated with R&B and more soulful, jazz-like standards in my pastime, like when I was younger, practicing music. It feels like this is what I’m called to, and it fits so perfectly with this new era.

Rasp-5: Parker is really the thing that tied it all together. The way that I write is a little dense and can be a lot at times. Lucinda is so smooth and soulful, and Parker’s style is so digestible but universal. It’s at the forefront of production. It’s a little electronic but works in every genre. Every time we got in the studio, whatever each of us contributed connected a dot. The album wrote its own story.

HY: The production has really created such a specific and nostalgic vibe. It’s reminiscent of ’90s R&B and boom bap.

Lucinda: Ever since I was little, I was sitting in the back row of my mom’s minivan, looking out the window with rain coming down, pretending like I was in a music video singing TLC. I was just trying to be the ultimate R&B girly in the early 2000s, and I feel like I’ve come into that. It’s such an amazing dream, but I’m glad that’s what it’s giving because it’s exactly what I’m hoping!

Rasp-5: Everyone loves to go back to that era, but at the same time, we don’t want to do what everybody’s done. Again, that’s all Parker. He’s the genius of what he sends us, and it’s funny because we all point to each other when we talk about who the genius is. He’s telling me to shout myself out, which I’m not going to do. I’m always telling Lucinda she’s the heart and soul of the project. We’re all kind of like that Spiderman meme, pointing at each other.

For more of Hoodie Weather, catch their unofficial debut at Cervantes on April 26th.

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