Wave Chapelle Reflects and Reinvents in Preparation for New Album “Waves Don’t Die”
"Waves Don't Die" is Wave Chapelle's latest album since 2018. (Picture by Gracie Allen)
In the streaming era, artists have unlimited access to an audience. While generating a buzz can happen overnight, only few artists maintain a respected career and memorable catalogue.
When it comes to Hip-Hop, anybody can make a splash, but can artists stay relevant without hopping on another’s wave?
Some wipe out right after they take off. Others hold on to trends and ride the wave before eventually getting washed out to sea. As the industry moves like ripping currents, emcees fight to stay afloat, as new artists attempt to wade ahead.
While some rappers have paddled out to find another swell to ride, Wave Chapelle has decided to stick to his moniker. Like crashing ocean surf, he has taken the plunge into a new creative space. He has reinvented himself for his upcoming project, “Waves Don’t Die.”
“Waves don’t die. When they crash, they recreate themselves and then there is a whole new one,” he said.
Wave Chapelle doesn’t just ride his own wave, he finesses it. For every peak, there is a trough, and it’s during these low periods where refocus and reinvention occurs.
He started his career as a college student in Memphis in 2014. He built a buzz that reached much farther than his childhood home on 32nd and Villard. He later signed to Yo Gotti’s CMG label. After touring and releasing music, he parted ways with the label. He took a trip out west to Los Angeles. He hung around for the rat race for a while, and eventually dipped out to Atlanta.
“I just really like it down here,” he said. “It’s just slower paced. It’s very musically inclined, so there are studios everywhere and people to work with.”
Coming into 2020, he wanted everything fresh. He cut his dreads. He wiped his Instagram and made it only Black and white photos. He eventually linked with producer and engineer combo Menebeats and Dacota G. The three instantly clicked, and they have been working on his new project ever since.
His first single “Mobbin’” was the second song the trio had ever worked on together.
“I think it’s really important to find a certain producer or even an engineer and create a sound— something that’s brand new and fresh,” he said. “It’s like I’m starting on a new canvas.”
The robotic, synth layered bop also saw a remix accompanied by Milwaukee favorite, Ish Darr and Madison native, Ted Park.
Between collaborations with old and new friends, his album was finally coming together, but simultaneously, the world was falling apart.
Wave Chapelle is not about riding the wave, he's about curating the right break. (Picture by Gracie Allen)
Between the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the anger and sadness that came with the uprising following George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Wave Chapelle had to go through different phases during both monumental situations.
He said the first week of quarantine was the easy part. As he started to get comfortable with relaxing, that’s when the writer’s block started kicking in.
“I couldn’t be creative at all. I wasn’t getting inspiration, and it kind of got tough,” he said.
He eventually had his breakthrough period. He created a routine for himself. He challenged himself to do five verses a day. He also made it a mission to read more, and also go outside—even if it was just to listen to music in the car.
As he socially distanced and masked up, he began to flourish. That ended faster than someone could say “pass the hand sanitizer.”
As he watched the aftermath that consumed the world, there was no escaping it. Whether it was on social media, mainstream media or marching down the street, society was reminded that racism and police brutality needed to be addressed, whether it was a global pandemic or not.
“Being a Black artist and seeing your people going through what they’re going through, you’re not really in the mood to talk about music,” he said. “You never want to see your people hurting.”
He said that just like in quarantine he had to take steps to process the situation. At first, he was angry. Then it was questioning what he could do as a young Black man with a platform. It then became about educating himself and those around him.
“There’s a lot of people that are in the music business that aren’t from the culture, and I took the time to educate myself and other people that I work with,” he said.
At one point, he wanted to catch a red-eye to Milwaukee because he saw the pain the city was going through. He wanted to join his community. He reached out to those putting in the work in the streets at home, and marched with movements in Memphis and Atlanta.
He also started using his Instagram “Freestyle Friday” posts to speak his peace. It was his way to use his creativity to share his message with fans and followers.
His second single, “Legacy” was also inspired by his reflection and the movement.
The track’s tone is dark and airy. Hashiem Brown handles the hook, and says it best, “fame is temporary, the light will fade away.” For Wave Chapelle, it’s about his story, the journey. It’s not about going viral for that 10 seconds of fame.
“The recent events in the Black community definitely lead me to drop it as the second single because it’s about being Black, and leaving a legacy. How are we going to be remembered? I wanted to use my platform the right way and stand for something,” he said.
As Wave Chapelle prepares for “Waves Don’t Die”’s August 19 release, he continues to grow as an independent artist. While some may have counted him out after he left his major label deal, he said it was about creating his own aesthetic and gliding across the wave he created from the ground up.
“It makes every win that I get as an independent artist seem so much sweeter,” he said.
“Waves Don’t Die” will be available on all streaming platforms Aug. 19, 2020.
For more information visit, Wave Chapelle on social media: Facebook: @1WaveChapelle, Instagram: @realwavechapelle and Twitter: @wavechapelle