What’s your stage name and where are you from?
My name is Whats His Face, and I’m from Stockton, California, currently living in Cleveland, Ohio.
What’s the story behind your stage name?
I was in a hip-hop band in the Bay Area and was always recognized for what I did on stage, but nobody would ever remember my name. It would always be, “That Asian guitarist-rapper dude in that one band… what’s his face?” People would also see me doing acoustic events and wonder if I was the same person they saw rocking the stage on a hip-hop tip the night before.
Eventually, I embraced the fact that my style is versatile, formless, and faceless, and I decided to go with the name “Whats His Face” or “Face” for short.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
Long and full of self-discovery. I was a b-boy and rapper since elementary school, so my music roots began with hip-hop as my escape from the things going on at home and in the Southside of Stockton. Over the years, I found a way to merge the various aspects of my musicality into one cohesive vision, which has become the sound you hear from me today.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
“Day One” is one of the more interesting tracks in FACE because it’s probably the simplest beat I made production-wise. As a beatmaker, it’s easy to get caught up in wanting to do the most, but once I started writing to it, I realized the beauty of the track came through in its simplicity and lyrics. Many times, less is more.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
To be yourself, whatever that looks like. If that means being vulnerable and airing your issues while you work through them, do it. If it means talking your shit to affirm yourself when you feel like you’re not getting the affirmation you deserve from those around you, do it.
It’s easy to conform in this era of algorithms and viral trends, but I want to make it clear that you can just do you, and those who really matter will pay attention and show love. Express yourself, no matter what your outlet is—don’t hold that in.
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
This was my first fully self-produced solo album where I made the beats, wrote and rapped the lyrics, mixed, and mastered the entire project. Luckily, I had some homies who were willing to feature and make the album feel complete, but it took a lot of time and discipline to get through to the finish line. I’d say it was worth it, though—I’m proud of how it turned out.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one because there are so many artists I look up to and have been inspired by—both producers and lyricists alike. If I really had to pick one, though, it would probably be The Neptunes. Pharrell and Chad Hugo embody the versatility and freedom of creativity I strive for, and they’re living legends. But the list of folks I admire and would love to collaborate with is too long to go into detail here.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
I’m hoping to drop multiple projects and rock the most shows I’ve ever done in a year. I plan on becoming a name that people mention when they think of the hip-hop scene in the Cleveland area.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
I’ll be dropping at least one solo rap album, a beat tape, and hopping on features in 2025, so look out for those. I’m also stepping up my production game and looking forward to having some dope artists hop on my beats. Meanwhile, I already have multiple shows lined up for the first quarter of the year and look forward to rocking the stage like crazy throughout the rest of it. Overall, 2025 is going to be the most active I’ve ever been creatively.
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
Head over to my official website at www.whfmusic.com, where you can find my full discography that includes all of my albums, beat tapes, and features in one place.
What is the best way to contact you if fans want to give feedback or if other artists/producers want to collaborate?
On my website www.whfmusic.com, I have my beat store, contact for features/collaborations, and all that. Hit me up there if you’re serious about working.