Q&A: The Unusuals Serve Some Chill Vibes in Latest Single “PRESSURE”
HALLOWEEN MIGHT BE BEHIND US — but The Unusuals are here to bring some of it back. Born as a pandemic project, the two founding members by the stage names of Ninjaface and Xperience, aka XP, originate from the Pacific Northwest collective group Oldominion. Their vampire-themed music video for their single “PRESSURE” perfectly accompanies their flawless rapping, chill bits, and lowkey chorus.
They’ve recently released their first full-length homonymous album, featuring 18 tracks, or 50 minutes of the same vibe served in the above-mentioned music video.
Between one verse and the next, Ninjaface and Xperience took some time to answer some questions for Luna. Read below as they talk about their inspirations, how their writing has changed with collaboration, and how “Pressure” came to be.
LUNA: Who are The Unusuals? How and when was this collaboration born?
NINJAFACE: I’m Ninjaface, one-half of The Unusuals. The Unusuals is a duo group with Xperience, aka XP, and myself. Both of us come from the PNW collective group Oldominion. The project was born in 2020, during the pandemic. Being quarantined within our homes, there were a lot of online interactions between friends, online gaming, etc. I was working on some solo material and wanted to collaborate with XP. At the time, Griselda had just made waves in the industry, and we were inspired by the grit of their sound. We got to recording more songs together and after a few decided, why not just start a duo group? And that’s how we were born.
LUNA: How has your writing evolved together?
NINJAFACE: We tried to push each other to write better than we did on the previous track. We had no expectations except to rap better than your favorite artist. You can feel it on every cut.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
NINJAFACE: We were inspired by Griselda a lot in this one. We really appreciated how they reached back in time in hip-hop when the technical side was really appreciated. We tried to do the same in our own way.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
NINJAFACE: I’m extremely proud of every single leading up to this latest one, “PRESSURE.”
LUNA: How did you develop the style present in the new single? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
NINJAFACE: XP and I had different influences growing up. I’m from Virginia Beach and he’s from the Midwest, hailing from Chicago and Indiana. I grew up listening to a lot of East Coast artists, Wu-Tang being a major influence along with artists from NYC. It wasn’t until I moved to Washington State in 1996 that I started being introduced to independent underground hip-hop. I listened to West Coast music as well at the time, but mainly NWA, Snoop Dogg, etc., but it was the underground scene that spanned across the country that really helped me find my own voice in everything from Company Flow to Project Blowed. That had played a major impact on how I would later develop my own style.
LUNA: What inspired “PRESSURE,” and how did it come to life?
NINJAFACE: With “PRESSURE,” it was more of the final touches that were wanted to round out a complete album. We wanted to step into the realm of double-time sequence signatures. It was the production that took us in that direction. I remember XP saying we need something different to add to the arsenal. He came up with the hook, and it was over! One of the few songs that we both actually recorded in the same spot.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
NINJAFACE: The track was produced by Theory Hazit. He was sending us a handful of beats at the time because we were in the out for something that spoke to us, and boom, a track was born.
A dream producer would have to be, for me, DJ Premier.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you balancing your day job with your music career?
NINJAFACE: Music is not my main occupation. It’s something that I cannot live without. However, it’s a struggle to make ends meet. When I first started recording and making music that was published, I was also responsible for raising a daughter. Before I made music, I worked in the aviation field, so shortly after she was born I started contract work in order for me to maintain a course to continue touring and creating while also having an income to supplement a living.
LUNA: Have you toured as The Unusuals?
NINJAFACE: We have yet to tour as The Unusuals, however we look forward to doing so. We’ve done a couple of shows here and there but would like to touchdown in areas that span the globe.
LUNA: What's next for The Unusuals?
NINJAFACE: More music, of course!
