Upon hearing the name ‘Warhol,’ most people think of the acclaimed creator of pop art, Andy Warhol. Well, as modern rap fans know, there’s a new person to tie to the name—Chicago rapper Warhol.SS.
This skilled wordsmith is dedicated to creatively voicing his fascination with the world around him, which in a way is a continuation of the legacy of Andy Warhol himself. Considering his stage name was inspired by the legendary artist, it’s only right.
THE RISE OF WARHOL.SS
The 26-year old Warhol.SS was born Zahir Myles and raised in Chicago, which he will proudly tell anybody who asks. At age 16, he moved to Atlanta, one of the most essential cultural hubs in hip-hop. Though he undoubtedly carries some of the marks of a “Chicago rapper,” one can’t ignore the way life experience influences an artist, no matter how subtle. This tiny detail is one of many that manifest in the ever-creative works of Warhol.SS.
Like many of the most beloved artists in the current hip-hop scene, Warhol.SS saw his first musical success on SoundCloud. Beginning with the song “UNTITLED16” in 2015, he developed a core fanbase that would continue to relentlessly support him throughout his storied career to date.
On SoundCloud, there’s a lot you can find, but one thing in particular that is inarguably present is the apex of the underground scene. Other noteworthy artists who’ve started their career on the platform created their sonic take on the underground—and popularized it. Warhol.ss is continuing this tradition with an inimitable sound of his own.
Seven years ago, on the heels of his initial buzz on SoundCloud, Warhol.SS had his debut Lyrical Lemonade music video with Cole Bennett for his song “Speed Racer,” which is now at nearly 4 million views on YouTube. He’s gone on to have seven more videos directed by Bennett; those familiar with the platform know just how special that is.
At the end of October, Warhol.SS dropped his latest album, 3200 Vol. 2, and it’s safe to say it’s some of his best work to date. The record has been receiving widespread praise from publications like Our Generation Music, who wrote: “3200 Vol. 2 isn’t just another record; it’s an embodiment of artistic evolution.”
WARHOL.SS in 2023
“3200 Vol. 2 isn’t just another record; it’s an embodiment of artistic evolution.”
Our Generation Music
Shortly after the album release, Warhol stopped by the ONE37pm office to sit down with us and talk about the album, his career to date, his vision for the future, and more.
You might be wondering what the “SS” in Warhol.SS stands for. As it turns out, it means “super speed,” which reflects Warhol’s love for cars; it’s been that way ever since he was a kid. He’d be playing with Hot Wheels all the time—and not just any Hot Wheels: SS Camaros, Monte Carlos, and Grand Nationals, amongst other models that only true car fanatics could fully appreciate. In our interview, we noted that the Midwest is a hotspot for such car fanatics, which makes sense considering it was where most of the auto industry growth of the 20th century took place in the United States.
“Detroit’s right there by Chicago, so we get a lot of the Chrysler cars,” Warhol.SS explains. While on that topic, Warhol had to shout out G.T.: “You know G.T.? He probably got the craziest car collection in Detroit. He was one of the first people that I tapped in without the D—before me and Face (Babyface Ray) got locked in, before me and anybody from the D locked in. Matter fact, shoutout to Shooter Jimmy, he’s the one who connected us.”
Those who are already familiar with Warhol might’ve come across his music through one of his many tasteful collaborations with artists of all scales: Babyface Ray, Famous Dex, Lil Mosey, Shoreline Mafia, Trippie Redd, Ski Mask the Slump God, 2ski, CEO Trayle, Kenny Beats, Dilip… the list goes on and on. One thread that stays consistent throughout Warhol’s music is the tightly-curated nature of it all. From recording artists to producers, videographers, and every role in between, Warhol.ss carefully chooses the best creatives to surround himself with. The same attention to detail is demonstrated in his lyrics and flows; yes, “flows” plural, Warhol has an arsenal of vocal approaches that are bound to sonically satisfy listeners. It’s not common for his listeners to get bored of his style: it’s ever-evolving, yet somehow constantly on-point.
Cars, Andy Warhol and Competition
Warhol.SS is a specialist at turning his experience of the world around him into modern art—in rap form, and his beloved cars are no exception to that rule. You’ll notice that theme is present throughout his discography—like on the aforementioned Lyrical Lemonade debut, “Speed Racer,” as well as a track like “Servin and Swervin” off of 3200 Vol. 2.
The project is, as Warhol puts it, “an ode to the 3200 tape that Larry League dropped. Shoutout to my boys Larry League.” The impressive body of work is a sequel to the 2017 tape Warhol dropped on SoundCloud, which was a compilation of some of his hottest songs on the platform at the time. The 16-track collection of timeless bangers has only four features: Rich the Kid, Babyface Ray, DaeMoney, and oym. Warhol explained his process for creating this special sequel to a SoundCloud classic: “I wanted to have some old, different, unique sounds on there—but on some new and improved shit. Refined and polished.”
“I wanted to have some old, different, unique sounds on there—but on some new and improved shit.
Refined and polished.”
If you’re familiar with the pop artist Andy Warhol, you know that he had a special creative relationship with Jean-Michel Basquiat. The two were artists who stayed true to their own creative identities, and their collaborations enhanced their respective sense of self-familiarity. This same premise lives in the work of Warhol.SS—and it’s made perfectly clear on 3200 Vol. 2. When you listen to the song with Rich the Kid, “HELLSTAR,” you’re struck by a sense of nostalgia upon hearing Rich’s verse. It’s Rich the Kid at his best, something reminiscent of his Rich Forever series with Jay Critch and Famous Dex. This is a shining example of Warhol’s artistic prowess; he helps to bring the best out of other artists because he’s always bringing his best when he’s working. Upon releasing the 3200 Vol. 2 tracklist, he witnessed fans hating on his selection of Rich the Kid for a feature: “‘A Rich the Kid feature in 2023 is crazy,’ they’d say—and the same fans would renege their statement once they listened, like, ‘Nah, he just walked on that shit.’”
Warhol’s vision speaks louder to him than the hate he encounters on social media: he already knew just how perfectly Rich the Kid would fit on the project, and their collaboration speaks to how true his vision was in the end.
As Warhol.SS puts it himself, “If I do a song with a n***a, then I fuck with you, first off. I demand the best out of anybody I’m fucking with. I demand THE best. You know how in the old days everybody would be trying to kill the next n****’s verse? The only way that you can make a crazy (collaborative) song is if both people is like, ‘Nah, I’m tryna destroy this n***a’s verse.’ But not so far off that it seems like two different songs, though.”
This competitive angle drives the creative chemistry between Warhol and his collaborators. It is impossible to disregard the uncanny similarity between the artistic drive of Warhol.SS and the renowned founder of pop art. Great artists just have a way of bringing out the best of other artists.
Warhol’s genuine appreciation for Larry League and other niche artists who are notably talented but relatively underappreciated is a clear indication of his vivid familiarity with the underground music scene, regardless of genre. Considering his level of underground awareness, we had to ask Warhol what artists in particular he’s been rocking with lately. His answer?
OT7 Quanny, Skrilla, Wizz Havinn, Devstacks, and OsamaSon, to name a few.
Warhol.ss has a particular taste, so it’s only natural that he doesn’t resonate with all types of genres. In our interview, he mentioned that he doesn’t necessarily like rage music. Despite not being a fan, he noted that he’s got respect for the artists in the subgenre who have found their means of innovating: “It’s certain rage artists I fuck with because they take their own interpretation on it; it doesn’t necessarily sound like they’re making the same songs all the time… If you put your own spin on it, your own vibe, then I fuck with you. Anything that’s different from the norm but still sounds sonically fire is always gonna catch my ear.”
The Beats
Beats are obviously a huge part of Warhol.SS’ art. “Every beat, I’m thinking: ‘Can I record a crazy ass video
to this?’ before I even start recording a song,” he says. “I made the whole project sound cinematic, from the intro all the way through to the outro. I’m trying to have every song on some shit that you could hear it in
the car, you could hear it at the club, you could hear it at the crib. You can play this project literally
anywhere and it’s gonna put you in a whole different vibe, a whole different mood than whatever you was in.
I wanted it to be a project that someone could put on, and it’d make them wanna go hustle, wanna go do this, wanna go do that.”
“I made the whole project sound cinematic, from the intro all the way through to the outro. I’m trying to have every song on some shit that you could hear it in the car, you could hear it at the club, you could hear it at the crib."
Before we wrapped the convo we spent a little time on our “Type Beats” social series, prompting Warhol.ss to speak on how the particular niche of YouTube content is relevant to his career: “I do this shit myself, that’s the funny shit. I literally be sitting Googling my ‘type beats’... sometimes they be sounding fire, sometimes they be sounding left.” After that, we showed him five different type beats named after him on YouTube, and he said he’d rap on all five.
It’s safe to say that Warhol.SS is an extremely talented creative with a knack for consistency—who is more than living up to the promise his name implies. In a world where moments are celebrated more than successful, long-term careers, Warhol.SS is sticking to what he knows to be true. He’s evolving as an artist himself, and helping other artists to do the same in the process. If you aren’t already familiar with his expansive discography of top-notch hip-hop, here’s your chance to familiarize yourself with an artist who keeps proving his prowess, time and time again.
By: Mike McLaughlin
is Gamely Continuing the Warhol Legacy
Chicago Rapper Warhol.SS
Images shot by @carsonkenned.y (unless otherwise noted)
is Gamely Continuing the Warhol Legacy
Shot by @guyonmarz
Shot by @guyonmarz
is Gamely Continuing the Warhol Legacy
Images shot by @carsonkenned.y (unless otherwise noted)
is Gamely Continuing the Warhol Legacy
Chicago Rapper Warhol.SS
By: Mike McLaughlin
Shot by @eric.klx