A Brief Interview With Dark Trap Artist DownWxlf

I’m, DownWxlf, a 34 year old Dark Trap Artist hailing from the sticks of sunny Southern Maryland. Also known as WXLFHEAD, the Wxlf, PAPA WXLF, etc. I say that my music is the soundtrack to a horror movie that just hasn’t been filmed yet.

That’s a tough question. In middle school I played clarinet, bass clarinet and alto clarinet. Was in chorus too until puberty when I was kicked out and told I was “tone deaf”. So that pretty much stopped me singing. Prolly when I started to dislike my natural voice as well. From Eminem to Linkin Park to Slipknot to Job For A Cowboy. My musical journey just continued to get more heavy and extreme as the years went by. In 2006? Or so I learned how to do some terrible inhale vocals and joined a metal band. “By Silence Betrayed” played some shows, had a lot of fun. In 2007 moved to Maryland and transitioned from inhales to false chord vocals and joined a band that we renamed Apathy Of The Dead. Played some shows again and had some fun. Was involved in the local scenes of both CT and MD from about 2004 til 2010. I had a serious opiate problem at the time and once I got clean and sober I decided to distance myself from everyone. 7 years later I saw the music video to Paris by $uicideboy$ and Scrim made me want to rap. The energy reminded me of the old days at shows. And honestly he came across and still does like a tough guy hardcore vocalist that decided to rap. Originally in 2018 I made one horrorcore esque single and a 4 song emo rap EP. But my demons at the time kept my focus away from music and the scene as a whole. I don’t consider my actual start with this project until my first release (now private) on June 22nd of 2019. The why is easy. I thought metal vocals sounded fucking cool. I thought $crim and ghostemane and Wavy Jone$ all had really ear catching deliveries. Originally I just made a track because I wanted to do it. I never thought anyone would actually listen. We about 100 recorded verses at this point. No sign of letting up any time soon.

Shittt. HXNRYXX, roommate and friend, ex Metal/Hardcore vocalist turned rapper that showed me it could be done. First artist to believe in me. And unlike the big names like I actually know him so it seemed alot more accessible. But there’s a bunch… Lord Gasp – for thinking outside the box and trying new things (specifically high pitched deliveries) Mvko – to use my head voice more SKELETXRN – telling me to try rapping in fry since I was already able to do them in screams BXTCHWRXSTS – for being the first artist in the scene to collab with me and do it consistently. We actually started an official duo last December named EGOBREAKER. YAXTZEE for supporting since the beginning and putting on the show on June 18th in Dallas. Brian Spencer, NetuH, Brutei for being the first producers to believe in me and my art. SALIVA GREY – for telling me September 2019 when we met that I needed to work on my flows (which I did) and that I had a unique voice 99ZED for believing in me and putting me on my first show as DownWxlf SHUNNED – for just bouncing ideas off of and helping me with the way I structure projects now PAUL BERRA , FilthyWayz, CASEY HEENAN for all seeing my potential when I couldn’t. Xstitch – for being the best engineer and friend anyone could ask for. RXZOR and DAGAS for keeping the beats flowing. Pezzhead for telling me I needed to get more punchy. Kaykillius and 9a9ayaga for my recent wave of single art. KARASU SQUAD for all the AMV love. I’m sure there’s more, but I definitely didn’t do this on my own and don’t do this on my own. Y’all did it.

EGOBREAKER decided to remaster Topsy Turvy and re-release it. That comes to all platforms this Friday, July 11th. Produced by Xateratsu. I got a show in Richmond, VA with 187 Collective (SALIVA GREY, 99ZED, ODIATO44, WUTIT DUBICH) on June 12th. My single Boba Fett drops on June 16th. Produced by RXZOR. A show in Dallas, TX with YAXTZEE, YUNG RARE, EMOTIONAL XAN, RenTheThird, VALLEY, Gannon and more on June 18th. My song Cross Bearers (feat. Mvko) drops on June 30th produced by Sect Unit. My song Lex Krueger drops on July 14th produced by RXZOR & Roosevelt My song with my good friend SHUNNED titled Metro Sexual Megatron drops on July 28th Also have a whole new EP with my duo EGOBREAKER titled “WELCOME TO HORRORWOOD” dropping sometime this summer. Produced by VxCxOUS. September 19th I have a collab track with a big artist coming to the Scroll channel on YouTube as well. Honestly there is so much music in the works right now it’s crazy.

Honestly just my close homies in this music shit. They’ve already been listed before. I guess opening for Slipknot or $uicideboy$ would be some crazy shit too.

There is absolutely no local scene in Southern Maryland for underground rap. From what I know of Baltimore and D.C. they are more trap centric and don’t really cater to the “dark” genres. I’m one of a handful of artists even making this kind of stuff in Maryland.

in 5 years honestly I don’t know. Hopefully creating and touring full time. That’s the dream right? But I could also be back running my own commercial fishing boat or driving a big rig. Hopefully marry my partner and start a family. Buy my house and build a studio. In 10 years, the same as before but just bigger and more sustainable.

My favorite song under DownWxlf out as of right now would definitely have to be Wrong Turn. Check out the AMV on Toxic Gang YouTube. But if you’re reading this after July 14th or 28th. Go listen to Lex Krueger or Metro Sexual Megatron. If we are talking my duo EGOBREAKER definitely go listen to either BILLY MAYS or NETFLIX & KILL.

Just be yourself and love yourself. This project is the first time completely being myself. I’m weird, eccentric and can supposedly can grow a sick beard. I’m clean and sober, never rapping about drugs or the glorification of them. I’m descended from Scandinavia and have Norse blood, some of my beliefs can be found in my lyrics. I’m also descended from the Donner Party and some of that can be found in there too (second part is a joke). I’m just a laid back dude trying to enjoy life. Y’all be kind to yourselves.