Weather Park hopes to carve out his own legacy in Hip-Hop.
The up-and-coming rapper faces the tall task of following in the footsteps of his father, the legendary Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Some artists in Weather Park’s position might try to tap into the Wu-Tang Clan’s loyal audience, but ODB’s son aims to make a name for himself in New York’s drill scene.
Weather Park’s style evokes the popular sound of New York in 2023. He has gone in a completely different direction than his brother Young Dirty Bastard, who takes obvious inspiration from ODB and often performs with the Wu-Tang Clan.
Although Weather Park’s ties to the Wu-Tang Clan are less overt, he’s still part of the family. He’s working with RZA’s 36 Chambers label, which has given him an outlet to drop music and learn from the mastermind of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Following the releases of “Don’t Lack” and “Keep It a Buck,” Weather Park speaks with AllHipHop about his burgeoning career. The New York native discusses his memories of ODB, RZA’s mentorship, why he’s making drill music and much more.
AllHipHop: When people think of ODB’s son making music, they probably think of Young Dirty Bastard and his style. So what drew you to drill music, and are you interested in exploring other styles of rapping too?
Weather Park: Well, to be honest, what I can say is just being from Brooklyn, I’m born and raised in Brooklyn. I spent the majority of my life in Brooklyn. I think it’s more just a little bit of me growing with the time, as far as I can recall, than anybody that’s from Brooklyn that’s into the drill music or into the drill sound from then up until now, can all agree that around 2012, Chief Keef and the whole Chicago movement had New York City in a frenzy and had us in a choke hold, and that’s a major part of our influence. To even bring our own type of sound to that drill genre of rap, of Hip-Hop. Me personally, being that I come from that gritty, Hip-Hop legacy, I still can rap because that’s just what I started with. But I feel like me expressing myself, it was the most.
Just put it together, the thing that it felt more real and organic with me following my time because that’s what I came up in. And I’m not saying I can’t hone in on my skills and I would, hell yeah, I would love to endeavor into different sounds, but I believe, as I came up with my generation, we all understand the same thing at this point. So it’s just the drill scene it’s, and with the drill scene, it’s a little chaotic right now because it’s no structure to it.
So I feel like it can go all over the place with maybe the amount of disrespect that’s being put in some of the records. But outside of that, it’s still just artists expressing themselves, which is Hip-Hop.
AllHipHop: Nice. So I’m wondering, you mentioned the drill scene is taking over right now. Where do you see yourself in the scene? What makes you unique and how do you stand out in that crowd right now?
Weather Park: Well, honestly, I think it’s just more about me being true to myself. I know what I got, nobody else got, and nobody can’t tell my story like me. And I say the same for any other artist. But the difference is, this is when you hear my cadence and the way I’m coming over, just my new single “Don’t Lack.” When you listen to me, you can feel my raw energy. It’s not being pulled from no direction. It’s only being pulled from my core. And not only that, I got a team of wolves that has that same energy and we ain’t come to play. You feel me?
I love the drill scene, and I love the whole tri-state. I love what everybody doing, but I feel like what Weather Park got to bring to the table, is what everybody missing.
AllHipHop: Nice. So you started working with RZA, obviously, and this opportunity with 36 Chambers came about. Can you tell me a little bit about what it’s been like linking with 36 Chambers and what that allowed you to do as an artist?
Weather Park: Well, what I could say is it put me in a very focused state just as far as the direction of my sound. I know I’m good, but I’m constantly challenging myself to be better, just to be exposed to the greatness. It allows me to see myself in a higher light than I’ve ever perceived. You know what I mean? So as I create my music, I still have fun, but I’m creating it in a base of, “What can I?” not even like what, “How can I tell my story in a way that it can resonate with everyone just the same way as Wu-Tang Clan did back in the days?” You know what I mean? So that’s the most impactful part for me. I definitely appreciate the opportunity, and I definitely appreciate the time that we’ve had together because it’s definitely helped me grow as an artist. But the most important thing to me is my impact because I understand how impactful what I come from was.
AllHipHop: I’m curious, before even music, what was your relationship with RZA like, and how has that evolved as you started pursuing music?
Weather Park: Well, I would call him my mentor. I would call RZA and just ask him questions about anything like meditation, thinking, breathing skills, just things to keep the mental health in order. As we both know, I lost my dad. So without my dad, I would say that I had to figure out a lot of things on my own. But having a great mind like RZA just available to speak to me is super [helpful] to my life. Just keeping my head on the swivel, even though I was maybe facing things that an average person from New York City is facing, you know what I mean?
So I think we had a very healthy relationship, and I applaud him for even being in my life, even if it was at its littlest degree. I applaud him for it because the time that he took just to talk to me was enough to let me go back and read a book, you know what I mean? And not just because I’m around the Abbot. It’s more about I have to continuously be teaching myself something. So I don’t know, I guess that’s the perfect way to word it. Yeah, just very impactful. I would say his relationship in my life is very impactful.
AllHipHop: Now, as you started getting into music, what advice or guidance has he provided you and what balancing acts do you do with you making sure you’re true to yourself but also listening to someone that’s seen it all in the game?
Weather Park: Honestly, it’s just about being raw and organic. I think that’s greater than anything. If I’m presenting something that’s in a replication of something else, then I have to take notes. But if I’m looking for pure advice on how to be the best me or to be the best MC, that doesn’t really reflect on my delivery or my cadence. It’s more about my open air. So I felt like through the whole journey of me being myself, it was just, how can I add on pieces to make myself better, not pieces that I can add on to sound more or be something that I’m not clearly, you know what I mean? So the best thing is RZA taking me as me, as an individual, and seeing me in my own light and wanting to help me grow my light. Word.