My Favorite Color is something of a nomad. Living in Compton, Pittsburgh, and now LA, the influences of the coasts come together on his Rostrum Records debut album, Velma, where My Favorite Color—or Willis, as his friends refer to him—shines and growls through 30-plus minutes of heartfelt and layered raps.
From bangers (“Dale”) to aching odes (“Funeral”), My Favorite Color delivers a relatable and rugged debut. The textures of his voice hit the heart. His natural rasp and the grain of his delivery give us a classic feel, but his fluid and, at times, deadpan flows reveal him to be the sonic child of Mac Miller and MF DOOM. He is a must-hear artist for this fact alone.
Though My Favorite Color, 23, struggles to be proud of himself, the release of Velma was a necessary exhale he’d been holding for two years. The project was made while Willis was painfully lost two years ago, yet it rings ever-true in the present times with the dour “Funeral” standing as the centerpiece of an album focused on making it and superstardom.
My Favorite Color manifests a lot through his raps, and all of Velma has come true, save for “Funeral,” but he’s not scared to die. His outlook is one of peace and fluidity. Willis is brave, he’s braced himself for a difficult future, but Velma reveals bright days ahead.
Oh, and his favorite color is orange.
You’re a bit of a nomad, living for a time in Pittsburgh and also being from Compton. How does this transience impact your music?
A lot, not even just in my music, but me as a person. The East Coast and the West Coast are so different, even to this day. But it’s so funny because they get so many influences from each other. Growing up in LA was cool for me. It turned me into the person I am to the core. Even just wearing skinny jeans.
Once I moved to Pittsburgh, people were looking at me like I was crazy. I never even saw snow before I moved to Pittsburgh. I met so many different types of people in both cities; it made me understand what certain types of people wanted out of me.
As a Rostrum signee, you’re following a great lineage of Pittsburgh artists. What does the Rostrum co-sign mean to you? Do you think about Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa as you work?
I think about Mac every time I write a word, literally. He was such a huge influence for me, and Wiz, too, of course. It was like I knew [Mac] so well, but I only met [him] twice in my entire life. Early on, Wiz was one of the first rappers I heard of locally. Seeing him make it happen, that’s what made me think Rostrum was that label. This isn’t just some Pittsburgh shit; this is an independent major. After Mac, [I thought] there must be a reason Rostrum artists take off. [Being on Rostrum] means a ton to me.
