Raquel Divar bringing the heat to The Thesis with Cory O on July 6—photo by Renée LopezLast week, The Thesis celebrated its first-ever live video premiere, a cut from rising star Raquel Divar. Part of what makes the Portland scene so unique is that opposed to other cities, Portland has no signature rap sound of its own so folks like Divar have the opportunity to bring something entirely different to the party and still fit in. Divar brings a fierce flow and a beat selection that's a lot closer to the grime side of things than most of the acts who have graced The Thesis stage before.
She has a new collaboration with West Coast bass producer Cory O and the video in question is the pair's for a track a called "Vandals." I had a chance to ask Divar a few questions about the video, which you can watch below the interview.
Tell me how this video came together. What about this song made you decide to do a video for it? And how did you connect with Tim Slew (best known for providing visuals for EYRST) to make the video?
When I first heard the original beat for "Vandals" I knew we had a heater in the works. Before I was even done writing Cory and I agreed that we wanted "Vandals" to be the first single off our project and we wanted to come out swinging with a dope visual. This was one of those songs where the beat, the raps, the patterns, the vibe all just all really came together. This is the fourth video Cory and I have done with Tim; he always comes through with great ideas, amazing camera work and editing. This is the first multi-scene video we've done with him and we're super happy with how the video turned out.
Tell me about your relationship with producer Cory O. When did you start working together?
Cory and I started working together in 2011 and started playing shows together in 2013. We gravitated towards each other because we have an incredibly similar taste in music and that's where our whole sound stems from: dark, sideways hip-hop with heavy bass. The last full set we played together was at What The Festival in 2016. Since then we have been focusing all our energy on the album.
What about your sound do you feel makes you unique within the Portland scene?
I've always been in my own lane as far as my rap style and beat selection goes. You can really hear my love for electronic bass music and my love for lyrical hip-hop in my work. I like to stay inspired and not pay to much attention to what the current "hot style" is—I just do my own thing.
What can fans expect from your next project? Is there a full-length in the works?
We've been constantly working on new tunes and are putting together a collection of tracks for our full-length. Fans can expect a wide range of tempos, beat styles, heavy bass, and diverse lyrical content all tied together with our dark, atmospheric sound.
What are your favorite songs of 2017 (so far)?
Vince Staples: "Big Fish"
Dizzee Rascal: "Space" (produced by Salva)
Kali Uchis: "Tyrant" (feat. Jorja Smith)
Kendrick Lamar: "Loyalty" (feat. Rihanna)
