Who Is HAARPER?
The underground San Francisco-born rapper has accumulated hundreds of millions of streams.
HAARPER by Yulissa Benitez
It’s rare for underground musicians to have hundreds of millions of streams, especially early in their careers. For San Francisco rapper HAARPER, however, his punk-rap sound is one to stick to listeners, making for viral worldwide streams. But who is the faceless artist behind the catchy, heavy-bass, dark, and zealous songs?
“Horror movies are an extension of whatever emotions I’m feeling,” says HAARPER. “This kind of music is really aggressive and scary sometimes, but many of my lyrics are things I wouldn’t necessarily do In real life.”
HAARPER is currently on his first headline tour accompanied by Sxmpra and Sinizter. Together, the three boisterous artists make for moshpit-filled shows and a whole lot of adrenaline. While he loves the rush, HAARPER says his favorite parts of the tour are meeting fans and discovering new sides to the music business.
“There’s such a friendly side with all of the fans, but sometimes it feels like a video game,” he says. “I’m always really hard on myself regarding monthly listeners or the number of people attending concerts. It really is a different market in many ways.”
Earlier this year, HAARPER made a name for himself after going on a European tour with Ramirez. Although he’s loved the American tour, he says almost every European show was lit, similar to the major U.S. cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Many songs in the recent past have become shorter in length and lyricism, and HAARPER thinks that’s why he has so many streams. “Wtf U Mean” featuring Freddie Dredd holds over 70 million streams, “The Alchemist” and “Bungee Gum” with over 40 million streams, and “iCARUS” at almost 15 million. Many of his streams come from social media and Twitch streamers.
HAARPER by Eric Richter
“Many artists in the culture are blowing up on TikTok for shorter songs, and that’ll be their number one song,” HAARPER says. “I noticed that the ratio between monthly listeners and actual streams is very good compared to many artists. I take much pride in that.”
Although he’s spent most of his life in San Francisco and the Bay Area, HAARPER grew up as a military kid who moved around a lot. The influence of living in multiple cities translated into his music, with a wide range of beats, flows, and inspirations. Korean artists like Seo Taiji strongly influenced him. He’s also inspired by many grunge and punk bands like Linkin Park, Korn, and more.
“When I first lived in Korea, I started listening to Dirty South like Lil Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Lil White, and Lord Infamous,” he says. “I used to bump them all the time.”
As artists and musicians evolve, they continuously recognize their potential and capabilities. For HAARPER, he learns more about his versatility every day.
“My voice was a huge thing,” he says. “I had this mid-range that I never really liked. Some people have better voices at a higher pitch, which cuts through the mix better. As I progressed with my own mixing and trying different things with my voice, I found what worked. I try to go to the core of things when it comes to music.”
HAARPER believes strategy is the key to success. He hopes to maximize all of his music through engagement with his fans and always presenting the real HAARPER. This means tapping into his more emotional and transparent sides.
“I really want to start working on my legacy,” HAARPER says. “I have a core fanbase, and I want to grow that by feeding them the right products like themed EPs. I want to check off all of the boxes. If I make any changes, it’s always subtle but still under the umbrella of HAARPER.”
