Interview with Boy Pierce

Boy Pierce is a rapper and producer from Wilmington, DE. His music has been featured on CNN, Barstool Sports, and Adweek, and he’s performed at New York City’s Webster Hall and Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory.

Pierce’s viral “Nick Foles” music video reached over one million people. His “Seinfeld Ultimate Tribute” song was shared by actor Jason Alexander and his “DeSean Jackson” music video was shared by NFL star DeSean Jackson, a song that Pierce performed live on Philadelphia’s Fox29 TV station. He has opened for national touring acts like Mac Lethal, Froggy Fresh, and MC Lars. His 2018 album Homemade featured underground hip hop icon Esoteric of CZARFACE, as well as Nerdcore and “lit-hop” pioneer MC Lars. His latest album Mixed Goods was released in 2020.

Are you finding the isolation of the pandemic conducive to your writing or is it hindering the experiences you can write about?

While content (e.g. lyrics) was more difficult to create in isolation, composing music was very effective during the pandemic. I started taking virtual one-on-one music lessons about music theory and production, and it helped my production immensely.

Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

I’ve performed mostly in the northeast US, including New York City’s Webster Hall and Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory. Webster Hall was probably my favorite venue in New York, and I really enjoyed Milk Boy and Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia. I have a show in New York City in March 2022, and will share details soon!

What is your favorite song to perform?

My favorite song to perform is “Dictionary Freestyle.” I hand out a dictionary to the audience, and a random person picks a random page. I then have to freestyle every word on that page. It’s always unpredictable and fun. I love opening with it when it’s a crowd of new faces.

Have you got a ritual of sorts when writing and thinking about your music?

Since the pandemic, I started writing lyrics and composing music in the morning, before work. My company’s still working remotely, so it’s great to take advantage of the quiet time in the morning when I was usually commuting to work. I put my phone in another room, drink my coffee, put my headphones on, and get laser-focused on a song.

What about your music is rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?

The hip hop genre typically uses a lot of curse words, and I don’t discourage that – every artist has their own style and content. For whatever reason, I don’t have curses in my songs. Maybe it’s because I have a young nephew and nieces who occasionally hear my music. But mostly I think, much like standup comedy, it’s impressive when you can floor a crowd while keeping your content clean. I think that crushing a quick and nice-flowing verse in front of people, when rapping about obscure topics cleanly, is something that stands out.

What is the most useless talent you have?

I’m really good at the old video game “NBA Jam” on Sega Genesis.

What was the last thing you dressed up as for fancy dress?

I went to a fancy 1960s-themed Halloween party in Miami this year. The party was at an upscale hotel, and I dressed up as a 1960s Batman to (kinda) fit the theme. Does that count?

Do you have a cherished childhood teddy bear or other stuffed animal sitting on your bed at home?

Not in bed, but I keep a few toys from my childhood in my home recording studio, including a large T-Rex toy that was made in Hong Kong. It was my favorite childhood toy.

What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?

It’s not cooked, but I think sushi is the ultimate date food. You can eat it fast (doesn’t mess up the conversation flow), it’s not messy, and it’s family-style, so there’s some collaboration on splitting things up.

What makes you nostalgic?

BP: All things the 1990s – clips of Nickelodeon or TGIF, Seinfeld, pop and hip-hop, alternative rock, NBA highlights, even 90s commercials (please watch the Sizzler one if you haven’t, you’ll thank me)