Philly native Tierra Whack makes a colorful splash for her first Grammys appearance

Tierra Whack shines in dress from Philly designer Nancy Beringer. (Getty Images)

Rising star Tierra Whack earned a Grammy nomination for her “Mumbo Jumbo” music video but she’s being most talked about for her dress.

The Philadelphia native wore a dress at Sunday night’s show designed by Philly designer Nancy Beringer. The dress’s layers and frills were very intentional and meant to represent both Whack and Beringer’s creativity. “The dress actually — if you can’t really see it — has a lot of layers and movements so as she moves the image changes. It really represents her creativity, as well as my creativity,” Beringer told CBS3.

After gaining early recognition in Philly for her freestyle rap skills, Whack has had a busy year and earned a great deal of praise from artists like rapper Meek Mill and singer/songwriter Solange in the process. Whack’s first album, “Whack World,” released on May 30, 2018, immediately became a hit with critics and fans thanks to a refreshing, innovative format.

Each of the 15 songs on the project were a minute long and came with Instagram-friendly visuals, making “Whack World,” as much of a case study in social media as it was a collection of high-concept hip-hop tracks. “Mumbo Jumbo” is a song not featured on “Whack World,” that sees the artist rhymically mumbling without saying words and received a fitting video treatment.

The video for “Mumbo Jumbo” saw Whack go to a scary dental visit in what looks like a dystopian universe where she received the same wide smile that everyone else she later encounters has. With its sharp cinematography, vivid colors and unique concept, it’s clear to see why it was nominated for the “Best Music Video” Grammy.

While the “Best Music Video” Grammy eventually went to Childish Gambino for “This Is America,” Whack’s first showing at the event made one thing clear: She has many more award shows and creative breakthroughs ahead.