Haarper and the Stylistic Influence of Three 6 Mafia

Welcome to Golden Dragon, a newsletter by Eric Diep about Asians in hip-hop and my takes on trending topics in AAPI pop culture. Golden Dragon is a rotation of interviews, reviews, news, critical perspectives, and random blogs about music I recommend.

Concert Invite accepts the offer from publicists and managers to see their artists perform live. These are my honest thoughts as a rap fan with no obligations.

When the invite for HAARPER (stylized in all caps) appeared in my inbox for his March 7 show, the pitch caught my attention: “Rapper out of San Francisco, makes music for all with sounds ranging from Ramirez to Bones to $uicideboy$ and beyond.”

There was heavy rain in Dallas. Flash flooding warnings were frequent in the DFW area. During my drive to see HAARPER, the stormwater run-off from the sidewalk created a mini waterfall that spilled into the street. High water conditions in some parts of the city made me think about the limitations of “rain or shine” at a ticketed event.

When I finally arrived at The Echo Lounge, the GA floor was packed. A record-breaking 2.67 inches of rain didn’t stop fans from missing Night Lovell’s I Hope You’re Happy Tour, waiting for HAARPER to go up next after Germ. The room was an even mix of men and women, mostly wearing black t-shirts from $uicideboy$ and G59, the independent record label founded by $uicideboy$ and Ramirez.

I stood near the back and noticed two guys wearing fresh HAARPER merch they just purchased. I asked why they liked HAARPER.

“He’s got some bangers, man,” one man told me. His friend talked about seeing a show in Austin. He made the case that HAARPER live sounds exactly like how he does on Spotify and Pandora. Maybe I’ve entered the realm of proving streaming numbers and TikTok buzz translated to real-life momentum.

I had no idea who HAARPER was. I told these HAARPER fans I checked out his music before coming to the show in case they tried to roast me for being new to him. Usually, these opportunities are meant to get more press for an act and introduce them to writers. They are meant for you to discover them and potentially wow you enough to tell other editors why they need to cover them. Rarely does it work this way, but lately I’ve been trying to convince myself to go outside and discover music live.

What drew me to him was learning that the half-Korean rapper was heavily inspired by Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat. His parents would share a lot of music with him, stating his dad introduced him to Metallica. Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, who often mix rap and rock, were names he listed too.

“I’ve always loved Project Pat. His cadence, the tone of his voice, and his attention to detail,” HAARPER said to BET. “He brought new life to words and with all the technicalities of his style. Project Pat just hits the brain right.”

HAARPER fits in the sonic world of $uicideboy$ and the G59 roster that has a broad set of influences from trap metal to alternative. He did Rolling Loud California 2023 and toured with SXMPRA and Sinizter, the latter artists who are known for their phunk rap, heavy-bass, and hardcore punk sounds. HAARPER is like the spiritual successor of his Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat inspirations, taking that early Mystic Stylez sound and recreating it for a new generation to experience.

Before his 8:30 set time, the DJ played Three 6 Mafia’s “Half on a Sack,” which I rapped every word. He then played “Slob on My Knob” and transitioned to Momentum’s “Relapse.” Yeah, this is the type of time we’re on.

HAARPER was apologetic to the Dallas crowd when he hit the stage, explaining he was “sick as fuck today” due to some respiratory issue. He tried to give his hoodie to the crowd before deciding not to. This probably wasn’t his best performance to judge him by, but he still promised to bring that energy for mosh pits.

For the next 20 minutes, HAARPER would divide the crowd and scream about the mosh pit. There were guys crowd surfing. He told us to make some noise and called us “you fucks.” He sometimes lets the backing track do the work. When he focused and rapped a song all the way through, it sounded exactly like the recorded version. That dude was right.

HAARPER has clear stylistic homages to Pattah. His performances of “iCARUS” and “Beam to Ya Head” made me want to run back Mista Don't Play. “The Alchemist” seemed to get his biggest pop. His setlist blended well together, which felt fine-tuned for festivals because his songs fall on the same tempo. He doesn’t rap in Korean, but I hope he explores the possibility someday. He would make a solid hype track with Keith Ape.

Is HAARPER better than the source material? I see him as an artist following the lineage of Travis Scott, Drake, Rae Sremmurd, and countless others who pull from Three 6 Mafia. I had fun at his show because it felt like watching Jey Uso do the spit punch or Seth Rollins do the pedigree. Nothing wrong with keeping DJ Paul and Juicy J relevant for new Triple 6 fans.

I did like that he said “fuck you Dallas!” as a term of endearment. HCP is in his DNA.

Diep’s Picks 🀄

Highlights from the setlist for your next playlist

“Drop It Like It’s Hot!”

“Beam to Ya Head”

“Archon”

New track (released March 7)

“Black Cube of Saturn”