Sina Holwerda, professionally known by her middle name, Wynne, is an emerging rapper from Portland, Oregon. Growing up in a suburb outside of Portland, she was an outcast in her community. After gravitating towards Hip-Hop at the age of 9, and deciding on rap as a profession by the age of 12, Wynne spent nearly a decade in her room writing raps and studying Hip-Hop. Wynne attended the University of Oregon, where she studied music and social justice, where she also played in a “The Roots” style, 12-piece band called “The Illaquips.” Around the same time, she was ushered into the Portland Hip-Hop scene by community leaders Starchile, DJ O.G. One, and DJ Klyph.
Wynne is well known for her viral freestyles. Between posts from Snoop Dogg, Worldstar, and Eminem Fan Pages misidentifying her as Shady’s daughter, she built up her fanbase while releasing sparse singles and finishing college. These sparse minute-long displays of her talent brought major cosigns from some of Hip-Hop’s most respected elites (Rob Markman, Twista, Missy Elliot, JID, Timbaland, Cipha Sounds, Scott Storch).
Wynne credits her studies at the U of O for challenging her self-awareness.
“If I didn’t take those courses, I don’t know if I could trust myself with the education I had prior to college to go on radios and really be an advocate and an ally,” she says, “the idea of a white female rapper has always been controversial, because of a lack of self-awareness and a history of appropriation. I understand that controversy, and I’m well prepared for it, because I know that first and foremost I am a guest of the culture, and as a guest, I’m going to be as hard-hitting, intricate, lyric-oriented, thoughtful, and detailed as possible.”
Despite rumors caused by early-collaborations with industry heavy-hitters like Sounwave & Hit-Boy, Wynne remains independent. She plans to stay in Portland and shine light on the city that supports her so passionately. “Portland needs representatives, and there’s a space for that here because it’s an underdog city and I’m an underdog. I want to help establish more of an industry scene here,” she says. “There’s so much happening that it’s kind of the perfect time.”
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Minimatica 2016
Retrowave 2016
Electronica 2014
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