As it turns out, a little help from Skrillex can go a long way, or at least that’s the way it seems for Biloxi, Mississippi DJ, Hyphee.
Merely two days after Skrillex played one of Hyphee’s tracks for the Winter X Games, he received an offer to play at this year’s BUKU Music + Art Project. Whether this was the bass gods at work or not Walter Pennington, under his pseudonym, said he couldn’t be more excited to play this year’s festival.
After nine years of DJing and two years of production, Pennington holds several residencies at casinos and plays gigs all over the country, but that wasn’t always the plan. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2009 with the intention of coaching baseball. He said his original plan was to DJ on the side, but it eventually turned into a full-time job.
Pennington said he’s always had a passion for music. He grew up listening to country artists, such as Alabama or George Strait, with his mother, but he also listened to Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. on his own time.
“I guess I had a very eclectic taste in music growing up,” Pennington said. “I didn’t start DJing until I was 19, but I always had a love for music. It kind of all made sense.”
Pennington said he used to follow a friend to gigs and realized he wanted to give DJing a shot. He soon bought his own equipment and worked to develop a style heavily influenced by hip hop. He said he wasn’t a big fan of electronic music, but took a liking to it after he discovered Pretty Lights, which also features a hip-hop vibe.
“[Flosstradamus] came out with ‘Original Don’ and really kind of set the standard for the trap, the hip hop, electronic blend,” Pennington said. “That’s really where my influences come from, so basically almost anything that I do is very hip-hop influenced either vocally or with the way I create the style of the beat I’m making.”
This is his first appearance at a large EDM festival, and he’s bringing his following. He said being from a town with a small electronic scene can sometimes lead to lack of exposure, but Pennington’s not letting that stop him from branching out.
Pennington’s looking to put “Hyphee & Friends” into motion, where he features up and coming friends of his at small shows at Zeppelin’s Pizzeria & Bar in Biloxi. The venue only holds approximately 150-200 people, but it already has a decent audience.
“Whether they come there for the music or not, you’re almost guaranteed to have a good time whenever you get in the door,” Pennington said. “Even if you’re just coming out to grab a bite to eat, we’ll be there playing music until 5 or 6 in the morning sometimes.”
Even when Pennington’s set is over this weekend, he’s planning on sticking around to see some of the other artists such as Bassnectar, A$AP Rocky, Run the Jewels and Pell. When the festival has come and gone, Pennington plans to keep working on producing original tracks, traveling and “Hyphee & Friends.”
“Even my friends who don’t really like electronic music, or really follow music that much, will come just to support me,” Pennington said. “I’m very grateful for that.”
Hyphee will perform on BUKU’s Back Alley stage on Saturday at 5 p.m.