Perry Porter, a Leo from Spanaway, Washington, is an artist who paints with watercolors and spins those colors into witty party music. Porter dropped his latest album, Bobby Ro$$, in June 2019, and an EP, Pretty Perry, in May 2019. Now, he is set to take the stage at Capitol Hill Block Party to spread more of his colors. 

Q: How does painting coincide with your music?

Porter: I like to align two different energies between my music and my paintings. The colors I use give off emotional vibrations and cater to my more feminine energy, and my raps cater to my more masculine energy.  

Q: How do you want your art to speak to your audience?

Porter: I want my art to speak about freedom and self acceptance. I want people to dance with no social insecurities and to be who they are. I want them to see themselves as paintings and art. I want my black queens to have self acceptance of their uniqueness.  

Q: What draws you to the color schemes you choose for your pieces?

Porter: I like to use base colors such as blues and purples. From there, I use browns and yellows sporadically. The blue is meant to give the illusion of water and the feeling it gives. The brown provides context for the melanin.

Q: Who are your muses? 

Porter: My art muses are half of [my girlfriend’s] energy and half of my family’s, such as my mother and nieces. The women in my life are very important, so they are my muses.

Q: What’s different between Spanaway and Seattle?

Porter: Music-wise, having family from the Bay Area and a father from Arkansas who was a DJ, I’ve been around music my entire life. But, being around the military in Spanaway added to my musical vibe. Together this created a melting pot of sounds and influence that I could bring to the Seattle scene. 

Q: What is your writing process like? 

Porter: I listen to beats and plug in while driving or walking. Then I start to create concepts from scratch. Slowly those concepts become meticulous, overthought lyrics, which then results in a cohesive piece.