Over the past year (2025), WHATMORE have ridden an organic groundswell of hype to become what might be the next big group to come out of N.Y.C. Through laidback, rap-adjacent anthems, an undeniable chemistry as friends, and an algorithmically perfected TikTok presence, they've jumped from playing DIY bills to opening on tour for fellow Gen Z act Laundry Day. 

Formed by classmates at Manhattan's LaGuardia High School, this five-member crew, featuring Cisco Swank, Yoshi T, Jackson August, Sebastiano, and Elijah Judah seamlessly blends hip-hop, alt-R&B, and indie rock. WHATMORE are the five-piece NYC collective redefining what a modern group can sound like. Bonding over years of making music together in various combinations, the quintet made it official in 2024, building their early reputation through DIY shows across Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan. Their sound draws on the full breadth of their individual influences — Cisco's jazz and hip-hop depth, Yoshi's R&B instincts and ear for a hook, Jackson's indie and alt-pop sensibility, Sebastiano's introspective lyricism, and Elijah's production and engineering backbone — resulting in something that defies easy classification and feels unmistakably New York.

Their rise has been swift and organic. After gaining traction online through sharp-eared flips of tracks by the likes of Doechii and Leon Thomas, they dropped their debut single "eastside w my dogs" in June 2025, followed by a run of singles — "chicken shop date," "jenny's," "go!," and "Bombay (keep it alive)" — each arriving with inventive visuals shot in the neighbourhoods that raised them. Their self-titled debut album, released October 2025, delivered on every bit of the hype: a 12-track genre-blending statement that moves between rap, indie rock, alt-R&B and jazz without ever losing its thread. A sold-out pop-up show, a spot on YouTube Music's Foundry incubator, a support run with Laundry Day, and a Coachella booking followed in quick succession. The BROCKHAMPTON comparisons have come and gone but as their album shows WHATMORE is vying to become its own, different beast.