WHATMORE: The New York Collective Redefining Gen Z Chaos and Commune

Fresh from completing a UK and European tour supporting Joey Valence & Brae, the group are now gearing up for festival season, carrying with them the kind of energy that defines a new gen of musicians. Entirely self-shaped, WHATMORE craft everything from their in-house promo campaigns to their music videos, pairing nostalgia-soaked views with genre-blurring sounds that feel both chaotic and carefully considered. Their world is one where creativity has no hierarchy, where even a rogue motion director can turn a porta potty into an office.

At its core, WHATMORE is less a traditional band and more a creative collective of best friends who refuse to separate art from life. The five members — Cisco Swank, Yoshi T., Jackson August, Sebastiano (often styled as $eb), and Elijah Judah — first connected as freshmen at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art in Manhattan. What began as shared classes, saxophone rehearsals, and late-night hangs in the city evolved into a full-fledged artistic brotherhood by 2024.

Their origin story carries that unmistakable New York texture: diverse backgrounds colliding in the pressure cooker of one of the world’s most creative cities. Growing up surrounded by constant stimulus — different languages, sounds, ambitions, and struggles — shaped their refusal to be boxed into one genre. “New York is a genre,” they’ve said in interviews, and their music proves it. Hip-hop flows into jazz improvisation, which crashes into alternative indie structures and pops out the other side as something that feels like 2000s pop-punk R&B filtered through modern Brooklyn basement parties.

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“eastside w my dogs” arrived like a Molotov cocktail of joy and rebellion. The track is short, punchy, and unapologetically fun — a celebration of riding with your people through the city that raised you. Its official music video captures the group in their natural habitat: New York streets, chaotic energy, friends turning everyday moments into something cinematic. Within weeks, snippets went viral on TikTok, fueling an organic groundswell that major labels and traditional gatekeepers couldn’t manufacture.

By October 2025, they had dropped their self-titled debut album WHATMORE. The project solidified their sound: genre-soup rap that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Tracks like “2000s Pop Punk Rnb” lean into Y2K aesthetics while maintaining lyrical sharpness about friendship, ambition, and the absurdity of growing up in the spotlight. The album’s success wasn’t just commercial — it was imbued by culture. Comparisons to Brockhampton, A$AP Mob, and Odd Future came quickly, but WHATMORE carved their own lane by doubling down on authenticity over shock value.

What sets them apart is their DIY ethos in an era of algorithm-driven stardom. They handle much of their own view, merch, and social strategy. Music videos feel like short films shot by friends who understand the vibe instinctively. Their Instagram and TikTok (@whatmoreeee) blend behind-the-scenes chaos, live snippets, and unfiltered personality. One moment you’re watching them rehearse in a Brooklyn warehouse; the next, they’re turning a Coachella porta potty into a makeshift creative headquarters.

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Their live show is where the magic crystallizes. Audiences describe it as less a concert and more a block party where everyone’s invited. High school friends turned stage performers feed off each other’s energy in real time — improvisational moments, call-and-response with the crowd, and a visible joy that’s increasingly rare in polished pop acts.

After building buzz through hometown DIY shows in Brooklyn and Manhattan, they landed opening slots for Laundry Day and then the high-profile support for Joey Valence & Brae’s HYPERYOUTH tour across the UK and Europe in 2026. Sharing stages with artists who also prioritize high-energy, positive chaos made perfect sense. The tour exposed them to international audiences who connected with their unfiltered New York spirit.

Festival season in 2026 has been their victory lap so far. Performances at Coachella (Gobi Stage) drew packed crowds and glowing reviews. They’ve also been booked for Governors Ball and other major events. Each set reinforces their growing reputation as must-see live acts — the kind that turn casual festival-goers into lifelong fans.

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Interviews with the group consistently circle back to one theme: they are best friends first, artists second. That foundation allows them to take creative risks. There’s no ego hierarchy — everyone contributes across songwriting, production, visuals, and direction. Elijah Judah’s engineering background, Cisco Swank’s songwriting prowess, Jackson August’s visual eye, Yoshi T.’s versatility, and Sebastiano’s multifaceted talents create a well-rounded machine that runs on trust rather than contracts.

This approach extends to their business. They’ve maintained independence while partnering strategically (signed to Alta Music Group but keeping heavy creative control). Their merch — from Bodega hoodies to signed vinyl — feels like extensions of their personality rather than cash grabs. Pop-up events, like the Coachella burrito and merch activation, blend community building with brand awareness.

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WHATMORE captures something essential about Gen Z and young millennial creativity: the rejection of silos. In a world of endless categorization, they represent the blur — kids who grew up on SoundCloud rap, jazz band, TikTok edits, and underground warehouse raves. Their music sounds like the playlist shuffle of someone who refuses to choose between eras or genres.

Critics have noted their ability to channel New York adolescence: the ambition, the hustle, the camaraderie that makes the city both exhausting and electric. As one writer put it, they’re “the sound of New York adolescence” in real time. Less than a year after their debut album, they’re already being included in “artists to watch” lists for 2026 and beyond.

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As they head deeper into 2026, the question isn’t whether WHATMORE will blow up — it’s how they’ll handle the inevitable pressures that come with it. Will they maintain the friendship core that made them special? Can they keep the creative control that defines their output? Early signs are promising. They talk openly about wanting to be “the best band of all time,” not out of arrogance but genuine hunger to push boundaries.

For fans, WHATMORE offers more than music — they offer a model for creative living. In an age of isolation and algorithm fatigue, here’s a group proving that real connection, shared view, and unfiltered joy still cut through. Their story is still being written, but the first chapters suggest a collective with staying power.