While his identity has been shrouded in mystery since emerging in 2018, cult-favourite phonk rapper Sxmpra is an enigmatic force in the underground rap world letting his music speak forcefully for him.

Born in Hamilton and currently based in Wellington, New Zealand, SXMPRA’s childhood was spent constantly moving between small-town New Zealand cities and Australia, but the one thing that remained steady for the artist throughout his formative years was the internet allowing him unlimited access to the underground rap and nu-metal worlds that would later inform his artistry today as Sxmpra.

Growing up, Sxmpra was raised on rock and metal passed down from his parents, as well as his own discovery of Eminem in his early years, before finding then-underground rappers including Odd Future and Denzel Curry in his teens, before working his way backwards to pivotal 90’s acts like Three Six Mafia who have helped pioneer the new generation phonk sound of today's generation with their gritty Memphis sound. Today, he counts artists including XXXtentacion, Suicideboys, and Pouya as integral acts who have shaped the sound he’s been refining since 2018; intertwining the energetic expression of both his respective backgrounds in rap and rock to create a crossover of sinister trap metal, gritty horrorcore, and distorted phonk music.