GRIM-VIRUs approaches rap through two competing perspectives: GRIM, the persona he associates with being high, and VIRUs, the voice of his sober self.
Across horrorcore, dubstep, and tightly written verses, he draws on personal experiences, intrusive thoughts, and dark humor. With “Tick Tock” out and an album built around a haunted house in development, he is exploring how that contrast can carry a larger collection of stories. In this interview with 24Hip-Hop, he discusses his influences, the making of “Tick Tock,” working with Monroe, and why he wants listeners to hear the warnings beneath his music’s chaotic surface.
For readers discovering you for the first time, how would you introduce GRIM-VIRUs and your music?
GRIM-VIRUs: First off, my music isn’t for people who are easily offended.
Every song features GRIM and VIRUs. Sometimes they agree, like in “Dancing with the Devil,” but most of the time, they don’t.
Aside from that, my music is genuine. It’s either based on actual experiences I’ve lived through or intrusive thoughts I’ve had. Very seldom do I make a song that’s purely fictional or written just to tell a story, although “Glass Half Fooled” is one of those rare exceptions.
My music explores everything from flexing, like in “Move Smooth,” to calling people out, like in “Monroe Caught The VIRRUs,” to spiraling into drug addiction, like in “Off The Meds” and “Tick Tock.”
Expect colorful language, unpredictable subject matter, and two personalities that don’t always see eye to eye.
Oh, and one more thing: it sure as fuck isn’t mumble rap.
What inspired the name GRIM-VIRUs, and how does it reflect who you are as an artist?
GRIM-VIRUs: GRIM represents how the world sees us addicts. People treat us like we’re some kind of sickness that can’t be cured. GRIM is also usually the version of me that’s high.
VIRUs, on the other hand, represents me sober. It’s me owning that identity, embracing who I am, and not giving a single fuck what anybody thinks about it.
They’re both parts of me, just looking at things from completely different perspectives.
How did you develop your mix of rap, horrorcore, and dubstep?
GRIM-VIRUs: Originally, I wanted to be a super technical battle rapper. The problem was, I’ve never been particularly good at off-the-dome rapping.
My punchlines were good, but they were also a hell of a lot darker than what most people were writing.
After releasing “Off The Meds,” I started transitioning more toward horrorcore.
My three favorite genres have always been rap, dubstep, and rock. I couldn’t really figure out how to incorporate rock into my sound, but combining rap and dubstep just felt right.
So that’s what I went with, and I’ve been developing that sound ever since.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on your music, and what have you learned from them?
GRIM-VIRUs: Oh, man, where do I even start?
Originally, Eminem, before he became the PC police. Then there’s Diggy Graves, Connor Price, and bbno$.
But truth be told, Lil Xan is actually the reason I had the confidence to start rapping in the first place. I figured if he could do it, anybody could.
Eminem was definitely the foundation of GRIM-VIRUs, but I wouldn’t consider him anything beyond that anymore. He was the foundation, not the blueprint for everything I want to become.
I’ve been taking inspiration from Diggy Graves’ production style and applying some of those ideas to my own beats. I’m also considering making more traditional dark rap beats without the dubstep elements.
Connor Price and bbno$ really made me want to explore the more technical side of rap, especially when it comes to flows, delivery, and wordplay.
I take inspiration from different artists, but at the end of the day, I’m trying to create something that’s unmistakably GRIM-VIRUs.
What inspired “Tick Tock,” and how did the song come together?
GRIM-VIRUs: Someone in my family, who I’m extremely close to and love dearly, wouldn’t shut the hell up about me releasing another song.
So originally, “Tick Tock” was supposed to be a lighthearted diss track aimed at them.
But right after I wrote the opening lines, the song started going in a completely different direction:
“It’s about that time again…
To dive inside that part of my mind again…”
Before it could actually become the diss track I’d intended, I found myself writing what eventually became “Tick Tock.”
It’s about a man spiraling into drug addiction, slowly realizing that the good die young while evil seems to win in the end.
Because of that, he begins isolating himself from everyone around him. He’s convinced that humans are inherently evil and can’t be trusted.
As the song progresses, I also openly challenge anybody who wants to diss me, with the line “Horton still hasn’t heard a diss.”
And, of course, there’s that final dark Georgie pun.
So yeah, what started as me wanting to jokingly diss a family member turned into a pretty dark examination of addiction, isolation, and humanity.
That’s usually how my writing goes. I start with one idea, and GRIM and VIRUs take it somewhere completely different.
You’ve released songs like “Off The Meds,” “Reveal,” and “Tick Tock.” How has your sound evolved across those releases?
GRIM-VIRUs: I’d say “Off The Meds” was really the turning point.
That’s when horrorcore started becoming a much more prominent part of my music. After that release, I think I really started leaning into the darker side of my writing and developing the sound people associate with GRIM-VIRUs today.
What was it like working with Monroe on “Monroe Caught The VIRRUs,” and what did each of you bring to the track?
GRIM-VIRUs: We actually wrote and recorded our verses separately, and we even brought completely different beats to the track.
Her beat stopped where her verse ended, and mine stopped where my verse ended. We basically took her verse, cut off everything in her beat that came afterward, and shoved my section onto the end.
She also handled most of the mixing and mastering, so a lot of the technical work was done by her.
The song was originally our diss track on the app Rap Fame.
At the time, Monroe was getting heavily criticized, while I was dealing with people clout-chasing off my name because I was starting to gain a pretty decent following on Instagram.
Eventually, we just decided, “Fuck it,” and went off.
That’s pretty much how “Monroe Caught The VIRRUs” came together.
You’re working on an album built around a haunted house. How would you describe the sound you’re developing for this project?
GRIM-VIRUs: It’s going to feature the same rap, horrorcore, and dubstep combination that everyone’s come to know and love GRIM-VIRUs for.
However, some songs won’t have the dubstep elements.
I’ve realized that by incorporating dubstep into nearly everything I release, I’ve potentially been alienating an entire part of my audience who might enjoy my rapping but aren’t necessarily fans of dubstep.
So I want to make sure there’s something for those listeners too, without abandoning the sound I’ve already established.
You’ve said you want your music to connect with people struggling with addiction. What message do you hope they hear in your songs?
GRIM-VIRUs: I really hope the crazy things people hear in my songs aren’t interpreted as me glorifying drug addiction.
They’re supposed to be warnings about what could, and very likely will, happen if you don’t stop and save yourself before things get worse.
Of course, I still have to make those crazy, drug-fueled spazz-outs sound clever and cool. It’s a fucking rap song, after all.
But there’s a difference between making something sound entertaining and actually encouraging people to live that way.
I really urge everyone to read deeper into my music. Pay attention to what’s actually being said underneath the punchlines, the chaos, and the dark humor.
There’s a lot more going on in those songs than people might realize from just listening once.
What can you share about your upcoming releases, and where can fans keep up with your latest news?
GRIM-VIRUs: Well, there’s one major artist I’m pretty confident will be hopping on a few tracks with me, but I can’t reveal who that is just yet.
As far as the album itself goes, it’s probably going to be the biggest project I release in my entire career, at least in terms of the number of songs.
I don’t have a confirmed track count yet, but I’m planning something pretty massive.
And there’s going to be another reveal after the album releases.
But I’m keeping that one a surprise for now.
GRIM-VIRUs is approaching his next album with room to experiment. He plans to keep the rap, horrorcore, and dubstep combination that defines his work while making space for songs without the electronic elements. The track count remains unconfirmed, and he is keeping possible collaborations and a later reveal under wraps. What he does make clear is his purpose: he wants listeners to look beyond the punchlines and recognize the experiences and warnings at the center of his songs.
While the project develops, follow GRIM-VIRUs on Instagram and X to keep up with his music and future announcements. “Tick Tock” offers a starting point for exploring the sound he discusses here.
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