11/08/2025
For the Act Up: Unruled Issue, Baltimore’s own John Wells () stands firmly in the vulnerable, radical tradition of rap.
With his prior two EPs, ‘Can we link before the world ends?’ and ‘Life is hard, can we do it together?”, he confronts love, loss, and the weight of the world—unfiltered and unafraid. From the personal toll of the opioid crisis to war, Wells’ lyrics cut deep, blending hauntingly beautiful production with truth-telling that demands to be heard.
In a period where music artists like Bob Vylan and Kehlani have taken hits to their careers for being outspoken, many artists and their teams continue to rationalize remaining silent on issues that appeal to our basic humanity. To the contrary, Wells expressed the importance of having moral clarity in his work and using his voice.
“I feel the need to speak up, but like I said, it’s not like me doing it is necessarily saving people, but it’s contributing to the overall awareness of letting people know what’s going on.. making people aware, [I] feel like it’s necessary because then hopefully something could change… it’s just my reality to say what is on my mind. To be intentional about what I have to say, it matters.”
Read the full story for NUNAR’s Issue online, link in bio 🔗
Photo by
Story by
Interview by
