Blueface

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Blueface
Porter in June 2019
Porter in June 2019
Background information
Birth nameJohnathan Jamall Porter[citation needed]
Also known asBlueface Bleedem
Born (1997-01-20) January 20, 1997 (age 24)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2017–present
Labels
Associated acts
Children1
Websiteblueface.shop.capthat.com

Johnathan Jamall Porter (born January 20, 1997), known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping.[1] The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.[2][3][4] In 2019, a remix of his song "Thotiana" (featuring Cardi B and YG), became his most successful single to date, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. On March 13, 2020, he released his debut studio album, Find the Beat.

Early life[]

Johnathan Porter was born on January 20, 1997,[5] in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Mid-City in central Los Angeles and attended multiple elementary schools before moving in with his mother in Santa Clarita Valley, but later settled in Oakland with his father.[6] After relocating to San Fernando Valley, Porter attended Arleta High School and joined the marching band playing alto saxophone and football team, becoming the starting quarterback in 2014, standing at 6'4'' and weighing 160lbs.[7] As starting quarterback, Porter led the team to an East Valley League championship in 2014.[8] Throwing for 1,234 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2013 and 1,724 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2014, Porter committed to play for Fayetteville State University and briefly played college football before leaving in 2016.[9] Porter references his past experiences as a football player in the video for the remix to "Thotiana", where the rapper portrays a top prospect high school quarterback disrespecting his coach due to his desire to pursue women and fame.[10]

Porter began to take an interest in rap music at a young age, and mainly listened to 50 Cent, The Game and Snoop Dogg.[11]

Career[]

2017–2018: Viral success, Famous Cryp, and "Bleed It"[]

Porter began rapping in January 2017 under the name Blueface Bleedem, a reference to his ties to the School Yard Crips street gang. Originally moving back to Los Angeles after leaving Fayetteville State University, he was invited to his friend Laudiano's music studio to retrieve a phone charger, and after being challenged to rap over a beat, Porter began to work to release his first song, "Deadlocs", produced by Laudiano, onto SoundCloud.[12][6] In June 2018, he released his first full-length project, Famous Cryp. In September 2018, after the song and EP helped him build a local following in California, he released his second EP, Two Coccy, onto SoundCloud and Spotify.[citation needed]

On October 8, 2018, Blueface released a music video for his song, "Respect My Cryppin'", on WorldstarHipHop's YouTube channel, and shortly after the song was posted to Twitter, where it became a viral meme.[12] The video's popularity led to more of Blueface's music receiving attention, with his songs "Thotiana" and "Next Big Thing" earning newfound popularity. His popularity increased even further after holding a contest on his Instagram stories and posts using polls to determine which high school he should visit, with Pasadena High School edging out a victory over Santa Monica High School. The social media challenge brought in new followers, increasing his already growing popularity. In November 2018, Blueface was signed to Cash Money Records' West Coast affiliate Cash Money West, and posted clips of himself in the studio with Canadian rapper Drake and Quavo on his Instagram page.[13][14]

In December 2018, Blueface again went viral thanks to an acoustic video with Einer Bankz previewing his new song, "Bleed It" which released officially in January 2019. He released the song two days later, including a video on the Lyrical Lemonade YouTube channel, directed by Cole Bennett, that amassed over 2 million views in the first 24 hours of its release.[15]

2019–Present: "Thotiana", Dirt Bag, and Find the Beat[]

On January 26, 2019, Blueface's track, "Thotiana", debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 75, making it his first track to chart on a Billboard chart.[16] The song was released as a remix with YG with a music video. The following week, he released a remix with Cardi B, coinciding with another video from Cole Bennett. On streaming services, the two remixes are separate, but there is also a third where all three versions are put together.[17] On May 1, 2019, Blueface released the music video for his single, "Stop Cappin", which has amassed over 5 million views over the first four days on YouTube.[18]

In August 2019, Blueface released an EP titled Dirt Bag, the album was preceded by the singles "Stop Cappin'", "Daddy" and "Bussdown". At eight tracks, the EP featured guest appearances from The Game, Rich the Kid, Offset, Lil Pump, and Mozzy.[19][20] His song "Daddy" featuring Rich the Kid on the EP peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Stop Cappin'" with The Game reached No. 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The EP peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard 200.[21] Despite commercial success, the EP received overwhelmingly negative critical reviews. Riley Wallace at Hip-Hop DX rated the project at 3/5, while listeners rated it at 2.33/5.[22] Album of the Year appraised a total critic score of 60/100, while listeners reviewed it at 51/100.[23] Fred Thomas of AllMusic followed a trend of middle-ranged reviews, giving the project a 3/5.[24] Similar to other reviews, listeners at Rate Your Music gave an average rating of 2.52 for the project.[25]

On October 11, 2019, Blueface announced his debut studio album, Find the Beat, and its tracklist.[26] He has released four singles from the album, "Close Up" featuring Jeremih, "First Class" featuring Gunna, "Obama" featuring DaBaby, and "Holy Moly" featuring NLE Choppa. On December 6, 2019, the album was set to release but was delayed due to trademark issues. On January 17, 2020, the second release date was confirmed, but it was delayed again. On March 13, 2020, the third release date, the album released, with features from Polo G, Ambjaay, Lil Baby, Stunna 4 Vegas, YBN Nahmir, Gunna, Jeremih, NLE Choppa, and DaBaby, totaling 16 songs.[27] Fellow rapper Lil Uzi Vert, who released an album titled, Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2, on the same day Find the Beat was released, praised the album. In a private exchange with Blueface, Lil Uzi Vert said "album fye" [sic] and offered to collaborate with Blueface.[28] However, despite this praise, Find the Beat was released to overwhelmingly negative reception. Critic Erika Marie of HotNewHipHop positively reviewed the album.[29]

In 2021, Blueface opened a soul food restaurant named Blue’s Fish and Soul.[30]

Musical style[]

Blueface's off-beat style of rapping and unique voice has been compared to fellow California rappers E-40 and Suga Free, as well as Southern rappers Juvenile and Silkk the Shocker. Blueface has said that he writes "to the beat", and uses the instrumental as a base for all of his songs.[14]

Personal life[]

Porter has one child, Javaughn Porter, born in 2017.[31] Prior to entering the music industry, he had spent most of his adult life unemployed, occasionally holding a few temporary jobs.[32][33]

On November 16, 2018, at approximately 8:30 p.m. local time, Porter was approached by a man at a Chevron gas station, who proceeded to attempt to rob him. Porter shot at the suspect's car, and was later arrested and charged with shooting at an occupied vehicle, a felony in the state of California. Porter was released on $50,000 bail on November 18.[34] Porter was also arrested on February 1, 2019, for felony gun possession after law enforcement recovered a loaded, unregistered handgun in his possession.[35]

In December 2019, Blueface garnered backlash after he posted a video of himself standing on top of a black SUV and throwing cash into a crowd of people in Skid Row, a notoriously poverty-stricken area of Los Angeles. Although some saw it as a good gesture, it was criticized as "dehumanizing".[36][37]

In June 2021, Blueface announced he had signed to fight for Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.[38] He made his debut in a special gloved match against Tiktoker Kane Trujillo on July 23, 2021 at BKFC 19.[39] He won the amateur bout by unanimous decision.

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[40] 		US
R&B/HH
[41] 		CAN
[42]
Find the Beat 64 39 65

Mixtapes[]

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[40] 		US
R&B/HH
[41] 		US
Rap
[43] 		CAN
[44]
Famous Cryp
  • Released: June 20, 2018
  • Label: 5th Amendment, eOne
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 29 17 17 25

Extended plays[]

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[40] 		US
R&B/HH
[41] 		CAN
[42]
Two Coccy
  • Released: September 20, 2018
  • Label: Cash Money, Republic
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 — — —
Dirt Bag
  • Released: August 9, 2019
  • Label: Cash Money, Republic
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
 48 29 41
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles[]

As lead artist[]

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[45] 		US
R&B/HH
[46] 		US
Main.
R&B/HH
[47] 		CAN
[48] 		FRA
[49] 		NZ
[50] 		SWE
[51] 		UK
[52]
"Fuck It Up"
(with Trendd) 		2017 — — — — — — — — Non-album single
"Thotiana"
(solo or featuring YG or/and Cardi B) 		2018 8 4 6 12 168 9 59 15 Famous Cryp
"Next Big Thing" — — — — — — — — Two Coccy
"Movie Scenes" — — — — — — — —
"DM" — — — — — — — — Non-album singles
"Studio" — — — — — — — —
"Bleed It" 2019 —[A] 46 — — — — — — Dirt Bag
"West Coast"
(with G-Eazy or remix featuring YG and Allblack) 		—[B] 37 — 81 — — — — Beats (soundtrack)
"Stop Cappin"
(solo or with The Game) 		—[C] —[D] — — — — — — Dirt Bag
"Daddy"
(featuring Rich the Kid) 		78 30 36 72 — — — —
"Bussdown"
(featuring Offset) 		— — — — — —[E] — —
"Bop"
(with Tyga and YG) 		— — — — — —[F] — — Legendary
"Close Up"[59][60]
(featuring Jeremih) 		— — — — — — — — Find the Beat
"First Class"
(featuring Gunna) 		—[G] — — — — —[H] — —
"Obama"
(featuring DaBaby) 		2020 — — — — — — — —
"Holy Moly"
(featuring NLE Choppa) 		— — — — — —[I] — —
"Tour"[64]
(featuring Asian Doll, Glokk 9, NLE Choppa, Sada Baby, and Kiddo Curry) 		— — — — — — — — Famous Cryp Reloaded
"Respect My Cryppin'"
(solo or featuring Snoop Dogg) 		— — — — — — — — Famous Cryp
"Outside (Better Days)"
(with OG Bobby Billions) 		2021 —[J] — 32 — — —[K] — — Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

As featured artist[]

Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[66] 		US
R&B/HH
[66] 		CAN
[48] 		NZ
Hot 		UK
[52]
"Slide"
(French Montana featuring Blueface and Lil Tjay) 		2019 90 33 54 13 81 Montana
"Shotta Flow (Remix)"
(NLE Choppa featuring Blueface) 		— — — 40 — Cottonwood
"FULU$"
(Farid Bang featuring Musiye and Blueface) 		— — — — — Torremolinos
"Moonwalking in Calabasas (Remix)"
(DDG featuring Blueface) 		2020 — — — — — Die 4 Respect
"Curvy"
(with Jay1 and The Plug) 		— — — — TBA
"Proud Of U (Remix)"
(1TakeJay featuring Blueface) 		— — — — Proud Of U
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Other charted songs[]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
NZ
Hot
[68]
"Bussin"
(featuring Lil Pump) 		2019 39 Dirt Bag

Amateur boxing record[]

Professional record summary
1 fight 1 win 0 losses
By knockout 0 0
By decision 1 0
No. Result Record Opponent Event Type Round, time Date Location Notes
1 Win 1–0 United States Kane Trujilo BKFC 19 Unanimous Decision 3 July 23, 2021 United States Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida, U.S.

Explanatory notes[]

  1. ^ "Bleed It" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[55]
  2. ^ "West Coast" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number one on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[55]
  3. ^ "Stop Cappin" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[55]
  4. ^ "Stop Cappin" did not enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[56]
  5. ^ "Bussdown" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 23 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[57]
  6. ^ "Bop" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number nine on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[58]
  7. ^ "First Class" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number 18 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[61]
  8. ^ "First Class" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 39 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[62]
  9. ^ "Holy Moly" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 32 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[63]
  10. ^ "Outside (Better Days)" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but did peak at number 19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.[55]
  11. ^ "Outside (Better Days)" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[65]

References[]

  1. ^ Fitzgerald, Kiana (January 25, 2019). "Everything You Need to Know About Blueface". Complex. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  2. ^ Centeno, Tony M. (November 21, 2018). "Blueface Signs to Cash Money West". XXL Mag.
  3. ^ "Respect My Crypn". 11 August 2018 – via open.spotify.com.
  4. ^ Caramanica, Jon (2019-03-14). "Meet Blueface, the Self-Aware Rapper Who Knows He's More Than a Meme". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  5. ^ "It's my C day everybody better wish me a happy birthday". January 20, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-23.
  6. ^ a b Blueface Exposed!, retrieved 2019-01-26
  7. ^ "Jonathan Porter Announces Commitment to Play Football at Fayetteville State University". fieldlevel.com. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  8. ^ Holmes, Charles (2019-01-25). "Blueface's 'Thotiana' Remix, Featuring YG, Takes the Meat Show National". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  9. ^ Fitzgerald, Trent. "Blueface Appears in Old Videos Playing High School Football". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  10. ^ Holmes, Charles (25 January 2019). "Blueface's 'Thotiana' Remix, Featuring YG, Takes the Meat Show National". Rolling Stone.
  11. ^ Seabrook, Robby III. "The Break Presents: Blueface". XXL. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  12. ^ a b "Blueface Is One Of 2019's Most Promising Stars â€" His Producer Tells Us How He Got Here". MTV News. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  13. ^ Orcutt, K. C. (7 December 2018). "Blueface Confirms New Songs With Drake and Quavo". XXL Mag.
  14. ^ a b "Meet Blueface, A Drake-Approved LA Rapper Who he is a off beat rapper'". Uproxx. December 5, 2018.
  15. ^ Squid, Mike (2018-12-19). "Blueface And Cole Bennett Connect for Bloody New Visuals". Elevator Mag.
  16. ^ "Blueface Scores First Billboard Hot 100 Entry With 'Thotiana'". Billboard. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  17. ^ "Blueface Is Joined by YG for Cole Bennett-Directed "Thotiana (Remix)" Video". Hypebeast. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
  18. ^ "Blueface Drops Music Video for New Track "Stop Cappin"". Complex. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  19. ^ "Blueface Drops 'Dirt Bag' EP f/ Offset, Rich the Kid, and More". Complex. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Blueface Releases 'Dirt Bag' EP Featuring Offset, The Game & Lil Pump: Listen". Billboard. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Blueface Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  22. ^ Wallace, Riley (27 August 2019). "Review: Blueface's "Dirt Bag" Is High On Energy & Low On Surprises". HipHopDX. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  23. ^ "Blueface: Dirtbag Reviews". Album of the year. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  24. ^ Thomas, Fred. "Dirt Bag - Blueface". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Dirt Bag by Blueface". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  26. ^ DeMicia, Inman (October 11, 2019). "Blueface Shares Tracklist For Upcoming Album "Find The Beat"". Def Pen. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  27. ^ Espinoza, Joshua. "Blueface Releases 'Find the Beat' Album f/ DaBaby, Gunna, and More". Complex. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  28. ^ S., Lynn (13 March 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert Gives Blueface's "Find The Beat" Seal of Approval". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  29. ^ Marie, Erika (13 March 2020). "Blueface Shares Debut Album "Find The Beat" Ft. DaBaby, Lil Baby, Gunna & More". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  30. ^ "Blueface Opens Soul Food Restaurant Called Blue's Fish & Soul".
  31. ^ Fitzgerald, Kiana. "Everything You Need to Know About Blueface". Complex. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  32. ^ Caramanica, Jon (2019-03-14). "Meet Blueface, the Self-Aware Rapper Who Knows He's More Than a Meme". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  33. ^ "Blueface, Baby". The Fader. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  34. ^ Lunetta, Caleb (17 November 2018). "One suspect arrested after 14 Freeway shooting, second suspect at large".
  35. ^ "Blueface reportedly hit with felony gun possession charge, potential three-year prison sentence". The FADER. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
  36. ^ Scott, Katie (December 27, 2019). "Rapper Blueface faces backlash after throwing money to people in Los Angeles' Skid Row". . Retrieved September 8, 2020.[dead link]
  37. ^ Reyes-Velatde, Alejandra (December 24, 2019). "Video of rapper Blueface tossing wads of cash onto skid row sparks criticism amid L.A.'s homeless crisis". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  38. ^ Tim Daniels (June 25, 2021). "Hip-Hop Artist Blueface Agrees to Bare Knuckle Boxing Contract". bleacherreport.com.
  39. ^ Collin Sherwin (July 23, 2021). "BKFC 19: Why are these "influencers" fighting?". dknation.draftkings.com.
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  42. ^ a b "Blueface Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  43. ^ "Blueface Chart History: Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
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  56. ^ "Blueface Chart History: Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
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  58. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
  59. ^ "New Music: Blueface – 'Close Up' (Feat. Jeremih)". HipHopNMore. 10 October 2019.
  60. ^ "Blueface & Jeremih Come Through With Mad Quotables On "Close Up"". HotNewHipHop. 10 October 2019.
  61. ^ "Gunna Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
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  63. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  64. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (April 17, 2020). "Blueface, NLE Choppa, Asian Doll, and More Live It Up on the Road in New 'Tour' Video". Complex. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  65. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  66. ^ a b "Chart Search: Blueface". Billboard.[permanent dead link]
  67. ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  68. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
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