Blueface is a famous American rapper and songwriter who has been developing his musical career since 2017. The artist gained most of his popularity thanks to the video for the track Respect My Cryppin in 2018.
The video became popular due to non-standard reading past the beat. The listeners got the impression that the artist was deliberately ignoring the melody, and many found it funny. The musician did not give up, he even managed to sign a contract with the Cash Money Records label.
Blueface's childhood and youth
The rapper's real name is Jonathan Jamall Michael Porter. He was born on January 20, 1997 in Los Angeles, California. The performer spent his childhood in Mid-City, located in the western part of the city. In elementary school, Blueface changed schools. A little later, he moved with his mother to the Santa Clarita Valley. For some time the boy lived with his father in Auckland.
Closer to adolescence, Jonathan returned to California, but this time he settled in the San Fernando area. Here he completed his secondary education at Arleta High School. The guy was interested in sports, so he joined the school's American football team. He was best at playing as a starting guard.
In addition to his passion for sports, as a teenager, Blueface began to be interested in music. Most of all he liked the rap and hip-hop genres. Then Jonathan's favorite performers were: The Game, Snoop Dog and 50 Cent.
The beginning of the musical career of Jonathan Porter
The creative path of the artist begins in 2017. Then he began to record and post his first tracks on the Internet. He did not always use Blueface as a pseudonym. Early songs were released under the names Blueface Bleedem, Blueface Baby, Famous Cry. According to the artist, the nickname Blueface Bleedem was a reference to the School Yard Crips street group, in which he was previously a member.
Seriously about the career of a musician, Jonathan thought about his student years. After the performer dropped out of Fayetteville State University, he returned to Los Angeles. One day he went to his friend's studio to ask for a phone charger.
A friend suggested that he try freestyle to any beat. And Blueface did great the first time. Those present in the room noted the guy's talent and offered to record a track. The first song was Dead Locs, which the aspiring rapper released on SoundCloud.
In 2018, the aspiring artist released two records. He first released Famous Cryp in June, followed by the Two Coccy EP in September. The works did not enjoy huge popularity on the Internet, but increased the visibility of Blueface in California. Nevertheless, the performer was able to “break through” to the big stage when he released a video for the song Respect My Crypn. The video was released on the YouTube channel about hip-hop WorldStarHipHop.
The blog audience quickly saw the video for the new single. Excerpts from it began to appear in publications on Twitter. Jonathan has become a real meme. WorldStarHipHop subscribers considered the combination of the high timbre of the performer's voice and non-standard flow to be funny. Various videos have been on the Internet for a long time. Many users compared the novice performer with the main character of the cartoon Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Blueface popularity and label signing
After a significant number of memes, mentions in social networks and the media, and not only the video for the song Respect My Crypn, the artist's fame only increased. Users also liked the tracks Thotiana and Next Big Thing, which gained new popularity. And in November 2018, he signed a contract with Cash Money Records. Then he posted several videos where he is in the studio with rappers Drake and Quavo.
The second wave of Blueface's popularity began when he released an acoustic version of the song Bleed It. The recording also featured Einer Banks, who played the tune on the ukulele. The composition received a lot of reposts in social networks. Two days later, Jonathan released a video for a new hit, directed by Cole Bennett. Only in the first day there were more than 2 million views.
Blue face character
His mixtape Famous Cryp at this time was gaining 5-7 million plays a week. And the track Thotiana in 2019 entered the top 100 of the Billboard chart. In August this year, the artist released the Dirt Bag EP. In addition to solo tracks, you can hear: Lil pump, Mozzie, Rich the kid, Offset and others. And in March 2020, the rapper's first studio album Find the Beat was released. In a short period of time, he reached the 64th position in the US chart.
In an interview for The New York Times, the artist commented on the rapid increase in popularity.
“In addition to music, people have many more ways to become famous. In fact, they are trying to become famous in any way. Some beginners are seriously thinking of repeating my path. But what they don't know is that you might just not be taken seriously as a musician if they remember you as a fun guy on the internet."
Moreover, unlike most rappers, Jonathan openly describes Blueface as a character.
"Blueface is probably 10 times cooler than Jonathan," he said. Rappers don't care what they tell you. Often they have two different personalities - on stage they are very different from what they are at home.
Personal life of Jonathan Porter
There is no confirmed information about the marital status of Blueface yet. However, it is known that the rapper has a son named Jawon, who was born in 2017.
In an interview with Big Boy's Neighborhood, Jonathan revealed that his son's mother is a working woman. Because of this, he takes his son almost every day, periodically taking him with him to filming or recording. Two girls often appear on the artist's social networks - Jaidin Alexis and Jiggy. Many fans argue about which one he is dating.
The rapper's fortune for 2019 was estimated at $700. However, the artist prefers not to disclose his official salary. According to the artist, the main income comes from songwriting and concert tours.
