White John is the White Gurb Mr. FuckLapd, and he’s here to take over the rap game. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the West Coast rapper got his nickname from a few years back when the word Gurb was created in Inglewood, but he’s always been White John.
Mobbing with his fellow LA natives such as Rucci and AzChike, the rising star creates rhymes inspired by real-life experiences, touching on everything from the struggle to the turnup.
It’s crazy to think White John has only been rapping for a year and some change, still shutting down stages all around the city (pre-COVID). Most recently, White John released his highly-anticipated new mixtape “Cases Still Pending,” the follow-up to last year’s Cases Pending. The 6-track project is spearheaded by lead single “Dead Homies” featuring OMB Peezy, a certified fan favorite.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Inglewood?
White John: I’m from the next town right over. It’s a triangle: Westchester, Ladera, and Inglewood. I live at the tip of the triangle. S###, it’s fun. I’ve been White John the White Gurb since I was in middle school. Nobody’s going to f### with White John. Not to sound like I’m famous, but nobody’s going to f### with White John. They gon’ be like “that’s White John, the f### leave him alone.” Ain’t nobody trippin’ on me.
AllHipHop: When did music come into play?
White John: I was in jail and all my cellies, everybody in the jail said “you’re too cool, too poppin’ to not be doing nothing. Just get money, you gotta be bigger.” I’m dead, everybody in the comments: “you know what I mean, you know what I mean.” [laughs] I’ve got a huge problem: I say “you know what I’m saying, you know what I mean” after everything I say.
AllHipHop: Is that your go-to phrase?
White John: Nah, that’s just how I talk. It’s a speech impediment. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Biggest lesson from being behind bars?
White John: That your freedom in America isn’t promised, so you gotta play by them weird rules. That’s my vibe for it, America is not free.
AllHipHop: Someone said “this dude’s the Gen Z Eminem.” That’s a compliment.
White John: For sure, I get a lot of compliments.
AllHipHop: Damn!
White John: Not like that Shirley. Just 9 times out of 10, they be on my s###. The fans talk a lot of s###, I ain’t gon’ lie. They be on my ass.
AllHipHop: What is it about White John that fans love?
White John: A lot of my fans, they really know me. They love me because I really am who I am. I really have a big problem with people who are scared to be themselves. My fans f### with me, especially the ones who’ve been following when I only had 3K to 5K followers. They know I’m the same White John. I’m myself, ain’t nobody can tell me I’m nothing different. That’s why they f### with me, because they know I’m genuine.
AllHipHop: Cases Still Pending is out now, how you feeling?
White John: I f### with it. You know the fans love it, they’ve been waiting for it. They love it. They’ve been waiting for that “Dead Homies” forever. I made the snippet a long time ago, maybe a little too early. They were waiting a long time for it.
AllHipHop: Talk about linking with OMB Peezy, I love him!
White John: That’s my dawg. For sure, I’ve been a fan of Peezy for a minute. It was cool to work with bro for sure.
AllHipHop: Favorite songs on the project besides “Dead Homies”?
White John: My favorite songs are “Switch On Me,” “By Yourself,” and “No Phones.” Of course Dead Homies,” that s###’s a bop. I love all the songs on the tape.
AllHipHop: Best memory from the video shoot with Peezy?
White John: S###, me and my brother Nash were sliding around in traffic with the pistols out, acting a fool. SKRT, not giving a f### about nothing. The music video wasn’t really nothing special. That was the funnest part: riding around, sliding around thuggin’.
AllHipHop: How much do you miss shows?
White John: Oh my goodness, why’d you have to break my heart and bring that up? I had 5 shows booked in April and March of last year, I was really going up out here. Left and right, they’re like “oh yeah, we need White John for a show.” I got all the deposits, then next Gurb… Corona, mask up.
AllHipHop: What do you miss most about shows?
White John: Shows are a completely different vibe. It’s still my first year of rapping, I’m not headlining. I started rapping in June 2019, so a year and a half. I was never a headliner until I was starting to get booked for shows before Coronavirus. I was always up opening. If you don’t know, being an opener is hell.
AllHipHop: Really, it’s that bad?
White John: It’s horrible. You up there rapping, you think you’re doing your thing. On God and heaven, everyone in the stand is standing there like [straight face]. ”Where’s Ohgeesy at? Where’s Fenix at?” For real I swear to God, being an opener is really hard. I went on the BravoFlexin Tour, I was the opener right before Bravo and Flexin’. The crowd was actually really f###### with me, they was really going up. Damn, this s### hard. This is rare for an opener to have the crowd’s attention.”
When it’s that vibe, I don’t know if you heard about the Winning Team show with Rucci, 1TakeJay, Kalan.FrFr, I performed there too. It was a gang of people, they’re all like [straight face]. But when Rucci, Chike, Kalan, everybody jumped on, that m########### was rocking! We all on stage rocking out, jamming out, dancing. That’s a whole nother vibe, ain’t nothing like that. Rocking shows, really rocking them too to where the whole Gurb’s going the f### up, there’s no feeling like that.
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AllHipHop: I saw you post recently on your IG Live, the kid was crying?
White John: That s### was by far one of the weirdest Instagram Live experiences. I had looked at his instagram, he had a video of him stabbing himself in the neck on Jackboy’s live. It’s weird. He’s a weird guy, I feel bad for him. He’s definitely nuts, like schizophrenic or something. I’m pretty sure he was crying for clout, but he was crying though. The s### was weird like “f### you White John, you p############!” It was honestly hilarious at the moment, I couldn’t hold it in. One of the funniest s### I’ve ever seen.
AllHipHop: What kind of weed do you like?
White John: I like exotics. On God, I love exotics. My favorite weed is Gelato #41. Real, real, real Gelato, I love it. I can’t get enough of it. I f### with OG, I grew up on OG.
AllHipHop: What’s your favorite thing to do high?
White John: Sleep. When I’m high, I like to play video games and go to sleep. You know what I really like to do when I’m high? I like to get higher. To be completely honest, that’s what I like to do when I’m high. Get as high as I can. I got the little home studio where I’m making some of the most heat, in the natural habitat. Don’t gotta worry about none of that studio pressure or nothing.
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AllHipHop: Talk about your friendship with Earl Sweatshirt.
White John: I don’t know if you know Juan from Odd Future, but back when I was a freshman, he was a senior at St. Berns before I got kicked out. I was the only freshman they were f###### with. LJuan used to pick me up to take me to school. Around 10th grade, junior year when OF started poppin’ off, me and my homies would be with them a lot. Skatepark, all types of s###. Me and Earl been knew each other, we just never really talked to each other. I was more cool with Juan, Jasper, Nakel, Kevin Bradley and them. One night, it was weird. I got invited to this kickback by this girl. I walk in the door and Earl’s casually playing the piano. You know the jazz stop or whatever, he did that on the piano. He got up and said “is that the f###### White Gurb? Is my presence really being blessed with the White Gurb at 4:30 in the morning?” It was really 4:45am so me and Earl were getting high all night. We took that picture in the morning, watch we gon’ f### their heads up. They gon’ think we got a music video on the way. [laughs]
AllHipHop: What are you most excited for in the new year?
White John: The success. I know that 2021’s going to be very special and prosperous. I’ve stayed down long enough. Last year was really supposed to be my year, but Corona really f##### s### up. This year, I’m not going to let that Corona be no excuse for nothing. This is my year and I’m coming for the ass. I’m taking it.