What It’s Like Being a White Rapper

It has been said that being an entertainer is among some of the hardest jobs in the world. As someone that has been doing hip hop for over 10 years now, I can see the truth in that. Being a rapper is hard enough in itself, but when you’re a white guy it just makes it that much more difficult. There’s a reason why so few white rappers have genuinely succeeded in the genre over the last several decades.

My Background as an Artist

I first started rapping at the age of 13, and it started with freestyling with friends on the back of the bus. Growing up among a mixed group of both white and black kids, freestyle cyphers were one of the things we would do for fun. For years all I did was just freestyle and occasionally write a few bars and punchlines here and there, until at age 17 I started recording songs and uploading them on Soundcloud.

Fast forward to several years later at the age of 22, and I was living in Orlando attending local freestyle cyphers, as well as recording in UCF’s on campus studio in early 2020. By 2021 I had decided to take a more business-oriented approach to my music, and began releasing weekly songs across YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Soundcloud. And as of today I am continuing to create new music in collaboration with other artists and producers that I now release on all streaming platforms.

Too Much Attention

I have always loved the writing process of putting together new songs and verses, and the recording process can be a fun way to bring those lyrics to life. However, releasing music consistently and putting yourself out there can be a tough grind, and this is where the “white” factor comes into play most explicitly.

For example, back in late 2019 as an attempt to generate more of a buzz on social media, I started uploading short freestyle videos to Instagram and TikTok. Within a couple of weeks I was getting a steady inflow of new viewers, commenters, and followers checking out my content, and I was actually surprised at the level of attention the videos were getting. The plan was to upload a new video every day for 30 days, and to come with something fresh and original each day. But….after a little over 7 days I had pretty much had enough. Being as though it seems Hip Hop at times has so many prerequisites, such as being from the hood, being cool, being hard, I felt like I had a lot to prove as a white artist, and this all comes on top of actually being good at the sport and putting out content that is likeable.

Personal Growth

Over the years I have had the chance to mature quite a bit since initially putting myself out there like that in 2019. I can honestly say that I’ve grown a lot more comfortable with myself, and this is part of what led me to start releasing music again in 2021. Instead of trying to shoot my way to the top like I was before, I’m much more comfortable with playing “the long game” these days. When I started uploading again, I decided that more than anything, I just wanted to grow as a person and as an artist.

For years prior, writing and recording my music had been a little bit of a big deal. I would wait for the perfect day and the perfect time to actually sit down and write my music, and even then often times I wouldn’t finish it because I didn’t think it was good enough. I still get decent viewership and acknowledgement even though most of my content is faceless. I haven’t actually uploaded an on camera video of me rapping since mid 2020, even though I might get back into that eventually.

Nothing But Respect

As someone that has performed the craft, written the songs, and gone through the motions, I have utmost respect for any artist that has stayed consistent enough to find success in not just hip hop, but any form of entertainment. And as a white artist myself, I have a special appreciation for the other white artists that are true and genuine to the genre.

It takes a special kind of love and a special kind of passion to get really good at hip hop. It takes time, dedication, and commitment. And honestly, I feel like Jack Harlow summed it up best in his song “They Don’t Love It” when he said “They don’t study, put in work to get ahead like him/They don’t toss and turn in the f**king bed like him”. Tossing and turning in the bed. That’s the grind of not just a rapper, but an artist of any kind.