igetmoney01

Being a white rapper has never been easy.

Since Eminem came along it’s been even harder. White rappers are put into a box. Either they sound like Eminem or they don’t. Neither one of these options is particularly attractive.

Now the box has been split up into even more categories. On one side, you have Necro, Cage, Ill Bill, and on the other side you have guys like JoJo Pellegrino and White Mic who despite their skin tone are more Jay-Z than Jedi Mind Tricks.


One of these groups make good livings due to their cult like followings and ability to constantly tour.The other group is stuck in a no man’s land of receiving endless praise for their lyrical abilities, with no reward for their efforts.

White Mic falls into the latter category.

A Jersey born rapper with lyrics that could stand next to the best of the best, this MC faces industry politics, and the general problem that his particular breed of rapper faces.

I sat down with White Mic to discuss everything from New Jersey to the 'N' word.



So you’re from Jersey right?

Yeah, Freehold, Central Jersey.

What’s your nationality?

Italian, Irish and Scottish.

Nice, so yo you’re white but you’re not an Eminem rapper, kind of like Jojo, do you get hate for sounding more like a Jay-Z than an Eminem?

There’s always gonna be people that hate, it comes with the game you know what I’m sayin’, but for the most part its all love. Not too many people say too many negative things as far as my music goes.

Jersey has Joe Budden and now this kid Ransom popped up, where do you stand?

I’m here to rep Jersey just as they are. Joe been doin’ his thing. I’m always looking forward to new music from Joe and Ran ain’t just pop up, Ransom been grindin’ for a minute since he was 1 half of the A- Team with my man Hitchcock.

Hitch and me been workin’ on a lot of music together. That’s my dude right there!! Like, fuck rap, that’s my friend, and I've been a fan of all there music for years.

Ransom has been around but it seems like he’s getting press for the wrong reason, the kid can rap and now they want to talk to him because him and Joe Budden are throwing jabs, its corny. They should give him his respect because he can rap. So are you and Hitch a group?

Nah we’re both solo artists, but its nothing’ for us to get in the studio together and put it down. Whenever he needs something from me, he knows he ain't gotta ask twice. He got the whole Money Gang thing poppin’ off and I’m definitely a part of that movement. I love making music with Hitch, so you know, if we end up doing a whole mixtape or whatever together, then so be it but we’re both solo artists.

You can rap, you have fans, have labels been calling?

I have been takin’ some meetings wit a couple of labels. I’m just trying to see which one can offer me what I feel is in my best interest

What’s feeling better right now, major or indie?

Well I got my own independent label right now, A-Game Records, but I would definitely like that "major" financial backing from one of these bigger companies

The word nigga is stirring up a lot of trouble right now; as a white rapper how do you feel about it? Do you use it?

Well, there are people out there that are obviously offended by the word. I believe they have every right to be. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. I’m not gonna get into how I speak in my personal life, you know, outside of the music but what I will say is that at this point, no, I don’t use it.

No doubt, so answer me this, why is the game so fucked up right now?

Well, let me ask you this, what makes YOU think it’s so... "Fucked up"?

The executives not wanting to work, the lack of artist development, the big bosses wanting ready-made stars

Yeah! I agree with those statements. There’s definitely little to no artist development anymore. I can’t really call it but I guess these major companies aren’t feeling confident enough in the artist to do big numbers in sales.

From the meetings I been taking...there looking for that "hit record". So now what u got is every one.... no, I take that back, not everyone...but most of these artists are trying to change there sound to what they think is a hit record. And what they think is a hit record is the bullshit they hearing on the radio all day. You know what they did...is they made the artists scared to be themselves.

So what separates you from the rest?

Well, I guess you can say the color of my skin for one. You only got a couple other ones out there, and I wouldn’t say I sound like either one of them.

Plus, I tell u where I'm from. I don’t hide the fact that I'm from the suburbs in the middle of Jersey. But at the same time, I’m good in the hood. I’m comfortable when I’m in it. I’m a man wherever I go and I’m a hold my own regardless.... and it don’t hurt that I can rap my ass off!

So what’s coming up man? What are you working on?

Right now I’m working on the album...all original music. I got a couple of crazy producers that I work with. I got my man Kev from Roc On Command who did half the album, and I got my man Marv from Harlem who pretty much did the other half of the album.

I’m still working and I don’t wanna rush it because I wanna make sure its solid from start to finish. It’s really pretty much just me on there, and of course I got some joints wit Hitch that will be on there. I’m hoping to have that out around summer time, maybe even a little earlier.

It was good talking to you bro; keep up the good work and all that

No doubt, I appreciate it homie! And check me at myspace.com/dasuburbanlegend.

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