Photo: Getty Images
Is he really a Crip?
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Dec 30, 2019
Who is Blueface? Often compared to the equally controversial Tekashi 6ix9ine, Johnathan Michael Porter — the man the hip hop world knows as Blueface — first blew up on the Internet in 2018. His song, "Respect My Cryppin'," became a viral Internet sensation, and he was signed to Cash Money West.
The label, of course, is the West Coast affiliate of the Cash Money Records empire, helmed by Birdman, which was responsible for breaking Drake, Lil'Wayne, and Nicki Minaj into the mainstream. Blueface, of course, is not without his legal drama, as rappers these days are known to be, and sometimes he makes the news because of his controversies and not because of his music.
Who is Blueface? Let's look at what we know about this viral Internet sensation, including the recent hot water he's found himself in.
1. What does the rapper's name mean?
The term "blueface," contrary to popular opinion, has nothing to do with anything gang-related (and it most specifically doesn't have anything to do with the Crips). Rather, it refers to the "blue face" that Benjamin Franklin has on the new $100 bill.
So, when Polo G raps, "every single dollar in this band got a blueface," he's saying "I only carry $100 bills."
2. When one of Blueface's concert ended with a brawl, he jumped into it!
Well, alright then. Blueface's concert in Santa Cruz, CA, ended with a brawl — a brawl which he, of course, jumped right into.
3. Is Blueface a Crip?
Blueface claims an affiliation with the notorious Crips gang — the gang, you will recall, that Nipsey Hussle also claimed a former affiliation to before he was gunned down in front of the Marathon store. (It's unclear why Blueface is getting comparisons to Tekashi 6ix9ine, considering Tekashi had an affiliation with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, which is an offshoot of a completely different gang.)
4. He used to be a football star.
Talk about a career switch! Blueface was a football star growing up, and he sincerely thought that he, too, would join the NFL. He was a standout quarterback for the Arleta Mustangs, and though he knew of a few rappers, he preferred to stay on the field rather than in the studio.
5. And the video for "Thotiana" makes reference to that former career.
In the video for the "Thotiana" remix by YG, Blueface makes a reference to his former career as a football star, and explains that he made the decision to leave football for rap.
6. Johnathan Porter says the rapper "Blueface" is just an act he puts on for the cameras.
Well, there goes the fourth wall. Unlike most rappers, he openly describes Blueface as a character. “Blueface is probably 10 times Johnathan,” he said. “Every rapper, I don’t give a [expletive] what they tell you, they got two different personalities — they not like that when they at home.”
"In a genre that’s long been burdened with the expectations of authenticity bumping up against the dictates of entertainment, such candor is refreshing, and utterly reasonable."
7. Blueface is currently caught up in another controversy.
On December 23, 2019, the rapper once again caused controversy after he started throwing money from the top of his car to residents in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. A video was caught of the rapper during the act and quickly went viral. And Twitter was also quick to jump in with their own opinions.
However, one person who seems to be in Blueface's corner is comedian Tiffany Haddish, who jumped to the rapper's defense. She revealed that, "there's a long history of gangbangers giving out money by jumping up on a vehicle and hurling it in the air."
Haddish also said that, "money raining from the sky is actually a blessing. It would have been degrading if Blueface threw out $1 bills, but he was tossing hundred dollar bills in the air, which will provide comfort for lots of people in need."
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.