Frank Lee White

Even though his name is a pun on his ethnicity, do not confuse Frank Lee White as another Eminem-esque, wanna-be white rapper. “It’s not a white emphasis, you like it or not, it is what it is”, and what “it is”, is impossible to resist and instantly aurally addicting. White’s rhymes flow naturally and immaculately in his infectiously smooth yet electric voice which compliments any beat he encounters. Born and raised on the East side of Atlanta, Frank White has the vocal proclivity of a multi-platinum rapper. His authentic southern style and razor-sharp lyrical execution enables him to stand paramount on collaborations amidst Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Mike Jones and other highly demanded artists. It was this undeniable talent and vivacious sound that catapulted Frank Lee White to the attention of Dr. Dre and prompted his career with industry icons Warren G and Timbaland for whom he made feature track appearances on albums and wrote for, respectively. In Georgia, White’s family sustained themselves on food stamps and rice cakes for the greater part of his formative years. Growing up in tough times and an ever tougher neighborhood, White focused his energy on his innate writing talent. “Everyone was in gangs. I don’t fight, not good at selling dope, I had to do something with myself.” Young White even spawned poems and rhymes at age 12 that had his classmates tagging him as a plagiarizer for work that was incomparably beyond his years. With a writer as his mother, it is not surprising that White’s creativity was first cultivated in the written facet of this medium. He deems lyrics to be the quintessential element of all tracks, believing that the written word is the true substance, and only way to make a song honorably “timeless.” Frank still vividly remembers listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” for the first time, immersing himself in the lyrics and becoming captivated by them more than the music. He attributes his musical dexterity to his “hippie” parents who introduced him to musical influences from different ends of the spectrum such as Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, to Michael Jackson and Kool and the Gang. This exposure, as well as being raised in an era where MTV played a host of musical genres, unlike today’s main focus on the “top tens,” nurtured his skill in an array of arenas. White’s chameleon-like ability to flourish in any musical forum is indisputable. Although MC battling is not his primary forte, he has reigned victorious in many battles and will never back down from the challenge. He’s played with live hip-hop bands, and can perform hard lyrics just as easily as he could write a poignant epic rhyme. White however chooses to write his lyrics out of the painfully honest and personal events in his life, believing that only if people are taken on an emotional journey through his lyrics then he’s created a successful song. Even though White has many pensively written lyrics in his arsenal, he enjoys working off of flawless beats that reverberate in his soul, evoking a spontaneous lyrical narrative. White has found the spark to that catalyst with award winning producer Scott Storch, whom he is now working with to craft his distinctive premiere solo album. White continues to strive for personal growth within his art to make his music more emotionally raw and rhythmically groundbreaking to invite a multitude of individuals to authentically connect and live through his sound. “The only way to do anything is to be honest with yourself, not to be afraid to push yourself to that limit and show it to the world. I want your children to listen to a song I make years from now and still have it sound brand new. It’s very rare that songs like that happen in hip-hop but there are a few greats that have done it. I want to be there.”