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John Anthony

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki



John Anthony
upright=File:John anthony preforming.jpgFile:John Anthony Performing in Philly 2024.jpeg File:John Anthony Performing in Philly 2024.jpeg
John Anthony performing in Philadelphia in 2024.
BornAnthony Giovanni Blaise Grandinetti
(1999-08-05) August 5, 1999 (age 24)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
🏳️ NationalityAmerican
🏫 Education
💼 Occupation
* Rapper
  • Songwriter
  • Record Producer
  • Record Executive
📆 Years active  2012–present
🏢 OrganizationVillainous Records
Notable work
StyleHip-Hop/Rap
🏡 Home townDallas, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height5'8
🌐 Website* www.johnanthonyofficial.com
🥚 TwitterTwitter=
label65 = 👍 Facebook

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Anthony Giovanni Blaise Grandinetti (born August 5th, 1999), better know as John Anthony, or The Villain, is an American independent rapper, songwriter, record producer and record executive from Dallas, Pennsylvania.[1] He is the founder of his own independent hip hop label Villainous Records. Currently, John Anthony has released six studio albums, one collaborative album, two extended plays, six mixtapes, 25 singles (including 3 as a featured artist) and eight music videos under his record label.

Biography[edit]

John Anthony began his music career in 2012 under the stage name 1 Dolla, where he released his first mixtape 1 Dolla later that same year.[2] A year later, John Anthony changed his name to Exstazic and released two new mixtapes Homecoming EP (2013) and Live Evil EP (2014) under the new identity.[3] After a year off, he finally restructured his identity again, going by the name John Anthony and releasing his final mixtape, Double Standards EP (2016), before the foundation of Villainous Records in 2019. After two years, John Anthony created his own record label Villainous Records and released his first two music projects that same year, the Four Forty Four EP (2018-2019), which is an extended play, and his debut studio album The Therapy LP (2019). He also would release a mixtape, Villainology, Vol. 1 (2019) later in the year, which is an annual compilation mixtape by John Anthony sorted into yearly volumes featuring unreleased songs and remixes that were cut from pervious albums. [4]

John Anthony would go on dropping six projects a year later. His second studio album The Bad Guy Chronicles and his third studio album Unexplored both released in 2020, along with Ride or Die which is a mixtape and Stereo EP which is an extended play. all releasing in 2020.[5] He also released The Therapy LP (Deluxe Version) to begin the year and the commercial mixtape series Villainology, Vol. 2 to close out the 2020 year. The more successful album out of the bunch came with The Bad Guy Chronicles, achieving higher streaming numbers and sales than any other John Anthony project, with the latter containing the hit single "Ballin". He also released the single "Sincerely Yours (Freestyle)" that same year. The song contains five beats produced by rapper Logic[6].

John Anthony's fourth studio album, Words Are Weapons + Words Are Weapons (Deluxe Version) (2021) and his fifth studio album Villaination! (2022) both achieved commercial success. He received a commemorative gold record plaque for Words Are Weapons in 2021[7] and another for Villaination! in 2022 for reaching over 100,000 streams worldwide.[8] He also released his most streamed and popular song Hustlin' later that year. John Anthony also continued with the release of his annual mixtape series, Villainology, Vol. 3 (2021) and Villainology, Vol. 4 (2022).

His sixth studio album Success Story (2023) released on March 24 and featured hit songs "Montana" and "IDFWY". The album has reach over 87,000 streams on Spotify and over 115,000 streams on all platforms. Six months later, John Anthony and rapper J Mont together released "Give It To Ya" on September 15 as the first single from their collaboration album. The song samples "Sugar" (2009) by rapper Flo Rida. On October 13, John Anthony would release Heroes 2 Villains (2023), which is a collaborative album with fellow Villainous Records rapper J Mont. The fifteen-track album featured guest appearances from independent rappers Frizz, Tony Lonl3y and Phoenixx Rose. He ended the year with his annual mixtape series, Villainology, Vol. 5 (2023), which was delayed in release because of John Anthony's "Heroes 2 Villains" concert with J Mont on December 8th.

Early life[edit]

Anthony Grandinetti was born on August 5th, 1999 in Dallas, Pennsylvania and was raised as an only child. He attended catholic schools throughout his whole childhood and graduated from Holy Redeemer High School. [9]After, he attended Luzerne County Community College for two and a half years before dropping out. John Anthony later moved to Winter Park, Florida, near Orlando, Florida, where he graduated from Full Sail University, earning a certificate in audio arts.[10] His love for hip hop music started when he was ten years old and first heard hip hop duo OutKast on the radio.[11] In a 2022 interview, he stated: "For me, originally it was classic rock on the radio... I remember one time I heard 50 Cent on the radio, I heard Kanye on the radio [and] I didn't know what rap was..."[12] John Anthony said to Sac Juggalo of Hip-Hop Radar Underground. He started rapping a few years later at the age of twelve after being inspired when he received a copy of Get Rich or Die Tryin', an album by 50 Cent.[13] He spent years releasing music under various stage names and took his hobby more serious in 2016 when he stuck with the name John Anthony.

Music career[edit]

2012-2014: Career beginnings, debut project[edit]

John Anthony began early in his career recording mixtapes yearly and selling physical copies to his friends at school. His debut mixtape was under the stage name 1 Dolla and was released on October 30, 2012, featuring six tracks. He stated the idea of the stagename in a 2023 podcast interview: "I don't know the [exact] reason... I wanna believe it was because I was such a huge 50 Cent fan and I thought 'well I'm just gonna up him 50 cents'..."[14] he mentioned. John Anthony recorded his debut mixtape with no microphone or music software, but instead used an old iPod where he would record both the instrumental and vocals on a recording mobile app.[15] The production wasn't well put, leaving about ten copies made but none were ever reported sold.[16] One particular song from the mixtape showed a rap group featuring John Anthony and four of his childhood friends releasing a track entitled Ready For War. The song got John Anthony and the rest of the group suspended from middle school.[17] John Anthony would use Rap Rivals, an mobile app that showcased rappers from around the world, releasing their music and going head-to-head in virtual rap battles. This app would help enhance his career and gain confidence in releasing music publicly over the next few years.

A year later, he released another mixtape under a different name called Exstazic. The mixtape was released on July 29, 2013 and was entitled Homecoming EP, featuring eight tracks.[18] There was roughly around twenty copies made and estimated only six mixtapes sold.[19] This mixtape was also ultimately scrapped two months later, after suffering the same results as his first mixtape. On June 28, 2014, John Anthony released his third mixtape, Live Evil EP, also featuring eight tracks. Similar to his first two mixtapes, the EP failed to gain any attention. Once again, around twenty copies were made but only a handful were sold, leaving the mixtape scrapped just a few weeks later as well.[20] To this day, all three mixtapes are removed and were never released officially into stores or music streaming services.

2015-2016: Inspirations and Pyramid Records[edit]

After the commercial failure to gain any attention with the release of his first three mixtapes, John Anthony took a year long hiatus and presumedly quit rap. He mentioned this later in a 2022 inteview saying: "Once 2016 happened, or '15 it might've been... I quit rap." he stated. A year later during the summer of 2015, he was inspired to return back to music after his childhood friend showed him songs off the album Under Pressure, by rapper Logic.[21] Continuing on in the 2022 interview, he mentioned: "And that's when a buddy of mine came over my house and showed me a dude named Logic... and when I heard him, I was like 'I gotta start taking this shit seriously...".[22] Discovering Logic helped John Anthony not only return to writing, but start learning the craft by going back and listening to classic hip hop. Debut albums such as Radio (1985) by LL Cool J and Illmatic (1994) by Nas were a few inspirations.[23] He spent the rest of the 2015 year studying the art of hip hip from it’s origins and learning different flows, rhyme schemes and sounds that he can transport to his style, in helps on improving areas of his music.[24] John restructured his career yet again after finally settling on the name John Anthony in 2016.[25] The name takes his middle name, Giovanni, which is the Italian equivalent of John, as his first name and Anthony as his last.

On February 26, 2016, John Anthony released "Moving Fast", the first single from his fourth mixtape, Double Standards EP, which released a month later on March 26, 2016.[26] The mixtape featured seven tracks and was recorded and distributed locally by Pyramid Records in Avoca, Pennsylvania. The mixtape gained better attention upon its release, improving in streaming numbers from his first three mixtapes. However, the mixtape never steered in the right direction as it failed with only nine copies sold out of twenty-five manufactured.[27] The production of the album was subpar, leading to a back and forth dispute between John Anthony and Pyramid Records, which ultimately had the EP taken down from all free music streaming services[28]. John Anthony spent the next few years working on his production as he started buying his own professional recording equipment. In the summer of 2016, he formed his own in-home studio called "RYG Records" and installed FL Studios (previously known as FruityLoops before 2003) on his computer.[29]

John Anthony rapping in studio from 2019
John Anthony rapping in studio from 2019

2017-2018: Battle rapping, Hell on Earth (Freestyle) and scrapped mixtapes[edit]

In 2017, John Anthony would participate in a small, underground rap battle tournament in Scranton, Pennsylvania. That same year, he joined his childhood friend's rap tournament, which was called "The Bunker", where local rappers were able to freestyle, preform live or battle rap every Friday night.[30] The tournament held around ten or more local talents. John Anthony discontinued joining the events after many didn't take it serious and continued back working on his own music. In early 2018, John Anthony recorded a freestyle entitled "Hell on Earth (Freestyle)", which is a remix to "Front Lines (Hell on Earth)" (1996) by hip hop duo Mobb Deep.[31] The remix was released on March 4, 2018 as a stand alone single, along with a three-track mixtape originally entitled The Four Forty Four Demo. The mixtape only featured three songs and the mixing and mastering on the project was subpar. The single and mixtape failed to gain any attention upon its release and was taken down two months later. In the summer of 2018, John Anthony recorded a six-song extended play mixtape called The Therapy EP. This was set to be John Anthony's sixth mixtape and was scheduled for release in November of 2018 but was ultimately scrapped two weeks before its initial release date of November 28, 2018 due to lack of confidence in the project. [32]

2019-2020: Villainous Records, The Bad Guy Chronicles, Villainology mixtapes and more[edit]

Main articles: Villainous Records, The Therapy LP, The Bad Guy Chronicles, Villainology (mixtapes) and Unexplored (John Anthony album)

On March 8, 2019, John Anthony rebranded "RYG Records" to his newer record label, Villainous Records. At the time, the label was considered the promotional and distributional platform for his music.[33] Four months later on July 21, he re-released the single "Hell on Earth (Freestyle)" under his newly founded record label.[34] Over sixty percent of the songs lyrics were changed, as more bars were added to the new freestyle, which ended up gaining some attention that the previous 2018 release failed at.[35] The songs re-release showcased the lyrical penmanship, subliminal disses and puns which helped gained both positive and negative feedback. A few musical artists and producers gave their takes on the track, such as DJ and music producer Louis Flores, rapper Bizarre from the hip hop group D12, and two time Grammy songwriter winner Tommy Coster, who was a co-songwriter for The Slim Shady LP by Eminem.[36] John Anthony would re-release the The Four Forty Four Demo, entitling the mixtape as Four Forty Four EP, on March 4, 2019, along with the newly restructured single "Hell on Earth (Freestyle)".[37] Upon its re-release, many people compared John Anthony's flow and sound to Eminem, or "Slim Shady". A few months later, he would go on to release two new singles, "Jump-In (Freestyle)" on August 29, 2019 and the more success hit single "Time Will Heal" on October 20, 2019. John Anthony would release his debut album, The Therapy LP, on October 30, 2019.[38] Unlike the EP, the LP featured four additional songs and enhanced the productional errors and several of the original songs lyrics. The Therapy LP, or "TLP", would be considered as the first studio album under John Anthony's newly founded record label Villainous Records. The album reached just under 10,000 total streams on SoundCloud its first few months[39]. A month later, John Anthony released "Backstab", a diss track towards former childhood friend and local independent rapper Lil Cyko. On November 15, 2019, a song titled "Pressure" was released on free streaming services by Villainous Records. On December 1, Villainous Records announced on their Twitter the release of an annual mixtape series. Villainology, Vol. 1 is the first edition of the Villainology Series, which is a series of mixtapes compiled of unreleased John Anthony songs and remixes throughout the span of a full year. On December 6, 2019, Villainous Records released Villainology, Vol. 1, featuring six unreleased songs available on free music streaming services.[40] The mixtape assembles scrapped music from late 2019, specifically from The Therapy LP. [41] On February 1, 2020, John Anthony released a deluxe version of The Therapy LP, featuring nine new songs[42].

John Anthony quietly built off the momentum, as he would unexpectedly release his second Villainous Records mixtape Ride or Die, which released on March 19, 2020 and featuring seven songs.[43] The mixtape was released with no prior announcement on John Anthony's YouTube page and was dedicated to a former girlfriend at the time.[44] The mixtape has over 8,000 total streams, with the two more popular tracks being "Rock With You" and "Somebody Else". John Anthony's "Rock With You" contains samples of the song "Rock With You" (1979) by Michael Jackson. A sample of Michael Jackson singing is used as the chorus for this song. "Rocketship", which is a song from the The Therapy LP, was also featured on the mixtape. John Anthony's style would change to mainstream or trap style hip hop with singles "Run It Back", which released on January 1, 2020, and "Slaughter Day", which released on February 29. Nothing compared to the unexpected release of John Anthony's summer hit single "Ballin", which released on May 29, 2020. The song was the first track John Anthony released to be available on all major music streaming platforms worldwide and became an immediate success and fan favorite[45]. The song has over 15,000 streams on Spotify and over 50,000 worldwide. An NBA highlight hype video featuring the song was released on June 4, 2020.

John Anthony receiving commemorative gold plaque for Words Are Weapons[46]

On June 11, John Anthony announced a new album on Instagram with a trailer video. June 26, 2020 marked the release date of his second studio album The Bad Guy Chronicles. It features two sides and twenty tracks, with "Side A" ranging in boom bap and "Side B" in trap music.[47] The album received mixed reviews by fans, journalists, music critics and A&R reps in the independent music scene. Weeks after its release, the album quickly became a battering piece as critics would both praise and admire the album's grittiness, along with ridicule and downgrade the album due to its derogatory and controversial content.[48] Certain songs such as "Sharpening The Saw" and "Crazy" were viewed to some as homophobic and sexist in some cases.[49] The album captured the attention of independent records labels such as Tommy Boy Records and NoFace Records but were ultimately turned down. John Anthony's style and sound was heavily compared again to Eminem, considering the artwork for the The Bad Guy Chronicles was inspired from Eminem's debut album artwork The Slim Shady LP. The Bad Guy Chronicles sold thirty-five copies in its first month. John Anthony signed a partnership contract with Chaos Music Distribution (Know today as Chaos Music Group or "CMG") in July 2020. They act as the parental label to Villainous Records.

On August 7, 2020, John Anthony released a surprise album to digital music stores and streaming services without any promotion or pre-announcement, unlike the extensive marketing done for The Bad Guy Chronicles[50]. His third studio album, Unexplored, released just six weeks after The Bad Guy Chronicles and featured twelve songs. The album's unexpected release was due to mixed critical reception the The Bad Guy Chronicles received. John Anthony mentioned, "It just sucked that all that work I put in [The Bad Guy Chronicles] just got shit on by the comparisons and personal opinions I stated." he stated in a 2023 Instagram Live interview with The Force. "Really [Unexplored] was just a way to cover up all that negative shit as quick as possible and give the fans what they want." he continued. The album featured a wide range of different rap sub-genres, ranging from trap music, boom-bap, alternative rap and conscious hip hop. One of the more popular tracks from Unexplored featured the song "33 Ways", which shows John Anthony rap 257 words in thirty-six seconds, or a grand total of 375 syllables.[51] The album also reached over 3,000 worldwide streams within its first two weeks.[52] A month later on Septemebr 19, John Anthony released the single "Sincerely Yours (Freestyle)", a seven minute freestyle song featuring five switch-up beats and samples, produced by rapper Logic. Amelia Vandergast of A&R Factory gave a positive review on the song, stating: "John Anthony used the seven minute duration to create an exposition of the grittiest and most frustrating factors in our warped 21st-century society; every line delivers introspective gold. From the corrupt nature of the music industry to the danger of anti-mask stupidity to fucked up abortion laws, John Anthony poetically goes for the jugular on many contemporary aggravators in the song."[53] The single has over 25,000 streams worldwide.

Nearing the end of the 2020 year, John Anthony released his second extended play project, Stereo EP. The project is considered an EP and not a mixtape or studio album. Stereo celebrates the 35th anniversary of Radio (1985), the debut album of LL Cool J[54]. The EP features five throwback-style hip hop tracks, including the song "Stereo", which he tributes LL Cool J's hit single "I Can't Live Without My Radio"[55]. The artwork for Stereo showcases an up-close view of a portable stereo boom box, which is a a direct resemblance to the old school boom box radio used in LL Cool J’s album cover. The track listing artwork on the Stereo EP also duplicates Radio with its bright, yellow background and full-body portrait of each artist, along with similar font styles and graphics. To end the year, John Anthony would release his third mixtape, Villainology, Vol. 2 from the Villainology Series, featuring nine unreleased songs on December 4.[56] This mixtape assembles scrapped music from 2020, specifically from albums such as The Bad Guy Chronicles and Unexplored.

2021-2022: Words Are Weapons, Villaination!, Hustlin', and more[edit]

Main articles: Words Are Weapons (album), Villaination! and Hustlin'

On February 19, 2021, John Anthony kicked off the year with a thirteen and a half minute-long cypher entitled "400 Bar (Freestyle)", which features John Anthony rapping over seventeen classic hip hop instrumentals[57]. On March 5, John Anthony released "That Boy Different", the lead single to his forthcoming album.[58] On April 9, 2021, John Anthony released his fourth studio album Words Are Weapons, along with Words Are Weapons (Deluxe Edition)[59][60]. The album later received a gold record commemorative plaque for achieving over 10,000 worldwide streams in its first two weeks.[61] A month later, John Anthony would have a featured performance in Orlando, Florida at Concert Crave Artist Showcase[62]. Later in the year, John Anthony originally planned to release fifth studio album entitled Project 4:44, but ultimately never released. The album was scheduled to release on August 6, 2021 but was later scrapped and replaced with the hit single "My Life", which is a remix and sample to “It’s My Life” (2000), a song by rock band Bon Jovi. The song featured Jon Bon Jovi in the hook[63] and was produced, sampled and engineered by John Anthony. The song has over 60,000 streams worldwide, with over 30,000 on Spotify alone. On December 3, John Anthony released his fourth overall mixtape Villainology, Vol. 3, the third mixtape of the Villainology Series.[64] It features fourteen unreleased songs and remixes by John Anthony and assembles scrapped music from 2021, specifically from the albums Words Are Weapons and multiple unreleased projects.[65]

John Anthony & J Mont on set of "Look At My Life" music video[66]

On January 3, 2022, John Anthony announced his fifth studio album, Villaination!. The news of his fifth album was shared and revealed publicly on John Anthony and Villainous Record's social media accounts.[67] The album was released on February 11 and featured twenty-two songs, along with guest appearances from local talents J Mont, BROSBY, Katrina and BIG 50, along with well-known features from Yukmouth, who is a member of hip hop duo Luniz, and Bronze Nazareth[68], who is a member of rap group Wu-Tang Clan. The artwork for Villaination! was inspired by and pays homage to West Coast rapper Kurupt’s debut album Kuruption! (1998).[69] The album has sold 320 copies in stores and online, and has over 110,000 worldwide streams. On October 22, John Anthony received a gold record commemorative plaque for Villaination! by tallying over 100,000 worldwide streams and 250 sales. This being the second commemorative plaque he’s received, with earning his first in 2021 for his studio album Words Are Weapons.

On March 4, 2022, John Anthony announced that he signed independent local rapper J Mont to his label Villainous Records.[70] This would be the first outside musician to sign with the record label. J Mont was featured in three songs on Villaination!: "Midnight Cypher", "Been That Real" and "Look At My Life". On January 14, J Mont released his first single "The Kickoff (Freestyle)", a song engineered and produced by John Anthony. J Mont later would release his debut studio album Premonition on May 27, 2022, with John Anthony executive producing and engineering the album. He also was featured on "Squad Shit" and "Come Around", which features singer and songwriter SoundingBlue.

On July 15, 2022, John Anthony released his hit single Hustlin’, which is a hard-hitting, heavy trap anthem. It has over 50,000 streams on Spotify[71] and 145,000 worldwide and is widely considered his most popular song. It has been featured on several hip hop radio stations, such as HipHopNation on Sirius XM and Hot 97. It charted at number 233 on Upcoming100's Emerging 300 charts[72], while also peaking at 79 on the Indie Hip Hop Radar's Top 100. The beat was produced by record producer Timber, along with executive produced by John Anthony.[73] In September, John Anthony hinted at a possible new album in an Instagram post. The post showed a brand new photoshoot featuring John Anthony, with the caption reading "Can I take you back for a minute? #twinflame". This speculated the idea of The Therapy LP 2, as the caption in the Instagram post was lyrics from "Time Will Heal", a song from his 2019 debut album The Therapy LP, but later resulted to be an unreleased studio album entitled Twin Flame that was confirmed on John Anthony's Discogs. The album was a direct sequel to the 2020 mixtape Ride or Die and was scrapped for unknown reasons. John Anthony would finish 2022 with his annual end-of-the-year mixtape; Villainology, Vol. 4. This would be the fourth installment in the series and fifth overall mixtape. It would feature remixes to and from artists such as 50 Cent, Logic and Destiny's Child.

2023-present: Success Story and Heroes 2 Villains[edit]

Main articles: Success Story (John Anthony album) and Heroes 2 Villains

On March 24, 2023, John Anthony's sixth studio album, Success Story was released. It was supported by two singles prior to release, "IDFWY" and "Montana". The album compiles multiple songs that were sampled and produced by John Anthony, with features from J Mont and Larry Bellyfatè. In a 2023 interview, John Anthony stated: "This is my first album were I really did all boom bap...this one I really kinda wanted to do a lot of sampling" he told Hip Hop Radar Underground.[74] The album's creativity consisted of a retro, 1950's theme and was heavily inspired from classic gangster films such as The Godfather, Scarface and Goodfellas. The album released on the same day as the anniversary of the American film The Godfather (1972).[75]

John Anthony performing at The Sherman Showcase in 2023[76]

Six months later, John Anthony and fellow rapper J Mont together released "Give It To Ya" on September 15 as the first single from their forthcoming duo album. The song samples "Sugar" (2009) by rapper Flo Rida. The song has over 20,000 streams on Spotify. Three days later, they released the music video for "Give It To Ya", which currently has nearly 10,000 views on YouTube. On October 1, John Anthony announced Heroes 2 Villains, a collaborative album with Villainous Records rapper J Mont. The album was announced via John Anthony's Instagram, however, a duo album between the two was surfaced around for the better part of 2023. John Anthony and J Mont's duo album Heroes 2 Villains released on October 13, 2023, and featured independent rappers such as Frizz, Tony Lonl3y and Phoenixx Rose, while a majority of the production was handled by several different producers. The album marked as the final album released under Chaos Music Group, the parental music management agency for Villainous Records. On December 8, John Anthony and J Mont performed at the Sherman Showcase at The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania for their "Heroes 2 Villains Concert".[77] The event also featured independent rapper Frizz as the shows opener.

On December 10, John Anthony and Villainous Records parted ways with their management team Chaos Music Group, making John Anthony and all Villainous Records artists and members officially independent. He ended the year with his annual mixtape series Villainology, Vol. 5, which released on December 15.[78] Originally, the mixtape was set to release on December 1 but was delayed due to John Anthony and J Mont's "Heroes 2 Villains" concert that was be promoted heavily.[79] He explained on X (Twitter): "#Villainology Volume 5 is still coming. Usually it would release today but due to the anticipation surrounding the [Heroes 2 Villains] concert next Friday, I decided to put the mixtape on hold."[80] The new mixtape features ten songs, with multiple remix tracks to unreleased songs from John Anthony’s 2023 album Success Story. Some songs feature classic remixes to well-known artists such as Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” (2002), where throughout the remix he subsequently disses his ex-girlfriend from his 2020 mixtape Ride or Die, along with a remix to Jay-Z and Eminem's hit single “Renegade” (2002), where he and fellow rapper J Mont share a similar flow and style to the original song, to 50 Cent's “Wanksta” (2002), which is the third song John Anthony has remixed from 50 Cent’s popular debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003), previously remixing to "Life's on the Line" in Villainology, Vol. 3 (2021) and "Don't Push Me" in Villainology, Vol. 4 (2022).

To begin the 2024 year, John Anthony had a featured performance at an independent artist showcase festival hosted by Concert Crave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[81] On March 29, John Anthony released "Turn Loose", his first single of the new year along with the music video. On April 18, John Anthony announced his forthcoming seventh studio album, Never Ending Story, revealing the artwork and the track list via his Instagram.

Personal life and legal issues[edit]

In several of John Anthony's songs, he opens up on various personal issues from depression, accusations, addiction and suicide. In 2021, he released "Beautiful", a song that touches on depression and isolation, stating in one of the verses, "and through I seem to be happy / when them curtains close, them dark clouds follow me sadly". John Anthony later addressed his constant battles with OCD and also opens up on his personal strained relationships in numerous songs.

In a 2023 Interview with Sac Juggalo of Hip-Hop Radar Underground, John Anthony discussed his album Success Story where throughout the interview, he talked on the song "Coming Home". He opens up about a former individual, whom John Anthony had several verbal altercations with, suddenly take his life after these altercations. He states in the interview: "There's a line in the song [where] I'll mention... I said I'd kill somebody on the track... a few years [prior] I was beefing with somebody and I really took to 'em in a song called "Break"... couple months later, the kid actually passed away and for so long it's just been laying on my shoulders, like, did I start something or say something I shouldn't have?"[82] he mentions. John Anthony was referring to the line in his 2021 song "Break", from the album Words Are Weapons, where he states: "I'm not forgetting Mr. Jayson Williams slash Justin Confletti / you punks better be ready when I come back with a machete and I kill you"[83].

In October 2018, John Anthony was charged with accusations of psychical and mental abuse by his former girlfriend. Though the accusations were denied, he was still indicted with a three-year restraining order. He opens up on those allegations in several of his songs such as "Abuser", "For The Better" and "Loveless".

In 2018, John Anthony was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct by his parents after a physical altercation with his father. He mentions the incident in the song "Break", where John Anthony allegedly tried to leave his house to fight an individual, whom he had a verbal dispute with over text, but was intervened by his parents, causing a psychical altercation with his father. In the song he states: "Was so heated, wanted to fight so bad / That I shoved, pushed and even punched my own dad".[84]

In early 2019, John Anthony was once again accused of psychical abuse by another former girlfriend, but charges were dropped before a court date when no evidence was found. John Anthony opens up about this in songs such as "No Time", "Crazy", "There She Goes" and "Toxic", a song here he disses his ex-girlfriends mother and calls her "white trash".

In April of 2022, John Anthony was charged with criminal mischief and reckless conduct after an altercation with a resident of Larksville, Pennsylvania, in the parking lot of a Larksville bar. The charges were dropped upon an agreement of payment. He addresses this incident in the song "Vilified" from his album Success Story in 2023.

Artistry[edit]

John Anthony at record store in Orlando, FL in 2021
Influences and style[edit]

John Anthony credits various artists as inspirations to his career. In a 2022 interview, John Anthony states 50 Cent, Nas, 2Pac, The Notorious BIG, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Eminem, LL Cool J and Logic were all key inspirational elements to piecing his career together early on.[85] He elaborates on his various classic hip hop collection of vinyl records, CD's and cassette tapes. In an interview with Hip Hop Radar Underground, John Anthony stated, "When I first started out in 2012, Hopsin, Em (Eminem), 50 (50 Cent) was huge for me, Kanye (Kanye West) was obviously a big popularity and I think even an early Drake kind've got into there...".[86] He also stated how he quit rapping in 2015 and returned back after being inspired by rapper Logic and credits him for his reestablished love for hip hop, stating, "A buddy of mine came over my house and showed me a dude named Logic... so when I heard him, I was like 'I gotta take this shit seriously'... and that's when I said 'I gotta go back' [and study hip hop]".[87] He elaborated that the same way he was inspired by hearing Eminem for the first time, early in his career, was the same way he felt after hearing Logic.

John Anthony has also cited several MCs as influential pieces to his rapping style. In a 2023 interview with Real Hype Music, he categorizes each artist that influenced his game, stating: "Big Daddy Kane, Mobb Deep, Big L, J. Cole and Eminem were key parts in developing my flow and cadences. Big Pun, Naughty By Nature, Black Thought and [also] Eminem helped gain the skill of speed-rapping and annunciating rhymes, while also generating a story though it. The list can go on and on with several rappers that I was influenced from."[88]

Character inspirations[edit]

John Anthony has said that comic books and cartoons were huge inspirations in the creation of his record label Villainous Records and "The Villain" persona.[89] He has mentioned in several articles his love for collecting comic books, mentioning he has over four hundred comics. The name Villainous was inspired when John Anthony was reading a comic book and stumbled across the word. The word came to life, as he felt it perfectly reflected what people were labeling him at the time, a villain.[90] He cites cartoon villains, or antihero characters, such as Skeletor from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Two-Face from Batman as early inspirations to the villainous ego. John Anthony credits several rappers as character, or persona, inspirations to his career: "MF Doom, Czarface, Ice Cube and MC Ren all helped inspired characteristic traits to my game, such as the development of [his music persona] “The Villain”."[91], he stated in a 2023 interview with Real Hype Music. He elaborates: "These rappers successfully combined the art of comic books and rap music together.".

Album artwork[edit]

Several of John Anthony’s album covers are inspired from other musicians album artwork. He credits many of these inspirations, while also tributing or celebrating others. His earliest mixtape — Four Forty Four EP, which was released on March 4, 2018 and then re-released on March 4, 2019 a year later, it’s artwork was inspired and tributes the 1990 album At Your Own Risk by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. The Four Forty Four EP features the same green background color-scheme, along with similar font styling. John Anthony’s artwork from his debut album The Therapy LP, which released on October 30, 2019, was inspired by Scorpion, a 2018 album by Canadian rapper Drake. The inspiration shows similar facial-side poses from each artist, along with a grainy, black and white background. The Bad Guy Chronicles, which released on June 26, 2020, was inspired by the 1999 debut album The Slim Shady LP by American rapper Eminem. The album covers resemble similar in-depth graphic visuals, as both show each artists standing near a motor vehicle with a civilian’s body hanging out the trunk. John Anthony mentioned in an 2021 article press that this comparison originally wasn’t planned, stating: “I actually didn’t realize the comparisons ‘til after. But [The Bad Guy Chronicles] technically was inspired from [The Slim Shady LP] in a way so I got to give a nod to that album…” he mentioned.

On November 18, 2020, John Anthony released the Stereo EP, a mixtape that tributes and celebrates the 35th anniversary of Radio by American rapper LL Cool J. The Stereo artwork showcases an up-close view of a portable stereo boom box, which is a a direct resemblance to the old school boom box radio used in LL Cool J’s debut 1985 album cover. The track listing artwork on the Stereo EP also duplicates Radio with its bright yellow background and full-body portrait of each artist, along with similar font styles and graphics. John Anthony’s fifth studio album Villaination! also tributes and pays homage to Kuruption! (1998), the debut album of West Coast rapper Kurupt. The artwork for Villaination! mirrors in replication with Kuruption!, as each detail having near identical graphics and fonts. John Anthony mentioned in a 2023 interview: “I remember seeing [Kuruption] in a record shop when I was young and not knowing who Kurupt was but was persuaded to buy that album just ‘cause of the artwork. It captioned my attention…” he stated.

John Anthony wearing his symbolic ring in a 2022 photoshoot.
John Anthony wearing his symbolic ring in a 2022 photoshoot.
Symbolic items[edit]

Since the reconstruction of his earlier career back in 2019, John Anthony wears a black ring on his finger, or around his neck, that he symbolizes as his personal "hip hop ring" and metaphorically represents his love and attachment to hip hop. The ring has been seen in several pictures of John Anthony including photoshoots, music videos and interviews. It was also featured on the track listing artwork for his 2023 studio album Success Story. John Anthony wears the ring on his right hand instead of his left because it embodies the hand he writes lyrics with. He also wears the ring as a necklace, as seen in the music video "Villaination" and featured in the 2023 interview The Shakey Vibe Podcast. Inside the ring reads "Forever Hip Hop 4:44".

Comparisons[edit]

Being a white, lyrical rapper in today's modern hip hop scene, John Anthony has been widely compared to Eminem, both in rap style and similar sound. John Anthony stated his admiration and respect towards the Detroit-native rapper, stating: "I listened to a lot of that 50 Cent, Eminem, Dr. Dre shit throughout my life, especially Em [Eminem]... and I get it, I probably spent too much time listening to [Eminem] to the point where when I finally wanted to start writing... all the years constantly forcing my ears to hear [Eminem], it kind'a got into my music today without me realizing it.", he states in a 2022 interview with Hip Hop Radar Underground. Continuing on, he mentions: "But now I'm finally like, 'alright I gotta separate that comparison'...". In many of John Anthony's songs, he addresses his dislike towards being compared. In the song "Back So Soon", from his 2020 studio album Unexplored, John Anthony addresses how the comparisons almost made him not want to be a fan of Eminem, stating in the song: "the one thing that makes you hesitant and really not play me / is mainly the fact that y'all compare me to the blonde Shady / and I hate it so much, it kinda makes me start hating 'em". He also continued on mentioning how record labels were not interested in him because of the comparison, stating: "A&R's would hit me up saying Ballin is hard / they interested in signing me until they heard me old stuff / and they like sorry, you just sound too much like Em, we gone".[92]

Other ventures[edit]

Villainous Records[edit]

Main article: Villainous Records

After deciding to return back and continue pursuing his hip hop career in 2019, John Anthony would restructure his previous independent studio, which was originally labeled as "Flo Money Records" and was the distributional service for all four of his mixtapes in 2012 to 2017.[93] He would rename the label "Villainous Records" and would be founded on March 8, 2019.[94] In the beginning, John Anthony would be the only artist signed to the record label, using the label as his own distributional, promotional and marketing venue for his earlier music, such as his debut album The Therapy LP. On June 11, 2020, John Anthony signed a partnership agreement with CEO Edward Johnson of Chaos Music Group, also known at the time as Chaos Music Distribution, to become co-owner and parental control of Villainous Records.[95] In late 2021, John Anthony signed Florida rappers BIG 50 and Kwame Locks to the label to a one year deal. Currently, both BIG 50 and Kwame Locks are signed to non-exclusive agreement with Villainous Records and Chaos Music Group. John Anthony signed local Pennsylvania rapper and songwriter J Mont in late 2021.[96] In 2023, John Anthony and Edward Johnson added record producer Robin Tabacca to the Villainous-Chaos roster.[97] Former acts signed to Villainous Records include Florida rappers Amuntased Jordan and Cali, song with Florida R&B singer Katrina Everlasting.[98] All three were featured on John Anthony's 2022 studio album Villaination!. In December of 2022, Villainous Records announced the label is officially registered as an LLC, or a limited liability company. On December 10, John Anthony parted ways with his management team, Chaos Music Group, making John Anthony and all Villainous Records artists and members officially independent.

Awards[edit]

John Anthony holding his second commemorative gold record for his 2022 studio album Villaination!.

John Anthony has earned a handful of awards surrounding his music. He has sold more than 700 copies and has over 200,000 worldwide streams on all streaming platforms for his music. In 2021, John Anthony received his first gold record commemorative plaque for the album Words Are Weapons, for achieving over 10,000 streams worldwide in its first two weeks.[99] In 2022, he received his second gold record award to commemorate his 2022 studio album Villaination! for reaching over 100,000 streams.[100] The album also compiled in over 10,000 worldwide streams its first two weeks, along with over 100 copies sold.

His latest gold record plaque was on July 15, 2023, where he received his third commemorative award for his widely popular 2022 song Hustlin'. The award was honored for achieving over 50,000 streams on Spotify.[101] The award was also presented on the song's one year anniversary.

Discography[edit]

Studio Albums[edit]
Collaboration Albums[edit]
Extended Plays[edit]
Mixtapes[edit]
Upcoming Albums[edit]
  • Never Ending Story (2024)
Inactive Albums[edit]
Scrapped Projects[edit]

Live Shows and Concerts[edit]

As a headliner

  • Live at The Falser Club: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2024)
  • R&B Hip-Hop Open Mic: Atlanta, Georgia (2022)
  • Live at SoundBar: Orlando, Florida (2021)

As a co-headliner

Upcoming

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "About: John Anthony". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "1 Dolla". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  3. ↑ "Exstazic". Discogs. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  4. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  5. ↑ "John Anthony". www.villainousrecords.com. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  6. ↑ Vandergast, Amelia (2021-10-14). "John Anthony proves why his freestyle flow is one of the fiercest in the game with 'Sincerely Yours'". A&R Factory. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  7. ↑ "John Anthony receives gold "Words Are Weapons" plaque". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  8. ↑ https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/villaination-plaque
  9. ↑ "Holy Redeemer honors Class of 2017". Citizens Voice. May 31, 2017.
  10. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  11. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwWnFPzDm7E&list=PLDJjZLCgsD83a4YjamUlZnYOqi2pQw6yA&index=3&t=40s
  13. ↑ "About: John Anthony".
  14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPH5-G2cknA&t=2793s
  15. ↑ 1 Dolla - 1 Dolla, retrieved 2022-04-27
  16. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  17. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  18. ↑ Exstazic - Homecoming EP, retrieved 2022-04-27
  19. ↑ Exstazic - Homecoming EP, retrieved 2022-04-27
  20. ↑ Exstazic - Live Evil EP, retrieved 2022-04-27
  21. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ZrPLrENGA
  23. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  24. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7ZrPLrENGA
  25. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  26. ↑ John Anthony - Double Standards, retrieved 2022-04-27
  27. ↑ John Anthony - Double Standards, retrieved 2022-04-27
  28. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  29. ↑ "About". www.villainousrecords.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  30. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  31. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  32. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  33. ↑ "About". www.villainousrecords.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  34. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  35. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  36. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  37. ↑ John Anthony – Hell on Earth (Freestyle), retrieved 2022-04-27
  38. ↑ John Anthony - The Therapy LP, retrieved 2022-04-27
  39. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  40. ↑ John Anthony - Villainology, Vol. 1, retrieved 2022-04-27
  41. ↑ John Anthony - Villainology, Vol. 1, retrieved 2022-04-27
  42. ↑ John Anthony - The Therapy LP (Deluxe Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  43. ↑ John Anthony - Ride Or Die, retrieved 2022-04-27
  44. ↑ John Anthony - Ride Or Die, retrieved 2022-04-27
  45. ↑ "John Anthony is back with new song - "Ballin"". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  46. ↑ "John Anthony receives gold "Words Are Weapons" plaque". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  47. ↑ John Anthony - The Bad Guy Chronicles, retrieved 2022-04-27
  48. ↑ Adams, Ben (2020-10-30). "John Anthony releases The Bad Guy Chronicles // Full Album Review". Medium. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  49. ↑ Adams, Ben (2020-10-30). "John Anthony releases The Bad Guy Chronicles // Full Album Review". Medium. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  50. ↑ John Anthony - Unexplored, retrieved 2022-04-27
  51. ↑ John Anthony – 33 Ways, retrieved 2022-04-27
  52. ↑ "ABOUT". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  53. ↑ Vandergast, Amelia (2021-10-14). "John Anthony proves why his freestyle flow is one of the fiercest in the game with 'Sincerely Yours'". A&R Factory. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  54. ↑ John Anthony - Stereo EP, retrieved 2022-04-27
  55. ↑ "John Anthony tributes LL Cool J with new album - "Stereo EP"". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  56. ↑ John Anthony - Villainology, Vol. 2, retrieved 2022-04-27
  57. ↑ ""400 Bar (Freestyle)" is OUT NOW!". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  58. ↑ "That Boy Different - OUT NOW". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  59. ↑ John Anthony - Words Are Weapons (Deluxe Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  60. ↑ John Anthony - Words Are Weapons, retrieved 2022-04-27
  61. ↑ "John Anthony receives gold "Words Are Weapons" plaque". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  62. ↑ "John Anthony (Rapper) Concert Crave - Pictures". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  63. ↑ ""My Life" officially OUT NOW!". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  64. ↑ John Anthony - Villainology, Vol. 3, retrieved 2022-04-27
  65. ↑ "John Anthony Drops New "Villainology, Vol. 3" Mixtape!". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  66. ↑ "John Anthony Signs J Mont to Villainous Records". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  67. ↑ "John Anthony announces new album!". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  68. ↑ John Anthony - Villaination!, retrieved 2022-04-27
  69. ↑ "Official Cover + Tracklist for "Villaination!"". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  70. ↑ "John Anthony Signs J Mont to Villainous Records". John Anthony - Official Site. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  71. ↑ https://open.spotify.com/track/5LnT4JlEMnrbD6mxJ11xAq?si=d8e0d61348c649ec
  72. ↑ https://www.upcoming100.com/emerging300/
  73. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/25454257-John-Anthony-Hustlin
  74. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czoVPaFRbV0&list=PLDJjZLCgsD83a4YjamUlZnYOqi2pQw6yA&index=2&t=5378s
  75. ↑ Success Story (John Anthony album)
  76. ↑ John Anthony posts pictures from the "Heroes 2 Villains" concert on his Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C0uLLDQLgoZ/?img_index=1
  77. ↑ Sherman Showcase announcing "Heroes 2 Villains" LIVE Concert on their Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1367264260785369&set=pb.100025054247144.-2207520000&type=3&locale=nl_BE
  78. ↑ https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-villainology-vol-5-out-now
  79. ↑ https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-villainology-vol-5-out-now
  80. ↑ John Anthony addresses Villainology, Vol. 5 delay on Twitter.https://twitter.com/JohnAnthonyReal/status/1730655150287507553
  81. ↑ John Anthony announces show in Philadelphia https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-to-be-featured-in-live-show-in-philly
  82. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czoVPaFRbV0&t=5383s
  83. ↑ https://genius.com/John-anthony-rap-break-lyrics
  84. ↑ John Anthony "Break" Lyrics on Genius.comhttps://genius.com/John-anthony-rap-break-lyrics
  85. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  86. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  87. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  88. ↑ John Anthony breaks down his influences:https://realmusichype.com/interview-with-john-anthony/
  89. ↑ Full Interview: John Anthony talks with Sac from Hip Hop Radar Underground - (2022) (Edited Version), retrieved 2022-04-27
  90. ↑ "About". www.villainousrecords.com. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
  91. ↑ John Anthony talks about his influences:https://realmusichype.com/interview-with-john-anthony/
  92. ↑ John Anthony "Back So Soon" Lyrics on Genius.comhttps://genius.com/John-anthony-rap-back-so-soon-lyrics
  93. ↑ Background behind "Flo Money Records": https://www.villainousrecords.com/about Villainous Records
  94. ↑ Villainous Records foundation: Villainous Records
  95. ↑ https://www.villainousrecords.com/about
  96. ↑ John Anthony signs J Mont:https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/villainous-records-signs-jmont
  97. ↑ John Anthony signs Robin Tabacca: https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-signs-producer-robin-tabacca
  98. ↑ All former acts signed to Villainous Records: Villainous Records
  99. ↑ John Anthony earns his first gold record for Words Are Weapons: https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-receives-gold-words-are-weapons-plaque
  100. ↑ John Anthony receiving Villaination! award:https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/villaination-plaque
  101. ↑ John Anthony receives award for his groundbreaking hit song Hustlin': https://johnanthonyofficial.com/news/john-anthony-receives-gold-record-for-hustlin


External links[edit]



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