Ghostemane

{{short description|American rapper and record producer (born 1991)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Ghostemane

| alias = {{hlist|Eric Ghoste|Baader-Meinhof|Swearr|Ill Bizz|GASM}}

| image = Ghostemane Live.png

| caption = Ghostemane performing in 2017

| birth_name = Eric Whitney

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1991|4|15}}

| birth_place = Lake Worth, Florida, U.S.

| origin = West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.

| genre = {{hlist|Trap metal{{cite magazine|last1=JAMIESON |first1=BRII |title=This is Trap Metal |journal=Kerrang! |date=May 23, 2019 }}|hip hop{{cite web|title=Hear Ghostemane's Crushing New Hardcore EP 'Fear Network' | url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-ghostemanes-crushing-new-hardcore-ep-fear-network/|date= April 10, 2019 |access-date=April 15, 2019}}|hardcore punk{{Cite web|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-ghostemanes-crushing-new-hardcore-ep-fear-network|title=Hear Ghostemane's Crushing New Hardcore EP 'Fear Network'|date=April 10, 2019|website=Revolver|access-date=August 2, 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://rhyme.ru/ghostemane-fear-network/|title=Ghostemane – Fear Network / Премьера релиза на Rhyme.ru|date=April 10, 2019|website=Rhyme - новости музыки|access-date=August 2, 2020}}|noise|alternative hip hop{{Cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-ghostemane-anti-icon|title = Album Review: Ghostemane – Anti-Icon — Kerrang!}}|black metal|industrial hip hop|doom metal}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter|musician|record producer}}

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|drums|bass|synthesizers}}

| years_active = 2010–present

| website = {{URL|ghostemane.com/}}

}}

Eric Whitney (born April 15, 1991),{{Cite news|url=http://www.metalinsider.net/interviews/interview-rapper-ghostemane-talks-death-metal-influences|title=Interview: rapper Ghostemane talks death metal influences|date=August 23, 2016|work=Metal Insider|access-date=May 25, 2018|language=en-US}} known professionally as Ghostemane or Eric Ghoste,{{cite web |title=Ghostemane has announced his eighth studio album, 'Anti-Icon' |date=July 27, 2020 |url=https://www.upsetmagazine.com/news/ghostemane-has-announced-his-eighth-studio-album-anti-icon |access-date=8 May 2021}} is an American rapper and record producer. He has released eight solo albums and three collaborative albums under his Ghostemane moniker, primarily merging elements of heavy metal, hip hop and industrial music. Whitney has also released music with a number of additional solo projects, pursuing styles including black metal as Baader-Meinhof, noise music as GASM,{{cite web |title=45 MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF 2019 |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/45-most-anticipated-albums-2019 |website=Revolver |date=January 2019 |access-date=April 11, 2019}} and electronic music as Swearr.{{cite web |last1=Law |first1=Sam |title=How Ghostemane is changing the fabric of heavy music |url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/how-ghostemane-is-changing-the-fabric-of-heavy-music/ |website=Kerrang! |access-date=8 May 2021}} He began his career in local hardcore punk and doom metal bands around Florida.{{Cite news|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1962120/thanks-to-ghostemane-industrial-and-metal-are-rap-now/franchises/status-aint-hood/|title=Thanks To Ghostemane, Industrial And Metal Are Rap Now|date=September 13, 2017|work=Stereogum|access-date=May 25, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://stayloud.skullcandy.com/stories/ghostemane/|title=GHOSTEMANE'S HARDCORE PAST INSPIRED HIS UNDERGROUND RAP PRESENCE|last1=Shaner|first1=Lee|website=Skullcandy|access-date=October 30, 2018|archive-date=October 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003055239/https://stayloud.skullcandy.com/stories/ghostemane/|url-status=dead}} In 2015, he moved to Los Angeles, California, starting a career as a rapper, under the moniker Ill Bizz. Around this same time, he was a member of the hip hop collective Schemaposse.{{cite web |last1=Robb |first1=John |title=Ghostemane 'Anti- Icon' : A 21st century antichrist superstar who combines black metal, industrial and rap into a dystopian whole |date=January 16, 2021 |url=https://louderthanwar.com/ghostemane-anti-icon-a-21st-century-antichrist-superstar-who-combines-black-metal-industrial-and-rap-into-a-dystopian-whole/ |access-date=8 May 2021}}

Ghostemane's merging of trap and metal gained him popularity on SoundCloud. In 2018, Ghostemane released his seventh studio album, N/O/I/S/E, which was highly anticipated in the underground music scene{{Cite news|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/ghostsmane-surprise-releases-new-album-noise-week-early|title=Ghostsmane Surprise-Releases New Album 'N/O/I/S/E' a Week Early|date=October 10, 2018|work=Revolver|access-date=November 14, 2018|language=en}} due to its heavy influence from industrial and nu metal.

Early life

Eric Whitney was born on April 15, 1991, in Lake Worth, Florida to parents from New York.{{Citation|last=Kinda Neat|title=KINDA NEAT EPISODE 110: GHOSTEMANE|date=July 6, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNWAtG7B_kI|access-date=May 25, 2018}} Whitney grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida. As a teenager, he was mainly interested in hardcore punk music. He learned to play the guitar and performed in several bands,{{cite web|url=https://stayloud.skullcandy.com/stories/ghostemane/|title=Ghostemane's Hardcore Past Inspired His Underground Rap Presence|publisher=Skullcandy|access-date=May 25, 2018|archive-date=October 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003055239/https://stayloud.skullcandy.com/stories/ghostemane/|url-status=dead}} including Nemesis and Seven Serpents.{{cite web |last1=Wenke |first1=Carrick |title=Underground Hype: GHOSTEMANE |url=http://www.theblowup.co/underground-hype-ghostemane |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-date=October 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003055242/http://www.theblowup.co/underground-hype-ghostemane |url-status=dead }} He also played football while he was in high school, saying he was practically forced to by his father, who died when Whitney was seventeen.

Whitney was introduced to rap music when he was the guitarist in the hardcore punk band Nemesis and a bandmate introduced him to Memphis rap.

Career

Prior to his musical career, Whitney worked in several B2B sales positions. In 2015, due to not being able to musically thrive in Southern Florida, Whitney moved to Los Angeles, California. He also gave up his employment. Meeting up with JGRXXN, Whitney joined his collective Schemaposse, which included artists such as Craig Xen and Lil Peep.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theblowup.co/underground-hype-ghostemane|title=Underground Hype: GHOSTEMANE – The Blow Up – A Place for the Independent Artist|website=www.theblowup.co|language=en-US|access-date=May 25, 2018|archive-date=October 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003055242/http://www.theblowup.co/underground-hype-ghostemane|url-status=dead}}

In April 2016, after just 1 year with the group, Whitney left Schemaposse.{{Citation|last=No Jumper|title=No Jumper - The Schema Posse Interview|date=April 18, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI_a8EwrmWU|access-date=May 25, 2018}} He subsequently released his self-produced album "Blackmage" and his first cinematic music video with his single "John Dee". Whitney eventually began to associate with fellow Florida rapper Pouya,{{Cite web|url=http://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2016/11/14/music-for-the-aspiring-occultist-ghostemane-and-the-collision-of-metal-and-underground-rap/|title=Music For The Aspiring Occultist: Ghostemane and the Collision of Metal and Underground Rap - Heavy Blog Is Heavy|website=www.heavyblogisheavy.com|date=November 14, 2016 |language=en-US|access-date=May 25, 2018}} who released the video for "1000 Rounds" with Ghostemane in April 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/pouya-and-ghostemane-1000-bulletsinmyass-video-new-video.41444.html|title=Pouya & Ghostemane "1000 Rounds" Video|work=HotNewHipHop|access-date=May 25, 2018}} The video quickly went viral, and as of May 2021, it had over 29 million views.{{Citation|last=Buffet Boys|title=Pouya x Ghostemane - 1000 Rounds [Music Video]|date=April 27, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia8xqNWa0eY|access-date=May 25, 2018}}

In late 2017, Whitney saw greater success when art collective TRASH GANG created and released their 1930s cartoon edit music video for his song "Mercury: Retrograde". The cartoon was a 1933 Betty Boop short, Snow-White, featuring Cab Calloway as Koko the Clown singing St. James Infirmary. The video has since climbed to over 500 million views, making it his most well known single.{{Cite web|title=GHOSTEMANE - Mercury|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31j4DIpgY9U|access-date=5 October 2021|website=YouTube}}

In October 2018 he teamed up with Zubin to release a track titled Broken.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/10/16/ghostemane-zubin-parv0-broken-tour|title=Ghostemane and Zubin team up on "Broken"|work=The FADER|access-date=October 18, 2018|language=en}}

Also in 2018, he released his seventh studio album, N/O/I/S/E, in which many of the songs are influenced by industrial metal, nu metal, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. In May 2020, he unveiled his latest project, a lo-fi black metal band called Baader-Meinhof, of which he is the sole member (credited as Eric Ghoste).[https://www.revolvermag.com/music/ghostemanes-black-metal-project-hear-baader-meinhoffs-sinister-new-ep-0 Ghostemane's Black-Metal Project: Hear Baader-Meinhoff's Sinister New EP] Revolver. May 26, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.

In 2021, Ghostemane's music video "AI", directed by Nick Cinelli, was nominated for Most Bizarre at the Berlin Music Video Awards.{{Cite web|last=Berlin Music Video Awards|date=20 May 2021|title=Nominees 2021|url=https://www.berlinmva.com/2021-nominees-full/|website=www.berlinmva.com|access-date=May 20, 2021|archive-date=April 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405103040/https://www.berlinmva.com/2021-nominees-full/|url-status=dead}}

Artistry

Lyrically, Ghostemane's themes focus on occultism, depression, nihilism, death and illuminism. He started his career as a musician playing guitar in hardcore punk bands, and drums in doom metal bands. He has stated that his biggest influence is black metal band Bathory. He spent most of his teenage years listening to extreme metal bands such as Deicide, Death, Carcass and Mayhem. In terms of rap music, Ghostemane is influenced by Southern rap groups such as Outkast and Three 6 Mafia. He has also gone on to cite Midwest rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as an early influence.{{Cite news|url=https://unsignedhype.org/ghostemane-interview-with-independent-grind/|title=GHOSTEMANE Interview With Independent Grind|work=unsignedhype.org|access-date=May 25, 2018|language=en-US}}

Backing band

;Current{{cite web |last1=Law |first1=Sam |title=How Ghostemane is changing the fabric of heavy music |url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/how-ghostemane-is-changing-the-fabric-of-heavy-music/ |website=Kerrang! |access-date=20 February 2021}}{{cite web |last1=Angell |first1=Jack |title=LIL LOTUS IS REWRITING THE EMO PLAYBOOK AND THERE ARE NO RULES |url=https://www.altpress.com/features/lil-lotus-if-i-die-first-boyfriendz-interview/ |website=Alternative Press |date=April 28, 2020 |access-date=16 February 2021}}

Parv0 – DJ
Nolan Nunes – bass
Marcus Johnson – drums

;Former{{cite web |title=HEAR HORUS THE ASTRONEER'S NEW SONG WITH IRON REAGAN AND GHOSTEMANE GUITARIST |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-horus-astroneers-new-song-iron-reagan-and-ghostemane-guitarist |website=Revolver |date=January 3, 2019 |access-date=20 February 2021}}

Mark Bronzino – guitars
Cayle Sain – drums

Discography

= As Ghostemane=

==Studio albums==

Oogabooga (2015)
For the Aspiring Occultist (2015)
Rituals (2016)
Blackmage (2016)
Plagues (2016)
Hexada (2017)
N/O/I/S/E (2018)
ANTI-ICON (2020)

==Collaboration albums==

Pallbearers || Tales from the Grave (w/DJ Killa C) (2015)
GRXXNGHOSTENAGROM (w/JGRXXN x Nedarb Nagrom) (2015)
Elemental (w/Lil Peep x JGRXXN) (2016)
LXRDMAGE (w/Scarlxrd) (2021)

==Compilations==

Astral Kreepin (Resurrected Hitz) (2015)
Get To Know Us (w/Lil Peep x JGRXXN) (2016)
Hiadica (2019)

==Extended plays==

Ghoste Tales (2015)
Dogma (2015)
Kreep [Klassics Out Tha Attic] Featuring Dj Insane (2015)
DÆMON (w/Nedarb Nagrom) (2016)
DÆMON II (w/Nedarb Nagrom) (2016)
DÆMON III (w/Nedarb Nagrom) (2017)
Dahlia I (w/Getter) (2018)
Fear Network (2019){{cite web |last1=HILL |first1=JOHN |title=HEAR GHOSTEMANE'S CRUSHING NEW HARDCORE EP 'FEAR NETWORK' |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hear-ghostemanes-crushing-new-hardcore-ep-fear-network |website=Revolver |date=April 10, 2019 |access-date=April 11, 2019}}
Opium (2019)
HUMAN ERR0R (w/Parv0) (2019)
Digital Demons (w/Nolife) (2019)
Lxrdmage (w/ Scarlxrd) (2021)
Fear Network II (2021)