Rapper JohnBoyCool is a fast rising star within the Compton Hip Hop community - you can see him surrounded by his peers on the cover of Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' album; he and his Pirate GVNG crew have been featured on Vice TV's "Noisey," as a straight up rap artist he's opened for acts like 2 Chainz - but for his latest project PLVNK (pronounced Plank) he wanted to explore other sounds and styles.
"Where I went to middle school, I had a bunch of rocker friends. I was listening to Blink 182, Nirvana. I always loved the sound of drums and guitars..."
A chance meeting led to a collab with Israeli singer Nachum Peterseil (frontman for Automatic Toys, an alt-rock group with a love of all things electronic.) Despite coming from completely different backgrounds and cultures, the two vocalists found that had a lot in common ("He literally survived wars...and I have my own stories to tell".)
After a series of successful live shows, plans were set in motion for writing sessions to continue that vibe. 'JB' brought in Joey Mora (a.k.a. 'The Klassiks', a maverick Hip Hop and Dance music producer), whilst Nachum drafted Automatic Toys drummer Sir Mal, a UK recording artist with a list of credits including Pete Yorn and Andy Allo.
"We've got the rapper telling his stories; this old-school, rocking lead vocalist from Israel, the hopeless romantic from London...from the beat, the producer - they're putting in what they've been through. Love and Life and Society. This music crosses boundaries...it's for Everybody, not just this or that community...different friends, kids, your Grandma!"
Their newest video: “Cindy with an S” is a blend of 50’s rock n roll with westcoast rapping that perfectly shows their backgrounds. PLVNK is going to be performing our Hunnypot LIVE at The Mint party 5/13. You should definitely check them out if you’re ready to have a blast.