Check Out John Bullock’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Bullock. 

John, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up, I was afraid of my own people, but I knew we were not evil. Trapped behind the societal lens of good and bad, right and wrong. I started off dreaming for change before I was mentally prepared to accept responsibility. I am an artist who started making music when I was six. But depression and alcohol got the better of me, and I was unwilling to learn from my mistakes. I ended up incarcerated for the better half of my 20s. When you’re in the system, it’s difficult to overcome, and it’s hard not to be bitter. Being Black in the United States is hard enough, let alone in the system because you feel targeted, less than a second-class citizen. 

Pity and self-defeat go hand-in-hand when you’re in a cesspool of people in the same situation. That’s the main reason why I wanted to change who I was because I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t what the system said I was: a menace to society. 

I developed a life-threatening disease–Hep C–before there was a cure, which ended up causing cirrhosis of the liver because of my alcohol use. I was at a crossroads, but I knew that I could do better, and I wanted better. So, all the things that I knew were harming me, I did the opposite of that, over and over again, until the things that were holding me back were no longer even things I did anymore. But in order to stay in this new lane, I had to get real with myself and figure out who I was and what my values were, and stick by them. Those are the kinds of things I rap about. 

I buckled down, completed two years of house arrest, nine months of work release, nine months at a halfway house, and an additional six months on house arrest. Once released, I completely gave up alcohol. I’m now three years sober. I healed my Hep C, started a family and bought a house. I make music with the goal of motivating and inspiring people; I grow cannabis, just like I’d dreamed as a teenager. And I’m living my ancestor’s wildest dreams. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve struggled finding my place in the hip-hop world. Competition fuels hip hop. There’s this comradery around competition, where it’s cool to hate on other artists. And yet, there’s this other side of hip hop that’s beautiful, full of community and collaboration. It’s a weird juxtaposition. I’m interested in lifting myself and others up. So, it’s been hard for me to find my place when tension and hatred is so prevalent. 

Belief is hard to maintain when you don’t feel the energy that you put out into the world. But the world doesn’t have to love you back in order for you to love the world. It’s hard to remember that. So, every day the obstacle is to remember that we are just human and we are no better than the next person. Personally, as I mentioned before, Hep C and alcohol were huge milestones that I had to overcome. But one that hid for a very long time was self-confidence. Belief in one’s self is THE main obstacle. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a hip-hop artist that goes by Know No Oth3r. My music is lyrically conscious, mostly with beats I make myself. I explore themes of oppression, misrepresentation, triumph, Blackness, battling addiction, and so much more. 

The album I just released on August 18 is the third album in a collection of albums exploring who I am and my passion for music. The “NL album” is a fully imagined version of an album that I’ve always wanted to make, from sound to lyrics to visuals. It’s next level. 

What sets me apart from other artists is that there are no limitations to what I’ll speak on, but there are things that I believe that need to be left unsaid. So much of hip hop music glorifies sex, drugs, alcohol, poverty, and violence. My music is a narrative switch. It questions what’s known, leaving you to explore the unknown. 

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I honestly love books but hate reading because I’m dyslexic. So, I cheat by listen to audiobooks. Generally, my day consist of listening to an audiobook, a reoccurring favorite is “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven R. Covey while working my job in the cannabis industry. At night I consume YouTube like its network television. Some highlights of Youtubers I like are Punk da God who plays fighting games, Dope as Yola who is the biggest cannabis influencer in the world, and Jacques Slade who does reviews on different shoe content, to name a few. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/knownooth3r
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/know_no_oth3r/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KNOWnoOTH3R/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KNOWnoOTH3R
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAYyrd7EmrSze0KON75JUQQ

Image Credits
Breein Nicole Photography