John Pork
John Pork | |
|---|---|
 John Pork enjoying the Plastic Beaches of South Carolina | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathon Rhos Porkchop |
| Born |
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| Died |
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| Genres | Rap, Hip-Hop |
| Years active | 11 years |
| Labels | Ganglion Records, Pigmeat Records |
Jonathon Rhos Porkchop, better known as John Pork (February 2, 1995 – December 2023) was an American rapper and social media influencer. Rising to international fame with his debut album To Pig A Butterfly, Pork is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Known for his divisive and often offensive lyrics, Pork's career was characterized by his tendency to beef with other rappers and celebrities through song releases, interviews, and social media posts. As of 2023, Pork had a net worth of $14.2 billion.
John Pork was born and raised in New Jersey, and had his first viral video at the age of 7. Despite being bullied for most of his schooling, he practiced producing music, and was eventually signed by the small label Ganglion Records. Pork quickly outgrew the label shortly after the release of To Pig a Butterfly (2015), which was critically acclaimed and granted him headlining performances at Coachella and the annual Grammy Awards. A single from that album would also instigate a career-long rivalry with Biggie Cheese. Pork received press coverage and attained online virality for frequently calling random people's phones, a habit he would attain early on.
On December 9, 2023, Pork suddenly disappeared and was reported missing. After being found dead in a refrigerator at a former KFC restaurant, forensic investigations revealed that the crime boss Tim Cheese, the nephew of Biggie Cheese, had murdered him. A posthumous album, Oink After Pork (2023), was released by his estate to critical acclaim.
Early life
John Pork was born as Jonathon Rhos Porkchop in Beverly Heights, New Jersey on February 2, 1995. On April 14, 2002, at the age of 7, Pork uploaded a YouTube video in which he successfully fed a Nintendo Wii to a pig. The video went viral on the platform and received extensive criticism. His home was subsequently publicized by PETA, causing Pork and his family to move from the home a month later.
The name 'John Pork' originated from his first SoundCloud account, of which it was the username.[1]
Pork claimed to have been mocked and ostracized
by his classmates at Ronald Reagan High School for his unique appearance, leading him to drop out and to apprentice as an auto mechanic at the age of 17. He continued to work as an auto mechanic until he was signed by Ganglion Records that same year and pursued music full time.[2]
Career
2010-2017: Early work, To Pig a Butterfly, and addiction
"I heard that Biggie had heard the track, and I was like, dude, this is my break. I'm gonna make it. But there was also this fear. Biggie Cheese. He's not a nice guy. Really threatening."
After the release of his viral video in 2002, the 7 year old Pork began to practice composing tracks in GarageBand. He released his first song on June 8th, 2010 on SoundCloud. In 2014, after working as an auto mechanic, Pork was signed by Ganglion Records. On April 13, 2015, Pork released his debut album To Pig a Butterfly, which received critical acclaim, bringing him to international fame.[1] The album contained the song "Cheezie Squeeze", a diss track of veteran rapper Biggie Cheese, and allegedly, Cheese listened to the track only 4 hours after its release. A month later, Cheese followed up with the diss track "Not Like Pork", one of sixteen tracks on his album Mold But Gold.
Following the album release, Pork performed at various shows and awards ceremonies, most prominently including the 57th Grammy Awards of 2016. To Pig a Butterfly would go on to win a Grammy at the 58th Grammy Awards of 2017, even despite his absence.[3]
On February 20, 2016, Pork was arrested for possessing heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded handgun while speeding down Sunset Boulevard.[2] Pork was ordered to rehab by a court, but after missing his second appointment, he was jailed for a period of 9 months. On November 14, 2016, Pork was released from jail and began recording his second studio album, and on January 20, 2017, a year from his arrest, Pork released Atinlay. The album was lauded as a sincere look at addiction and the way it impacted Pork's life.[4]
Following the release of Atinlay, Pork was a preshow act on Lady Gaga's Chromatica Ball tour, the last tour he would be a part of until 2020. He received mixed reviews for his performances during the shows, which Pork later lamented was a reason he would take a hiatus from producing music.
2018-201X: Hiatus, UFC career
On May 17, 2018, Pork revealed that he was taking a hiatus from producing music to pursue a UFC career. During Pork's brief stint as an MMA fighter, he developed an understated fighting style which involved repeatedly engaging in Imanari rolls (a leg locking maneuver) until he could trap his opponents, at which point they would either tap out or risk having their ACL shattered. He had a record of 3-0 until he faced Cain Velasquez, who punched him so hard in the nose[note 1] that he needed reconstructive surgery and a year to recover. He retired on September 21, 2019 after his nose was shattered again while sparring with Velasquez, who he had hired to train him.[5]
20XX-20XX: Music success
It is presumed he had success in music.
Murder
On December 9, 2023, Pork disappeared and was reported missing 24 hours later. He was last spotted performing in Los Angeles, California at the Hollywood Bowl. 13 days later, a janitor came across his body in a refrigerator located at a former KFC restaurant at Seattle, Washington while they were cleaning the property. On December 25, 2023, 16 days after his initial disappearance, Pork's estate released Oink After Pork to critical acclaim.[6]
Two years after Pork's death, a forensic investigation discovered that Pork had died from blunt impact injuries, and that foul play had not been ruled out. 5 months later, the business magnate and crime boss Tim Cheese, nephew to Biggie Cheese, was arrested after his mansion in Long Beach, California was breached by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A DNA matching investigation was conducted, and revealed that Cheese had been involved in the murder. Cheese confessed in court and admitted to killing Pork, entering a plea deal. During his confession, Cheese also revealed that he had a hit list, though the full scope of his targets remain classified. Cheese was sentenced to 50 years in prison with eligibility for parole.
Having served only a year of his sentence, Tim Cheese escaped the Pelican Bay state prison of California with an elaborate breakout plan. He remains one of the FBI's most wanted, having likely fled internationally.
Personal life
John Pork (@Pe) was a notable influencer on Youtube, Kilogram Reels, PigTok, Pigg, Snoutbook and X (formerly known as Pigger). He commonly posted reviews of luxury establishments, released promotional material for his upcoming releases and shared conspiracy theories. He most often posted theories that Technoblade had faked his own death and that deadmau5 was actually a real mouse. It was later revealed by his inner circle that despite frequently sharing these conspiracy theories, he did not believe them, and only shared them to "build his legacy as [an] urban legend."[7] In 2016, Pork revealed that he was asexual.
Pork was a frequent donor to the Dust Association of America, the Humane Society of Peoples Affected by Ligma (HSPAL), and the Department of War. Pork is on the autism spectrum and also performed and donated for various autism-focused organizations. His estate carries out continued donations.
Musical Releases
John Pork has produced several albums and singles.
Albums
- To Pig a Butterfly (2015) - Pork's debut album.
- Atinlay (2017)
- All Snouts On Me (2021)
- Oink After Pork (2024) - Pork's posthumous release.
Singles
- "Pigstep" (2021) - Created in collaboration with Lena Raine.
Notes
- ↑ John Pork reportedly insisted his snout simply be called a 'nose'. Several publications who insisted on snout were sued.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "John Pork Talks Early Career". Sisyphus, Gertus. Baal Daily. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "John Pork's Fraught Legacy: Explained". Slicker, Ichor. Professor Pyg Publishing. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ↑ "John Pork Sweeps Best Rap Album at The Grammys". Theseus, Shiplin. Baal Daily. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ↑ "John Pork - Atinlay ALBUM REVIEW". Fantano, Anthony. The Needle Drop. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ↑ "John Pork Fractures Nose, Considers Retirement". Jung, Borgle. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ↑ "John Pork's Posthumous Album "Oink After Pork" Tops Charts". Martin, Lockheed. The Porcine Paper. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ↑ "Radical New information uncovered about the late John Pork". Caroll, Lewis. Wrigley's Putty Factory. Retrieved 1 October 2024.