Artists
Album Info
Release Date: 2003Labels: Lost City, Throughbred Records
Whitey Pines Vol. 1 – Album HistoryRecording Period: July 2002 – December 2003
Locations: An attic, two separate basements, and professional studios in Nashville, TN
Whitey Pines Vol. 1 was a pivotal album in the career of Whitey Pines and his collaborator J-Bone. After dropping out of high school in 2002, Whitey teamed up with J-Bone, a former classmate, to develop the concept for the album. However, with limited resources, they initially lacked the funds and equipment necessary for proper recording and distribution. To address this, they produced a short EP titled Against the Grain, which generated around $3,000—enough to fund their ambitious project.
During the early stages, the duo used a modest setup: a 16-track recorder, an SP-1200 sampler, a microphone, and a mixer. They began recording in Whitey’s attic and later transitioned to J-Bone’s basement after his family moved to a larger house. The album was nearly lost in early 2003 when a computer fell and damaged their mixer. Despite this setback, they managed to recover some of their recorded material after extensive effort.
By mid-2003, Whitey and J-Bone took their work to Nashville, where they collaborated with underground artists like Lexx Luger and Haystak. Notable tracks included “You Don’t Know” and a song featuring Shannon Bailey, which Whitey had originally recorded in 2001 during high school.
Whitey Pines Vol. 1 was completed in late 2003 and released with an initial pressing funded by $1,000. It gained significant local acclaim, solidifying Whitey Pines’ reputation as a pioneering figure in the Kentucky rap scene.
Unfortunately, the album’s legacy faced challenges. In 2019, the basement where the master CDs were stored flooded, destroying the remaining stock. Today, Whitey Pines Vol. 1 remains a treasured artifact of his early work, reflecting his determination and resourcefulness.