Whitenoise is the alias of Midwest rapper, songwriter, and graphic designer James Joseph Dickens II. Guided by a steady midtempo flow, he released his self-recorded full-length debut, The Dickens LP, in 2022. Dickens grew up in Toledo, Ohio, against a background of drugs and violence that eventually led to him being placed in his aunt and uncle's custody at the age of ten. He went on to graduate from high school in 2012 before interning at Reel2Real Studios, where he found a mentor in music producer and rapper Hedmac. During his time there, he worked on the release of several projects by North Boy Music Group, issued his first Whitenoise single, "419," and, in 2015, launched his own label, Glass City Records. He eventually left Reel2Real to focus on his label and solo career in 2018. Taking on the roles of songwriter, graphic designer, photographer, and marketing lead in addition to performer, he released his self-recorded debut album, The Dickens LP, in early 2022.