Life presents us all with its fair share of challenges and sometimes the stress of it can cause us to veer away from our passions to meet the needs of others and ourselves. This is the case for Jeff Johnson II, producer, manager and emcee. Raised in the DMV, he first emerged on the Atlanta indie rap scene in 2009 with his single, “Breezin”.
Personal challenges removed his focus from rapping, but he’s kept himself busy in the years since, transitioning towards manager for LA rapper Cashus King and even occasionally lending his talents on features with King and Blu.
Inspired and hopeful, he’s back alongside Cashus and Definite Mass with his new single, “The Johnson Way”. Building on the last name relation between Cashus, Jeff, and Definite Mass, the song is an anthem for the everyday man and woman looking for their purpose.
A semi-autobiographical look into the trio’s lives, the song finds the three men trading bite-size morsels of knowledge that they got from their parents and the school of hard knocks. The track’s production brings back the nostalgic feel of jazz-infused raps.
Nimble and witty as ever, Cashus sets the tone for the song, ending his verse with memorable lines like,
“Blind vision, I can see my shadow in the darkness” and “Life ain’t a crystal stair, it’s a fire escape!”.
As poignant and polished as Mass and Cash are, however, Johnson’s verse presents an unfiltered and honest look into his childhood and maturation in adulthood.
“I came up with a silver spoon, used to watch the early morning cartoons, consumed by the joys and pleasures of life, looking back I had it good before the stress and the strife. Shit’s savage, twenty years of living gives you baggage.”
For fans of blue-collar raps, this song is sure to be one in rotation.
Wright World 