"Scott Johnson is an emcee, a father, a poet, and a revolutionist. His music is laced with emotion and raw strength."
Back in 1992 Scott was hanging out with the wrong crew and doing the wrong things. Because of poor choices he was stabbed attacked and stabbed 6 times, the last stab leaving the 7 inch hunting knife embedded in his jaw bone. Since miraculously surviving this horrific event Scott is constantly on a mission to open the eyes of those who could be in similar situations. His story is an inspiring one, to read the full story please download his testimony here. (Please be advised, there are graphic pictures of the crime scene included with the testimony.) Feel free to copy and share his story with others.
Goldenways: What was the first most influential verse you heard?
Scott Johnson: Sing it with me! "Criminal minded-You've been blinded / Looking for a style like mine? You cant find it!"
That is one of the earliest verses that has stuck with me damn near 20 years!
Honorable mentions?
"Rebel without a pause" , "Illegal business", "My Philosophy", "Jack the ripper", "Children's Story" , "Bring the noise" , "Paid in full".....But if I really go back to the beginning of my true love at the time , I would have to give KRS full props for first inspiring me to emcee.
Goldenways: Why did it hit you so hard?
Scott Johnson: My mother wrote a lot of poetry ,So that was really instilled in me from a very early age. So when I heard KRS speaking about how what he was doing was poetry , I identified and admired it.
I listened to alot of metal and what BDP and P.E. were bringing to the table was just as aggressive but over a different musical landscape...I remember laughing at my friend when he bought "Yo..Bum rush the show" , Then he put the tape in and I heard the sirens go off (Musically and literally) and I was hooked from that day on. They spoke aggressively, but there was a positive message of upliftment within the anger... and I was also drawn to that.
So P.E. became my new Favs. I remember I borrowed one dollar from ten different kids in 9th grade and right after school I went and Bought "Fear of a Black Planet". I even got the P.E. logo tatted on my arm a few years ago. (A valentines gift from my wife :) It is one of my dreams to do a record with Krs and Chuck.
Goldenways: How did your career as an artist begin?
Scott Johnson: I know this is gonna sound wild , But I'll tell you anyway.
I was in West Virginia spending time with my grandmother. I had a dream ( Vision) I was in a studio with these two dudes making music. I woke up ,But it stuck with me. I found it odd cause I had never seen these guys before.
So like a year later I am back in Texas , working at the hospital in my town. I was a Floor Technician , But you lesser folk may have called me a Janitor :) , I met this lady who also works there and we start talking. She tells me her husband is a producer , I tell her I can rap. So she calls him and we set up a meeting. I took them this song I made called "Orgasmic Reality" on a cheap cassette.
All the while I am thinking "Where have I seen this dude at?" . He yells for his brother "Yo bruh , come listen to what this white boy made at the house!" . His brother walks in and BAM it hit me....That's right mystery hunters! It was the same two dudes from my dream....Chris and Pete Wiggins.
A short time later I returned to make my first ever "Professional" track entitled "Playaz Nightmare". A lovely tale of a man who meets a girl and takes her back to his place. While she is practicing her rodeo skills ,she pulls a gun on him. Turns out he was set up for using the woman's friend , Hence the name "Playaz Nightmare".
So I guess 1993/94 was when I first started to take things more serious and I have proudly evolved every year since and continue to do so.
Goldenways: You recently released your debut album "Clutch", where did you pull your inspiration for the album?
Scott Johnson: It was around august of 07 and I felt like I hadn't really accomplished anything. I wasn't happy. I told my bro in Law "Chris" that I wanted to take my lyrics and performance to another level , I told him I wanted to just spit some hot lyrics and show a different side of my talent. Before "Clutch" I mainly wrote stories. I also battle-rapped on my website "The Madhouse" and a lot of my other material was based on being pissed off at the industry for not giving ME a chance but William Hung had a Fuggin record deal.
So I was forced to rethink how I did what I did. "Nothing wrong with the aim , Just gotta change the target" Jay-Z
Also being a huge NBA fan , I wanted to pull a Clutch of my own. By this time, it was around October and my goal was to have a complete album of quality music done in two months , before the new year. I really don't remember a whole lot about that time period-lol , Dealing with a newborn baby and two other sons (One of them a teen) , Housework , trying to balance it out to spend time with my wife and make this album all at the same time. It's a blur to me....I was recording 2 a days and mixing that night. Finding beats and writing and doing the whole process over the next day , Working back and forth with Low and Holly Cole over the web for their tracks ,Getting family members in to record their parts and the the singers and the poet....This went on past my original deadline. So it basically took me almost 4 months to complete this album. Still pretty Clutch IMO :)
My family is a huge inspiration to me. My wife Jessica has been down with me for many years ,we have 3 children together.
I want to be able to give them anything they want and need. I want them all to have a great life. The pressure to give them that is a driving force in my life.
I remember praying and telling GOD , "Your word says I am your son , So I am asking you Father for a piece of my inheritance , I am not asking for a hand-out , I will work for it". Since that day , My life has been extremely busy.
Don't ask GOD for it if your not prepared to handle it-lol.
Goldenways: When listening to your music we hear blues, jazz, and other influences. You are able to take these influences and infuse them with your sound (which I have yet to be able to define), it's beautiful.How would you define your sound?
Scott Johnson: Hmmmm. I am a melting pot of music. My mother played Sam Cooke , Ottis , James Brown ,Elvis and listened to old Country. So I was raised on that. My grandmother listened to blue grass infused gospel. My uncles listened to Zeppelin ,Boston , Bad Company , etc...My Dad was heavy into Bob Seger and ZZ top , I also grew up in the 80's , so pop music and rock were there...As I got older I was turned on to Tejano and Latin Hip-Hop due to my friends being predominately Hispanic.I also jammed the hell out of Metallica .combine all of that with East coast Hip-Hop ,Followed by the West and Magic mike and some techno and some blues and later on, Jazz and you have a very eclectic concert in my head at all times.
I love MUSIC! I have never confined myself to one style of an art form. Plus I love instruments ,I love the double bass as much as I love the warmth of an 808 , I love the sampled saxophone as well as the sax on Sade records...Sometimes just one instrument will draw me to a song...There are some songs I like strictly for the Hi-Hats.
I cant really define who I am because there is so much in me. I cant say I am a Hip-Hop purist because I listen to other music.
I cant say I am a metal-head cause I can throw on some Dwight Yoakum and be content. There are great things and sounds and words and inspiration in all styles of music and I soak it all up. I wring out the bad and keep that good water , add some ice and drank it! That make sense? :)
I cant define myself either ,Maybe people after me or with the same background can be labeled "Big Johnsons" :)
Goldenways: What do you hope the listener takes from your music?
Scott Johnson: I hope and Pray the listeners of my music walk away feeling completely satisfied. I want them to have to have no complaints.
I want them to love the beats as well as the lyrics. I want them to be "Edutained". I work extremely hard to provide the best possible lyrics I can give to match the mood of the music. So whether it's a political ,humorous , Spiritual , battle ,braggadocio or love song... I deliver to you the best that's in me for that situation. I want my listeners to feel empowered. I want them on the roller coaster with me. I want them to know that they can be who God made them to be. And if I can touch a life through my microphone and actually change someones thought process for the better...That is a beautiful thing. Most importantly , I just want the listener to LISTEN and think about what I am speaking on and hopefully when all is said and done..They can say with confidence..."Scott Johnson is a Lyricist!"
Goldenways: What are your thoughts on the state of Hip Hop today?
Scott Johnson: CALL 911! :)
I KNOW that emcees are not recognized for originality ,creativity and the art of being a lyricist anymore.
Hip-Hop today rewards sameness. Which is great if you wanna hop on a vocoder and be like everyone else in the top 10. It totally sucks for people who wish to rhyme about various subject matter. Over the years the music has progressed (To a degree) and also the structure of the rhyme (To a degree) but the good quality original material is seldom heard by public ears.When I was coming up , It was a SIN to bite someones rhyme or jack their beat. Now , it is rewarded. 80% or more of what you hear on the radio is hot beats and garbage rhymes that completely fail to reach new heights. If I am wrong then show me... You have a few that get a lil love , But that is a few. I would say one of the main ones on commercial radio that sounds like he is taking some pride in his lyrics is Lil Wayne. He is not scared to do whatever the hell he feels like doing and I admire that.
I hear a lot of rappers rhyme the same word 5 times and that to me doesn't require skill. But at the same time , I like some of what the new cats are doing. "Lookin Boy" by Young Joc is clever ,it's original. Kanye brings original material. Like I said though , There are only a few that get love.Meanwhile ,below the surface there are thousands of great emcees that have something original ,creative and valid to say and because they have these qualities... radio will not air them. My heart bleeds for these people. It makes me angry that people are scared to say whats on their mind. You cant tell me that every one of these rappers only cares about rims, clothes and ho's. They have minds ,they have thoughts and feelings but they are scared to let them out because it will kill sales. SO , the state of hip-hop today isn't very good because the powers that be and the radio stations only serve meatloaf and let the steak sit under a heat lamp.
If all you feed people is dumbed down lyrics and force materialism on them ,What do they become?
Less than great rappers and music have always been around but it was once balanced. For every G on the street there was a dude with a level of consciousness. PE and BDP and PRT and Rakim ,etc...Used to be played alongside the more dance oriented , gangsta or commercial tracks....There was balance. These emcees fed the mind the others shook the behind.
But when you feed people knowledge and preach empowerment , That scares the American Government. So what happens to Urban radio? ALL KNOWLEDGE IS SHUT OUT. All you have now is materialism and sameness. Chuck D once compared hip-hop to CNN... It has now been reduced to TMZ........
I blame radio and artists fear of being themselves for any demise felt in Hip-Hop
Goldenways: I have read that you have no desire to be signed to a major label, can you tell us about that?
Scott Johnson: I have a desire for major promotion and distribution-lol , But the dream of being on a major has died for me.
The more I started learning about the business the more I was sickened by the power they hold over the artist.
I love being able to say what I want to say when I want to say it. I don't like the idea of some dude in a suit coming up to me and saying "Whoaaa, You cant call the president that! ,Change that line!". I don't like the fact that I can bust my ass to make a great album and have someone put it on a shelf. I don't like the fact that they give cats pennies on the dollar for their art.
I need to be me in order to give you the best of me. Which might explain why I am broke and driving a 94 Ford escort but I have a hot album-lol. But I refuse to dumb down. So now I try to give you catchy songs that allow me to keep my lyrical integrity...So if there is a label out there reading this and you have nuts to go against the grain..Holla at me.
Goldenways: What are your plans for yourself?
Scott Johnson: You ready? I plan on becoming a multi-Billionaire and changing the entire course of music history.
When the finances come I want to build apartment complexes for the homeless. I want to start a basketball league for gang members. I want to fight the radio for balanced play. I want to fight the electric companies for lower rates , so the elderly aint dying every year due to heat. I want to show people that we can accomplish more together than divided ,Despite race , sex, age ,religious beliefs and location. I will be a leader in this world. I plan on starting a band with Jack White , Travis Barker ,Flea and Just Blaze. I want to be a leader of the poor and the youth and cause revolution in music and the world. I want to avoid assassination for doing all I want to do. I want to start a gang called "The Lyricists" consisting of the best emcees from around the globe all unified for the upliftment of people and music. But before I do all of this ,I want to sell a few CD's so I can get my car inspected. :)
Goldenways: What does Hip Hop's Deepest Days mean to you?
Scott Johnson: As a website , The deepest days means there are some good people out there who care about good music and do their best to represent that. I also want to sincerely Thank Golden Ways and family for allowing me the opportunity to speak my mind and share my passion. God Bless!
As an artist , those days haven't happened yet , Because I am still not in the position I want to be in. When that happens....ISH WILL GET DEEP IN HIP-HOP!
Get to know Scott Johnson better @
www.scottjohnsononline.com
And also through his testimony, which can be downloaded at
http://files.filefront.com/My+Testimony+by+Scott+Johnrar/;10889108;/fileinfo.html
Much Love and thanks goes out to Scott. I have truly enjoyed this interview.
After listening to your music and connecting with you I feel inspired. Thank you.
I feel as though you gave me a little life back. I will be forever grateful.
Thank you for your beautiful sound and the beautiful goals you have for yourself and others.
Also much love and thanks to the quality people at The Unique Styles Show at 360Dradio.com, who have been showing much love to Scott.
All photos for this feature were taken by Chris and Kim wiggins from www.digitalmarie.com.
Small sampling of tracks from "Clutch"
To purchase Scott Johnson's debut album "Clutch" (Which I strongly urge you to do) head on over to
For Digital Download
http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=ALB000018659
For Physical copies.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/scottjohnson1
And also
www.scottjohnsononline.com
"Clutch" Tracklisting
1.Hello
2.The Truth
3.King Kong Heart
4.Writers Block
5.Insomniaxe
6.Superhuman
7.Why Clutch
8.Clutch
9.Decent Transition
10.Rock me right
11.Bless the mic
12.You
13.Live your life
14.Lucky
15.Remain SIlent
16.Ephesians 6:12
17.Bent
18.Influences
19.Some other sheet
20.Terry Peterson
21.The Aristocrats
22.Where we at?
23.Goodbye
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