Interview with Producer Jay Johnson

MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?

Jay Johnson: I started at the age 16, I used to DJ local parties and small events around the neighborhood I stayed in. It wasn’t until about 10 years ago that I decided to begin producing and making music. I just felt that I could make music that could be just as good as other producers out here.

Facebook.com/jay.johnson.50115
Twitter: @DeeStreetDJ
Instagram: @deestreetjayjohnson

MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

Jay Johnson: I have a ton of musical influences. The first will always be my sister Dee. She was the one that really set this off for me. There were nights when she would sit me and my younger brother on the fire escape outside our apartment in the Bronx so we could listen to the music being played in the park. That’s where it all began for me. As for artist, I can’t even name them all! But listening to the Hip-hop, Funk and Soul era plays a lot into what I do. You can hear a lot of influence of these groups in my music.

MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?

Jay Johnson: The goal for my music is to give the listener a different but fresh listening experience. Sure, it’s easy to sound like everyone else – but why sound like this hot producer, artists etc. when you can be the first you? I want my music to be the soundtrack to someone in any certain time depending on their situation. I don’t have one particular style but I do have my own sound.

MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?

Jay Johnson: The best concert I’ve ever been to was the Wu-Tangs 25th anniversary tour of the 36 Chambers. It was a music fest going on in Atlanta and the entire lineup was crazy! Every now and then I go back to the videos on my phone and re-live that moment. As for me performing, I haven’t had that opportunity yet. But I do see that being something that I’d like to do, or at least going out with some artists that I produced songs with.

MuzicNotez: Do you write your own music? If so, how do you go about it?

Jay Johnson: As a producer I do create my own but, I also like to sample. It’s just something about those old, soul records that you just can’t recreate today. The dusty record noise, the vocals, all that. Just something about it that gets me. Then taking those samples and creating something totally different than the original is what keeps me producing music.

MuzicNotez: What makes you unique and different from other artists?

Jay Johnson: What makes me different is my uniqueness. I made it a point to not sound like anyone else. I want to be known for what my sound is. The way I syncopate my drumlines. The rises, the drops, even the notes that aren’t played. I strive to be different, and I think that what makes me stands out.

MuzicNotez: What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?

Jay Johnson: I got my hands on a lot of things now, most importantly is the release of my new album called “Dopeamine”. It’s an 8-track instrumental Lo-Fi album that will be released on all streaming platforms on the 17th of March. This is 8th album that I have completed. I’ve also paired up with a couple of artists on the East Coast and we got some big things planned. And I’ve had the luck to have a song with one of them to reach #1 on the college radio scene (“Yo-That’s Pro” with Professor Lyrical).

MuzicNotez: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?

Jay Johnson: I just hope that the music I create resonates with the people that listens to it. As for the fans – I really appreciate the love you’ve shown throughout my music musical journey and I hope that you continue to vibe with me! RESPECT DUE…!!!