Johnny "J" | |
---|---|
Birth name | Johnny Lee Jackson |
Born |
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua |
August 28, 1969
Died | October 3, 2008 Los Angeles, California, United States |
(aged 39)
Genres | Hip hop, dancehall, gangsta funk, R&B |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, record producer, songwriter |
Years active | 1989–2008 |
Labels | Death Row, Interscope, Solar, Epic, Jive |
Associated acts | 2Pac, Tatyana Ali, Napoleon, MC Hammer, D'Angelo, Big Syke, Huxfam |
Website | MySpace |
Johnny Lee Jackson (August 28, 1969 – October 3, 2008), professionally known as Johnny "J", was a Mexican American multi-platinum songwriter, music producer and rapper best known for his early career with Death Row Records and for his work with 2Pac for Me Against the World, All Eyez on Me as well as his posthumous albums. He was born in Juárez, Mexico, in 1969 and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Johnny "J" was co-owner and CEO of Klock Work Entertainment.
Johnny "J" grew up on 103rd and Budlong in South Central, Los Angeles, by his adoptive parents, John Sr., was a mechanic by trade who worked for the naval shipyards and now works for the U.S. Defense Department. Lidia, was a bilingual school teacher. His parents bought him a drum set as a kid, and allowed him to create a makeshift studio in their garage.
Johnny's interest in hip-hop escalated while he was at Washington Preparatory High School. He played on the drum line and hit it off with the aspiring rapper Candell "Candyman" Manson; future artists such as Yo-Yo, WC and Sir Jinx, of Da Lench Mob, and F. Gary Gray famed Director also attended Washington Prep around that time, where he played drums in the high school marching band and took music theory classes. Johnny was given a full scholarship to attend The Berklee College Of Music (In Boston) wherein he received a full music scholarship, which he declined to accept, in the mid-1980s. After graduating high school in 1987, Johnny got his big break, producing "Knockin' Boots" for Candyman and his entire album "Ain't No Shame In My Game. The song went platinum and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1990, pushing Candyman’s debut album, Ain't No Shame In My Game, into gold status. Johnny toured the world with Candyman until 1992.