Jennifer Johns
Vacillating between Hip-Hop, Soul, Electronica, Reggae, World and every kind of rhythm in between, sultry voiced Jennifer Johns crafts stirring tunes that are both heart-rending and head-bobbing. The Oakland, California music powerhouse proved herself as a potent interpreter of taboo desires with a passion for creating “Electric Hip-Soul,” on her critically-hailed debut, heavyelectromagneticsoularpoeticjunglehop, showing up & coming singers/songwriters/lyricists/producers how it’s done.
An exceptionally graceful artist, Johns got her start by hitting high notes in the church and school choirs, but it was her experience performing with the multi-culti Oakland Youth Chorus, where she received her comprehensive training. “I started with OYC from age 14 to 19 and we did some truly amazing stuff. We played with Roberta Flack Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Nancy Wilson to name a few. I also performed in their professional acapella ensemble, where we sang in a million different languages. The Bay Area is so rich in culture; it’s also the birthplace of so many (r)evolutionary and arts movements. That diversity is reflected in my music. Being from such a places forces you to make good music, not genre-specific music.”
Allowing her boisterous pipes to branch out and extend across Adult Contemporary and Hip-Hop, Johns boldly stakes out her own turf on her sophomore effort, Painting On Wax, a title that symbolizes the calm after the storm. “I was just coming out of a painful break up during the recording of my first album. We did the great majority of the recording in a basement in Seattle over the span of 10 days, while I has bronchitis. To say the least I had a lot of emotional experiences while working on that album. I felt as if I had poured everything out of me; bled almost. So I felt that this time around, I decided that I would much rather paint.”
The dazzling 12 track composition is a perfect balance of genuine world thumpers, intoxicatingly erotic slow burners and feel-good vocal confections that are full of life. On “Ghetto International”, the talented tunesmith calls on a bevy of talented California artists from the underground Hip-Hop scene to join her in a global jam fest where you find Palestinian and Panamanian MCs rhyming in their native languages. The Latin-flavored dancehall jam, “Get Up” was co-produced by Johns and is an exuberant funhouse of a record that makes you want to crank up the volume and do just what it says. "Let the Drum Moan" a percussive sensual knocker co-produced by DJ Uno while on tour in Malaysia shows Jennifer's love for "painting" in international colors, “Chasing The Sun” is another electo-world gem, one of the 4-songs Johns co-produced. This along with songs like Golden Eye are beautiful expression of her spirituality. While the first single, “Move With It”, as well as “Goody Goody Gumdrops,” contain trunk rattling bass signifying certified club anthems, “Nasty” is on the opposite end of the spectrum; a clever cocktail of 80’s-era electro-Pop with sexually charged lyricism. With guest appearances by Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Zion, to name a few and production provided by Amp Live, Zion and Grammy-nominees Spontaneous (Mystic) and Charles Stella (Norah Jones, Wax Poetic, Mos Def, Olu Dara), Paint on Wax is a musical masterpiece.
The standout songstress has toured with and opened shows for some of the most respected names in the industry including Lauryn Hill, Black Eyed Peas, Mos Def, Common, KRS-1, Ziggy Marley, Les Nubian, Blackalicious, Zap Mama, Res, Capelton, Junior Reid, Shaggy, Slum Village, Bebel Gilberto, MC Lyte and Black Thought of The Roots, to name a few. Johns music abounds with experiences that are both familiar and inspiring, which is an instant reminder of her hit-making prowess.
In addition to amplifying her singing voice for the masses, Johns also lends her time to a variety of community based organizations. She is a Green For All Fellow and has made it her business to bring the conversation of real sustainable living to the urban/black and brown communities around the world.
The left coast ingénue who is influenced by musical artists like Sade, Aretha Franklin, Sizzla, Angelique Kujo, Phoebe Snow, Whitney Houston, Bob Marley, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Rakim, The Fugees, Vikter Duplaix, Jill Scott and a billion others. Jennifer Johns says "It is day to day life- the blessings and the tragedy that influences me the most. Our job as songwriters is to capture a moment or energy and provide folks with a soundtrack to life..."
"Oakland native Jennifer Johns will inevitably draw comparisons to Jill Scott, and possibly fellow Oakland Youth Chorus alumnus Goapele, but be clear Johns is her own artist. From the opening 808 kick of "Heavy" to the spoken word/D&B of "Do You Believe in Love" to the doleful ambitious cover of Sade's "Cherish the Day" Johns proves that she's an original voice." XLR8R Magazine
"It is not every day that an artist achieves the ability to stir the heart and soul through song and vibration. My heart has not yet stopped stirring since I have heard Jennifer Johns." KRS-One
"Jennifer Johns is making waves in the ocean of music that combines R&B, soul, funk and electronica. Coming at you from Oakland, Ms. Johns is an eclectic artist that dabbles with all types of music and pulls it off fairly well – many say that if she continues to hone her skills, she could join the ranks of Jill Scott. Receiving praise from your peers is one thing, but when the legendary KRS-One says, "It is not everyday that an artist achieves the ability to stir the heart and soul through song and vibration. My heart has not yet stopped stirring since I have heard Jennifer Johns", that's when you know she's doing something right." URB Magazine
"Mademoiselle Jennifer Johns incontournable souffle de musique avoir et a ecouter car la vie, c'est maintenant." Les Nubians
"Jennifer Johns, another locally bred singer on the verge of an artistic breakthrough whose oversize personality matches her talent. Another Bay Area-bred singer on the verge of an artistic and commercial breakthrough is Jennifer Johns. She's an Oakland native who's toiled for years, opening shows for national artists such as KRS-One and touring with alt-hop fan favorites Blackalicious. Johns' 2004 debut album, "Heavyelectromagnecticsoularpoeticjunglehop," was an eclectic fusion of electronic beats and organic vocals, which touched on everything from hip-hop to soul to drum and bass to spoken word. Johns' second album, titled "Painting on Wax," looks to build on that foundation considerably, with production by Grammy-nominated producers Spontaneous (Mystic) and Charles Stella (Norah Jones), as well as local stalwart Amp Live (Zion-I, Goapele)." San Francisco Chronicle
"Classic hip-hop beats are freshened up with the sultry vocal harmonies and showering flows of Jennifer Johns. While honing her singing skills in the Oakland Youth Chorus, the sexy songstress/MC fell in love with hip-hop culture and decided to meld her R&B ambitions with boom-bap rap. The versatile Johns is well on her way to establishing herself as one of hip-hop soul's elite." Chicago Tribune
