Newcomer Taye Johnson is singing his way into your hearts
Taye Johnson always knew he wanted to be a star. As a young boy in Oxford, North Carolina, he dreamed of being onstage sharing his voice with the world.
Taye Johnson always knew he wanted to be a star.
As a young boy growing up in Oxford, North Carolina, he would dream of being onstage sharing his voice and talent with the world. But coming from a small town — with an estimated population of 8,400 people — Johnson knew that in order to make his dream a reality, he had to go big or go home.
“I always felt it was too slow for me,” Johnson tells theGrio.com. “I love it because that’s where I’m from, that’s where I was born and raised, but growing up I said, ‘I have to get away from this place.’ Everything was so routine; you were either going to work at a factory, become a police officer or be a teacher. I was like nah, that’s not me.”
With a dream and no real plan of action, Johnson packed his bag and moved to New York City in hopes of connecting with the right people who could help launch his musical career. Admittedly, the now 26-year-old singer didn’t know a soul in the Big Apple, and he wasn’t exactly sure how he’d get his name out there.
That is, until he met Derrick Thompson, who would later become his manager.
While watching an episode of Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is on BET, Johnson came across Thompson, a music executive who had made a short cameo on the reality series. Determined to get in contact with Thompson, who at the time was the Sr. VP of Talent at BMG music, and convinced that the industry insider could help him get to where he needed to be, Johnson found Thompson on Myspace and sent him a message.
“He responded very vague and nonchalant, telling me that the way the industry works now, you would need to get into songwriting and that it would be my only break. At the time, I wasn’t writing, and I said, ‘Well that’s it for me,'” Johnson recalls. “I waited a while and hit him back, but during that time, everyone had switched to Facebook, and I lost contact with him. I looked for him forever on Facebook and couldn’t find him.”
But in a bizarre twist of fate, Thompson popped up on Johnson’s ‘People You May Know’ section on Facebook. Though Thompson said he vaguely remembered the young and hungry artist, he decided to give him a shot, and requested for him to send samples of his music. After holding a meeting, Thompson decided that he would manage Johnson.
“The moment I heard his original demo of a song called ‘I Need Love,’ I knew he had a gift,” Thompson recalls. “It’s odd because, in person, he’s quite reserved, but the minute Taye hits the stage, he transforms and uses his gift to the utmost effect.”
Since then, the pair has been working tirelessly to make Taye Johnson a household name. Over the last couple of years, Johnson has been performing at New York City venues and recording every chance he gets. He recently signed a record deal with Affluent Records, helmed by Oscar Sanchez, who was groomed by the late hip-hop music executive Chris Lighty. Lighty, who co-founded Violator Records along with Mona Scott-Young, helped launch the careers of Nas and Missy Elliott, to name a few.
Currently, Johnson is experimenting with his new sound, which he describes as “soul-pop.”
“I’m a soul singer. That’s who I am. The whole pop thing came in naturally for me. Especially being a songwriter and being able to play with different melodies,” Johnson says. “It’s the best of both worlds. You’re going to get a little bit of old school with my soul, and with the pop it’s a little bit of new school. It’s something I think everybody can listen to. They’re going to be familiar with the feeling.”
Johnson’s talent and soul is greatly felt on original tracks like “Play With My Heart,” where he shows off his undeniably powerful, boyish voice.
And while he’s still fresh into his budding career, Johnson has already rubbed shoulders with some of the industry greats like Fantasia, whom Johnson credits as one of his favorite vocalists, among old school musical influences like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye.
“I actually sat down with [Fantasia] and had a conversation about the music and what I’m trying to do. She encouraged me to keep doing it and never give up,” he recalls.
Though he was once the country boy who was new to the city that never sleeps, Johnson is now enjoying a growing fanbase, including cosigns from New York hip-hop artists like Wutang Clan’s Raekwon, Lil’ Cease of Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Harlem’s own Lil’ Mama.
After doing one impromptu performance during an open mic in Brooklyn, Johnson says Lil’ Cease approached him to express his admiration for the young singer’s talent.
“I didn’t know he was there, I didn’t see him,” Johnson admits. “He came up to me and was like ‘You were great.’ He told me the gift he felt that I possessed, and how I should keep working hard and striving. It was dope.”
If feedback from audiences and industry veterans is any indication, Johnson can expect a promising career. But what he truly wants, the singer says, is for his music to change lives and live on forever, much in the same way the greats did before him. He just wants people to take a chance.
“I think people are always looking for something new. People love the Chris Browns and Brunos, but they’re always looking for someone new. I’m that guy,” Johnson says. “I want people to hear the journey when they listen to my music. I want to be able to live forever in the music.”
For more from Taye Johnson, follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
