Faraji Johnson, otherwise known as RapJack is an independent artist from Compton, California. Self-made, Johnson writes all of his music and seeks out beats from talented producers. Johnson describes his genre and style as universal, possessing a little bit of everything. This is where his alias RapJack comes along, the two sides of his musical inspiration, transcending into his versatility as an artist.
Much of his musical inspiration stems from his parents, his dad enjoying Hip-Hop and rock, and his mom enjoying RnB. Additionally, his inspiration comes from Michael Jackson. “At the age of 5, I was astonished by his music, dancing, performing, music videos, and his iconic moonwalk. He is the reason why I do music in the first place. This is why my alias or alter ego, and brand is called RapJack.”
In addition to his music, a big part of his image is inspired by Michael Jackson, even taking on the iconic glove. Johnson describes himself as having “…simply the look of a star.” He also credits Nipsey Hussle in regards to motivation.
When it comes to his stage name or lack thereof, Johnson got inspiration from Kendrick Lamar to use his real name, describing how he used to go by K. Dot but ended up switching to his real name. The rising artist stated, “For myself, it has something to do with giving you all of me, who I am as a person. Not trying to portray a character I made up by using a stage name.”
Johnson has been in the game for 14 years, crediting himself as being an excellent writer since a young age. Growing up he would write anything from poetry to horror stories, eventually leading into songwriting, specifically for rap.
Outside of music, he enjoys sightseeing, being with his family, traveling, playing video games, and going to the movies; He followed up by saying that movies inspire him to write music.
The “Go Up” rapper says that currently in his career, he is on the brink of exposure. After years of promotion, advertising, and creating, the next step is selling out local shows, and eventually full stardom.
Moving into 2024, he has a list of goals including a viral first single, dropping three music videos before the album drops in July, performing for local shows, and simply gaining more fans and listeners.
When asked about collaboration, he listed several artists including, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Drake, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Blxst, Kalan frfr, Larry June, and so many more. The West Coast artist loves variety and creating art with said variety, opening up doors for many collaborations.
Through success, the rising rapper hopes to provide more for his family, whether it be purchasing a home, big vacations, dining at nice restaurants, and more. Aside from his family, he hopes to gain admiration from his fans and the people he looks up to when it comes to music.
So far, he has had many highlights such as positive reviews on his mixtapes, making his first music video, performing at parties, including performing in front of a notable figure in the music industry at a party that same person invited him to, making money from streams, and so much more.
Although there have been many highlights, the road has not always been smooth for him. Johnson discloses his battle with depression. “I was my own therapist, I let a lot of things go, I’ve lost people dear to me, I’ve been hurt and betrayed, but I always kept going. I always put my true feelings in the music.”
Before entering the industry, he wishes he would have known to have an investor or funds saved specifically for music. So, promoting even when you feel discouraged is a must when making music.
When asked what he enjoys about being an artist, he stated, “The love to sum it up; The love of creating, the love of performing, the love you receive from the people listening…being in the studio, recording a track I rehearsed a hundred times come to life how I imagined it.”
One quote he lives by is “Speak light and let love into yourself.” Similarly, to his fans, he says “Truly learn to love yourself because no one can do it for you. At the end of the day, it’s you and that mirror. Do you love who you see?”
As a final word to those reading, “I will be your next FAVORITE ARTIST!”
Currently, Rap Jack is promoting “Bonnie N Clyde,” his first single from his upcoming album dropping July 2nd. Both the track and the album are a collaboration between him and fellow artist Traysocraaazy. “Bonnie N Clyde” is a love song, letting his significant other know that he is a ride or die when it comes to relationships.
SOCIAL SITES:
Instagram: iamrapjack/
YouTube: FarajiJohnson
Facebook: iamrapjack/
TikTok: iamrapjack
