Interviews

Singer P’tah Johnson is naturally so sweet

It’s that time again to feature an artist. P’tah Johnson is a talented producer and singer aspiring to succeed in the music industry.

Published

8 years ago

November 6, 2016

Chenelle R. Covin

Singer P'tah Johnson Is Naturally So Sweet

This month we would like to introduce you to singer P’tah Johnson.

Every month, through a partnership with Reverbnation, Unheard Voices chooses deserving artists cultivating their way and making their voice heard in the music industry.

As we know, deserving artists often go unseen in an industry that praises mainstream success. Here at Unheard Voices we like to shine light on artists who are not only talented and gifted, but making a difference.

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Who is P’tah Johnson?

P’tah Johnson is a talented producer and singer aspiring to succeed in the music industry. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, P’tah Johnson started singing around the age of 5 at church and began pursuing a career in secular music at 11 years old. In 2012 P’tah and his friend formed a production team and musical group called Truly Y.O.U.R.S.

Throughout the years, P’tah Johnson has worked with several successful writers, producers, artists, and engineers in the Boston area including: Amandi Music, Dre Robinson, Marcus Allen of the Heavyweights Production Team, Mike Malchicoff, Jass Bianchi, Smoke Bulger, Nelly Protools, Eve Hyppolite, Ayeisha Mathis, Aaron Kimbro, S Dot Money, and Gwen Bunn Matty Trump Robbie Rowland.

Interview

I asked P’tah Johnson a few questions about his craft and where he sees himself going. P’tah Johnson’s sultry voice and those vibrato’s is what caught my attention. To know that he is also a producer as well, shows the multi-faceted and versatility that I was drawn too. P’tah Johnson is definitely an artist to watch. If I had to describe his music, based off his tracks, Mr. P’tah is most certainly “naturally so sweet”.

UV: When did you fall in love with music?
P’tah Johnson: I fell in love with music at the age of 5 years old. I remember when my mother used to play these classic records in the living room. I remember when I heard the song from Barry White, “You’re the first, the last, my everything.” I just loved the whole sound of it. The melodies and the whole flow of it made me feel incredible.

UV: How long have you been creating and performing music?
P’tah Johnson: Oh my goodness, I started at the age of 8 years old. I did my first performance in church, and then I did my first recording at the age of 11. I had a group called PAW and ever since I’ve just been doing my thing with this music, I love it man.

UV:How would you describe your music?
P’tah Johnson: Wow…an adventure, or maybe like a movie. It brings life, it brings drama, it brings a good feeling, and it’s hard to put a finger on it, but it just feels good. It evokes certain emotions out of you.

UV: What artists have the greatest musical influences on you and your music?
P’tah Johnson: Marvin Gaye, that’s dad right there. That’s my father. That’s one of my biggest influences. I love how you can relate to the music. James Brown and how you can feel his music. He has that touch. D’Angelo, Maxwell, Usher, Michael Jackson of course. Prince, Sly and the Family Stone, Barry White, R. Kelly even though you know. Haha. David Ruffin, Temptations, Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack. I got a mad list of people man. Then there’s me.

UV: I see you’re from Boston, how have your tapped into the growing Boston music market?
P’tah Johnson:You know, there’s something about artists from Boston. You either make a name for yourself, or you’re trying to make a name for yourself. There’s different ways that I have found myself, but mainly it’s as a producer, songwriter, musician, and then so it’s more than just myself as an artist, but as a well-rounded lover of music.

UV: What is the hardest challenge you have encountered with building your fan base?
P’tah Johnson:The hardest challenge is staying true to my fans. My biggest fear is making a move that they would get upset with and then they won’t rock with me anymore, so the best thing I do is I just stay true to myself man. I don’t want to fall into the same routine that most artists go down.

UV: Has anyone ever given you negative feedback on your music, if so how did you react to it?
P’tah Johnson:Yes they sure have. You’re gonna get some negatives and some positives. That’s life. You just gotta push through and work hard. Basically you know what negativity brings. I just turn it into a positive and work harder.

UV: How important and how difficult is it to support your career with your own funding?
P’tah Johnson:It’s very difficult, but very important. You have bills and college loans that you have to pay back, but you have to give a little to get to where you want to go. I worry about it sometimes, but I just stay prayed up and I keep working to achieve greatness.

UV: To date, what has been your best performance? When was it, where was it and why is it your best performance?
P’tah Johnson: Dang, that’s hard. My best performance was at this place called the Lilypad. It’s a jazz club in Cambridge, Mass. I found myself in a place where I closed my eyes and I was performing this song called “Faithful” by Common. And as I was singing, I knew the venue was packed, and there were people waiting to get in outside, and I just remember the roar of applause I got.

UV: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
P’tah Johnson:I see myself doing what I love. I’ll be in the studio, working on my music. I’ll have my ten grammy awards, staying humble, blessing my family, wife & kids. I just want to be in a great place man.

UV: Do you have any upcoming shows?
P’tah Johnson:At the moment, it’s all about the music. I’m creating my music, and I’m not worried about shows right now. Im continuing to work on my craft and just get better everyday.

UV: What` current projects do you have out or forthcoming projects in progress?
P’tah Johnson:Recently I have my mixtape that I worked on with my company called Flight Fam, then I’ll be presenting another single of mine called “Paradise.”

UV: In closing, I would like you to leave the Unheard Voices readers words of encouragement and inspiration, especially for those pursuing a career in music and entertainment.
P’Tah Johnson: Live. If you’re not able to live life to its fullest potential, you won’t get anywhere. Second, believe. Even if you don’t believe in God, believe in something and stay prayed up. Third, be humble and having a belief in your craft because you don’t want to be in a place where you feel stuck. And last but not least. Learn. Learn all that you can and don’t stay in one place. Learn from multiple genres of music, and travel all over the world. There is music all over the world. Even the sounds in nature is music, all positive things man.

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Interviews

Meet singer TruSoul Davis

As an up & coming artist hailing from Cleveland, Ohio’s Morris Black housing projects, TruSoul Davis is adamant to keep love in music.

Published

2 years ago

April 3, 2023

Chenelle R. Covin

TruSoul Davis

As an up & coming singer hailing from Cleveland, Ohio’s Morris Black housing projects, TruSoul Davis discovered his affinity for music at a young age, singing in local choirs in his youth.

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TruSoul Davis discovers his voice

In his later years, he began to take music more seriously, honing in on his gifts and finding his voice. TruSoul Davis went on to release multiple singles leading up to his first major release “The Tru Experience” to widespread local & international (UK) acclaim.

After a short promotional tour that included various radio station visits & shows such as “The FreeThinkers Tour”, “Indie Acoustic Soul Live” & “Song Wars 5” to name a few, TruSoul looks to make an impact in the R&B scene by “Bringing real R&B back”, as he says.

Unheard Voices had a chance to ask TruSoul Davis some questions on his journey.

Get to know the soul singer below and see why he’s Unheard Voices featured artist of the month.

Unheard Voices: When did you fall in love with music?
TruSoul Davis: At a very young age, probably about 5 years old. I can remember back when my mother used to bring home records from her job at the local record shop and let me just “dive” deep into her collection from artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, etc.

Unheard Voices: How would you describe your style of music?
TruSoul Davis: Simply a touch of 90’s RnB with today’s twist.

Interviews

Missin Peace holds police accountable with national misconduct database

Missin Peace is the only national police misconduct database that collects formal civilian complaints against law enforcement.

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2022

Unheard Voices Staff

Photo by Gabriel Hohol: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-police-car-roof-and-sign-10543088/

Missin Peace is on a mission to connect the dots when it comes to police misconduct.

For decades, many Americans have suffered various forms of brutality and injustice at the hands of “bad” law enforcement officers.

With the upsurge of cell phone cameras, citizens are finally able to document their interaction with police. The unfortunate murders of
Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others have galvanized the masses to demand justice.

Police officers are intended to be public servants, but what happens when the officer is accused of misconduct?

Sometimes, a civilian puts in a complaint in a step towards holding the officer accountable. But only a small percent of complaints result in the officer being disciplined —partly because the accusations are hidden.

Records of misconduct are filed away and rarely seen outside of their department.

Investigators can’t take action against corrupt officers if they are missing the pieces of the puzzle regarding stories of misconduct.

That’s where Missin Peace comes in.

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How Missin Peace works

Missin Peace is a national police misconduct database that collects formal civilian complaints against law enforcement.

Missin Peace organization

Released in 2017, the registry offers two type of accounts.

One, it enables civilians to put the formal complaints they filed against the officer on record. Civilians are able to submit the official civilian complaint along with pictures, videos, and other accompanying documentation.

Two, the database also serves as a portal for investigative journalists, hiring managers, and civil rights attorneys to conduct research. For this type of account, users must contact Missin Peace to be granted access.

Currently, Missin Peace is the only national police misconduct database that allows citizens to follow and find any police officer’s history of complaints. The organization’s goal is to increase awareness on the database to be used as a tool for police accountability.

Check out Unheard Voices interview with Missin Peace founders:

For civilians who file their complaints on the database, personal information is stripped from the complaint, assuring complete anonymity.

The intent is to put on record police misconduct without fear of retaliation.

Traditionally, corrupt law enforcement officers have been allowed to transfer from one department to another and avoid the repercussions of their actions. To circumvent the recycling of corrupt cops, the American public and politicians finally understand the need for a centralized database of citizen complaints.

Missin Peace is here to fill in that void.

How to submit your complaint(s) in the database

If you have filed a complaint against a law enforcement officer, Missin Peace encourages you to put your complaint in the database to fill in the missing pieces. It doesn’t matter how old the complaint is, as long as it’s official.

To visit Missin Peace, check out their website and spread the word with your loved ones.

Interviews

Rapper Chad Watson Is Poised To Become LA’s Next Rising Star

Chad Watson is a lyricist, songwriter, producer, and classically trained pianist based out of the Los Angeles area.

Published

2 years ago

August 17, 2022

Unheard Voices Staff

Chad Watson

Chad Watson is a rapper, songwriter, producer, and classically trained pianist based out of the Los Angeles area.

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Who is rapper Chad Watson?

His roots began in the church at a young age where his love for music manifested. But it was only a few years ago that he started taking music seriously and he’s never looked back since.

His deep appreciation of acts like Andre 3000, transcends into his own style. He is the quinessential artist that is poised to become one of the biggest acts in the country and he’s well on his way.

With his growing buzz, he has appeared on various media platforms and now Unheard Voices.