Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Johnson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA the real Atlanta according to Omeretta lol. I think my journey really started when I was around seven years old. I considered myself to be a versatile person even at an early age. I would dance, sing, act, and imitate Michael Jackson to the T. I would play chess with my dad, act out Disney scenes like Lion King with my sister, or practice baseball, basketball, and football with my brother. However, I always found myself being the entertainer of the family. I knew regardless of what it was, I would be doing something in the entertainment industry.
I would say I started taking music seriously between eighth-ninth grade. I would jot down some creative punchlines in a composition notebook and started to actually hone both my poetry and songwriting skills. After chorus rehearsals, I would take the time to memorize a few lines and at lunchtime ask one of the homies to drop a beat that I would freestyle to. By the time I hit tenth grade me and my best friend Jose started recording our own songs, putting out music videos and entering contests online.
In my senior year of high school, I decided that I needed a rap name. I knew from my time in dual-enrollment, where I took college classes while in high school, that I wanted to major in Philosophy and because I spent so much time writing in composition notebooks, I knew my name would be Ethic. (Extraordinary Talent Hidden In Composition).
Right now, I’d consider myself a jack of all trades master of some. I do a little bit of 3D modeling, producing, recording, singer songwriter, photography, videography, drone work, DJ, host, dance. The only thing I feel I cannot do creatively is draw. I started a series on Instagram called #openmikemonday which I use as a chance to open up with people about who I am and what I do.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I have not had an easy road but it was not always hard. One of my biggest challenges early on was stepping on stage and forgetting my lyrics. Freshman year of college, I performed in my first talent show and to sum it up, I was booed off stage. That same year I almost flunked out of school… I ended up taking the first semester of sophomore year off.
In that time, my older brother gave me one of the realest pep talks I’ve ever had. He basically told me that I needed to get myself together, finish school and that I needed to grow up because even though I didn’t know it, people were looking up to me. I worked multiple jobs while writing for what would be my first mixtape.
When I came back to school, I had a whole new focus and that was to be the best artist at my school. I put together my best academic and social performance when I came back from my semester off. I did more shows, joined two organizations, and started new hobbies.
Along with those new hobbies formed another challenge. How do I perform these tasks at a higher level. There was a learning curve of taking and editing photos and videos and truly producing beats that I had to tackle. My first couple of edits weren’t the best and my first beat was horrible. It took me going to YouTube University and swallowing my pride to ask others for help to actually improve,
I was very fortunate to have a village that took me in, offered constructive criticism, held me accountable for my goals, and kept me on track. Without them, I wouldn’t have all the skills I have today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Most people know me for my music. I have become known for my witty lines and catchy flows. I’m most proud of the two EPs I released (Color Outside the Lines and Still Coloring Outside the Lines). Both of which I took time off work to release in 2020. I figured I would use the time provided from the covid shutdown to really brand myself. I started the Open Book Ent. LLC and started doing side gigs, DJing, taking headshots, doing features, and shooting videos for other artists.
Also during covid, I spent a lot of time with Late Night Early Mornings Records. After getting to know everyone there, it was less about music and just getting work done in all facets of the entertainment industry. Everyone was willing to lend a helping hand to the next person. If you were in the studio Chris would get the camera out and start recording so you would have some type of rollout or promo footage.
Something that I feel sets me apart from others is my appetite to keep getting better and admitting when I do not have all the answers. I may not know how to do something but I can definitely point you in the right direction of who can help. I put in a lot of time learning different software like Blender for animations, adobe for edits, and different DAW’s. I was not proficient in FL or Protools but I could use Logic and Studio One. When working with others, I had to learn to work in software I was not comfortable using.
I know plenty of people who get comfortable just using one thing but with me, I want to know it all.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
There are a couple of apps I can name that help me. One is called Inshot and to me, it is like having premiere pro on your phone. Say you recorded some shots for a video on your phone. You’re able to edit them without having to transfer files to your computer then transfer the finished video back to your phone to post. The second app is Offtop. Offtop is similar to Tully by Joyner Lucas and it is like having a recording studio in your pocket.
For tutorials I use YouTube and Reddit. Three books I recommend reading are: The four agreements, seven habits of highly effective people, and The Artist’s Way.
Contact Info:
- Email: iamethic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openbookethic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcPJzgByAJC_wMw_ydRsI8A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/iamethic
Image Credits:
Michael Johnson, Tayloer Moe “TaylrdImages” , Darril George “Dtailphotos”
