Johnny 5 (Ritual Dubstep SF/ Irie Cartel)
If you reside in Northern California and frequent dubstep/bass music events, you almost certainly recognize the face behind the layers of wobbling bass, crunchy drums, and hypnotic melodies. An Oakland, CA resident, by way of Chicago, Johnny5 cut his teeth as an MC and hip-hop producer in both cities, sharing stages with the likes of independent legends T
ypical Cats as well as major acts including Raekwon and Devin the Dude. Upon moving to Oakland in 2005, Johnny5 began to take in the diverse, quickly evolving sounds pulsating throughout the Northern California music scene. Already having an extensive background in hip-hop, reggae, and electronic music, it was only natural that Johnny would embrace the dubstep genre and begin to cultivate his own sound, taking elements from each of these musical cultures. Now three years strong as a dubstep DJ/producer, Johnny has provided local support for the likes of Borgore, Caspa, and Emalkay, while finding time to tour the US West Coast and develop a strong following in the Rocky Mountain region. In May of 2010 he co-founded San Francisco's most popular dubstep weekly, "Ritual Dubstep," every Thursday, starting at Anu bar, now residing in the catacombs at Temple night club, and soon transitioning to an exciting new SF location). This event unexpectedly blossomed from a small, intimate party, featuring mainly locals, into the largest weekly dubstep event on the West Coast. Ritual has hosted international heavyweights such as N-Type and Coki, as well as California heavy hitters such as Minnesota and Megalodon. Aside from performing, producing, and hosting events, Johnny5 founded the music label Irie Cartel Recordings in 2011. Thus far, the label has has a string of successful releases, including Ry Legit's "The Machine" and Trevor Kelly's "The O.G. In March 2013, Johnny5 put out his first official release as a producer, the "Thuggin" EP (Irie Cartel Recordings), which is a collaborative effort with LA/SF producer Trevor Kelly. The EP features a diverse array of bass-heavy sounds, including filth ("XJ-13"), 808/rap ("O'Gizza" feat. Ro Knew), and a room-shaking trap version of the aforementioned "O'Gizza," remixed by rising star Taso. With an arsenal of original tunes, a vast collection of rare and exclusive tracks, and uncanny ability to read a crowd's mood, Johnny5 continues to spread his unique blend of styles to dance floors and festivals around the West Coast and worldwide!
*For booking, please contact [email protected]*
