Versy / "Product of Eighty and Four"
LISTEN NOWGary Johnson was born in Dallas,
TX 3-29-1984 Mr. Johnson otherwise known as “Versy”, has been grinding,
pushing, and living music for many years.
His inspiration comes
from the background of his family. His grandfather and his brother/s were
singers in a group several years before he was born, but the music flows
through so much of his family that he grasped a hold and interest of the craft
at an early age. He always loved music of all kinds: rap, r&b, blues, jazz,
gospel, country, and a little rock-roll along with a little classical, but
never geared toward music until his sophomore year in high school. At that
point is when he wrote his first rhyme after listening to a cassette tape of
local Dallas rapper K-Roc, but about 3 years before, he always was the kid that
was always beating and tapping on his desk and lunch room tables with pens and
pencils.
During his sophomore
year in high school he kept writing trying to get better at it. He was able to
freestyle, but writing was much harder because he had no structure to go about
writing rhymes. Throughout the years of high school he became a well-known rap
artist and he also started producing beats, but couldn’t get a hold of the
making beats part.
Heading into his
freshman college year at Prairie View A&M University, he was a better
prepared artist because after he graduated high school, he developed himself
and a style to be as versatile and universal than any other artist in his city
he believed. During his college years, he made a name for himself from
freestyle battles around the campus by just battling any artist on the spot and
becoming victorious. He learned how to record himself and dropped a couple
mixtape with some of my neighborhood friends, Duck, Peanut, Tony Tee, Aaron,
J.B. and several others to name. After his first semester of college he came
home for the summer break and linked up with another neighborhood friend by the
name of Rocky Taylor and they dropped a mixtape together along with recording
several songs that never got a chance to get promoted. They formed their own
label title Villain City Entertainment. Shortly after forming the label
as independent owners and artist, Rocky got arrested and was sentence to 5
years or more on an aggravated crime he committed and is now free.
Versy then took the
initiative to strive and keep the label going and pursued himself a solo
career. He linked with a group title C.U.G in which he was linked with by one
of his older cousin by the name of Darren Jackson, where he started performing
at the popular open venues in the city, but branched off quickly from the group
due to creative differences within the group. After dropping a mixtape with the
group, he dropped 4 mixtapes over the next few years by himself titled: “Did It
Without’em”, “Back At It”, “I’m Doing It”, and the most recent “The Best Thang
Yet”. While grinding through the business, he connected with other labels
during his journey in the local area of Dallas. He is now in affiliation with
Thug Menace which is the C.E.O of Sooothrowed Ent along with his other labels,
an affiliate of Global Takeover Ent, an affiliate of M$M, an affiliation of
Gangsta Politikal Ent, and many more to go on. He was really close to the
affiliation with Sooothrowed Ent aka JStarr Productions, with Thug Menace
because he’s one the coolest and most supportive local talent he’s met that
likes his music and he’s also one hell of producer. Thug Menace dis Versy’s
graphics for a little while and pressed up his cd’s, cd covers, artwork and
etc, and the list goes on.
Versy is able to
record himself better along record other artist and have learned to mix and
master his own music, which placed him above a lot of artist he was around. He
also has come to write music for others as well. He performed at local Dallas
clubs, such as Nairobi’s and Tomcats for a local promoter by the name of Kuwn
(R.I.P) and performed at shows out of town in different cities, but his biggest
show has been in Odessa, TX at the Super Latino Car Show where over 20,000 plus
was in attendance along with very popular rap artist 3-6 Mafia was in
attendance as well. He has performed at the Harambee Festival in the Southside
of Dallas on 10/31/09 and a few more afterwards, where over 10,000 plus were in
attendance. Versy had recently built a business relationship with two of
Dallas’s own Definition DJ’s Papa Ron and Byron D along with their movement
titled “I Am The Movement” after winning 1st place in a competition
with CF1/Universal performing his single (“Cooler Than A Fan” produced by
Woodknock Productions along with a track off his mixtape title “I Want It All”)
where he held a VP officer status with the movement. Versy has also hooked up
with a business man/manager by the name of Mr. Ed Jones where he performed his
single “Cooler Than A Fan”; for Mr. Jones cable TV show called “Next 2 The
Stage” and he’s also linked him to perform the single again in front music
pioneers Yarbrough & Peoples, where a MTV connection and Warner Bros.
connection was in attendance. Versy currently in the year of 2010 has performed
at Magic Johnson’s HIV Awareness program and the National HIV Awareness program
at Ft. Worth Convention Center, which had sponsors of the DFW popular radio
stations (K104 & 97.9) and shut it down and unleashed another song called
“I Rise” produced by Future of Futuristk Musik and performed at an event dedicated
for teens going back to school from the summer break that was titled “Teen
Spring Break’em”, which was arranged by Thug Menace and his label JStarr
Productions. With his contingency, Versy had acquired an in-house producer,
which is also a childhood associate and goes by the name “Future” in which he
also owns his independent production label title Futuriztik Muzik, but now that
partnership has split due business differences. He then worked on his next
mixtape titled “Real Muzik: Breath of Phresh Air mixtape”, which is Hosted by
upcoming female DJ Yella Bella and new hit single “Like A Boss”, which he plans
to reach the ears of music listeners who actually listen to “MUSIC” and not
just what’s the next hot single or person.
At this point in his
life he managed to get attention from the daughter of Patti Geiger who is
daughter of Howard Geiger of Interscope Records. Versy performed his "Like
A Boss" song produced by European producers named Downtown Music and at
that point Patti noticed something special about him. She then began to
represent him as his independent A & R representative. Shortly after the
two joined forces to put out great music together, Versy flew out to Atlanta (ATL)
to network and attend the birthday party of DJ Don Cannon of the infamous
Gangsta Grillz Mixtape series with DJ Drama. During this time in Atlanta he was
also linked with Carl So Lowe(former producer of So So Def). The talent that
Versy had shown him was undeniable from his style to his writing form. Versy
ghost wrote 2 songs and along with a separate feature for an up and coming artist
out of Portland, Oregon by the name of Montie Blaze, whose album is fully
produced by Mr. Carl So Lowe himself, while recording at Hot Beats Studio in
Atlanta. During this time frame of doing business with Patti and Carl, Versy
attended events associated with the 2012 BET Awards and met with the infamous
Bigga Rankin of the Cool Running DJs (CRDJ) who is also VP of Young Jeezy label
C.T.E.
As more inspired as
he ever was in his life, Versy came home and wrote, recorded, and engineered
his next mixtape titled "Breath Of Phresh Air Pt.2" which ended being
another installment to his Breath of Phresh Air mixtape series. He sent the
mixtape to Patti and Carl along with hitting the streets in his home city of
Dallas, TX along with putting it on the website Datpiff.com. The interest of
Versy was rising quickly as in to see what else he could really do and at that
point he recently convinced not only can he make great songs, he can also make
great projects after another and after another with no problem by putting
together the latest project titled "J.L.O.M.D" which is the acronym
for Just Living Out My Dream. Versy managed to get 2 songs produced on the
J.L.O.M.D Project called "Do Business" & "Know What It
Is" by one of the music industry's sought out producers at the time by the
name of Youngstarr Beats/Marvel Hitz who produced hits songs such "Ricky
Bobby" by artist B-Hamp who is also out the DFW are, the club banger
called "I Luv Dem Strippers by artist 2 Chainz ft. Nicki Minaj, another
song called "We Been On featuring R.Kelly" by YMCMB's group Rich
Gang(Birdman & Lil'Wayne) plus many more. Versy then had yet another
"HIT" song called "Go Crazy Ft. PBzE T.O & Roze"
produced by Superstar O. While doing these things Versy managed to stay link
with his close friend from college and form a strong business relationship with
casual male clothing line called "Purple Bear" under the Luxury Goods
Company umbrella. In addition to another very strong relationship with his
close friend by the name David "Drastic" Randal with an undeniable
energy drink called "On Demand", which went on a 40 city tour with
the real "Freeway Rickey Ross". Versy then went on to present his
engineering skills by doing the final mix and master on two (2) mixtapes that
Drastic put together that were hosted by himself with Freeway Rickey Ross and
recently Silkk The Shocker (Younger brother of Rap Legend Master P).
In the latest of his
music career, Versy linked up with a friend that he worked with by the name
Rickey “Slikk Muzik” Offord. In the midst of preparing to work together, Slikk
landed a major deal that led to him producing a “HIT” for Ariana Grande called
“Luvin” and several more hits. Slikk til this day is a multi-platinum, Golden
Globe Award winning, Grammy nominated music producer. During this time of Slikk
and Versy working together, he managed to land a contract himself with Spirit
Music Group as a writer and landed his song “Like A Boss” with Nike and the TV
show Parks and Recreation, which is a Primetime Emmy Award nominated, Golden
Globe Award winning show and also named the best television show in it’s prime
year. Versy also landed a TV placement with Slikk for the hot TV show of 2016
called “Atlanta”, which went on to win a Golden Globe as well. With no
hesitation, Versy joined Slikk’s Indie label title Slikk Muzik, LLC and the two have been working ever since. On
January 10, 2017, Versy dropped his extended EP album titled “Product Of The
Eighty And Four (84)”, which has been released on all major online stores and
streaming sites and have received nothing but great responses.
So outside of the
music he's a pretty well rounded guy that strives for the best in everything
that he does and not just someone who sits and depends on one thing to make him
successful. He has been blessed to be and get as far as he is today, with much
more to come. Please stay tuned!!!!!
OTHER SMG ARTISTS