Rising Stars: Meet Sheldon Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheldon Johnson.

Hi Sheldon, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was a late bloomer in regards to finding my passion for music. I had a CD player and an mp3 player while growing up, but I never really listened to the messages and emotion behind it, until I was 19. After watching Lil Yachty blow up in the music industry, I decided that I could do the same. Before, while I was in high school, I was strictly focused on academics and sports, so while my friends were free-styling and following the what-seemed-to-be cool trends, I did not think I could catch up. My creative side was buried deep. Years later, after seeing Lil Yachty’s rise, I started writing to YouTube beats. I downloaded FL Studios and began learning how to record. It wasn’t until this point that I started really listening to music. I was studying in fact, everything about it, the process, the creativity, the meaning, the emotion, etc. All of a sudden, I figured out that this is what I wanted to spend my life doing. Having others enjoy hearing something that I created was very special to me. I had always tried to figure out what I had a passion for, and music was the answer. The style, rhythm, and everything about hip hop was so dope to my 19-year-old self so I slowly, but surely developed my creativity and molded myself to the artist I am today. So, when I was 19, I was actually a freshman at the United States Military Academy. That year, I had quit playing football and used some of the extra free time to write songs and get people’s perspective on the music I was making. I battled with myself constantly due to my lack of confidence and because I did not receive the type of response from my friends that I wanted. I also did not have as much time as I hoped for because of the academic curriculum. But, nonetheless, I continued to trial and error making songs until my junior year. I left school due to an unfortunate circumstance that caused my incarceration. For 17 months I was in Federal Prison and used writing as therapy. I used the ears of others in the facility and began developing my writing skills and building confidence in my abilities. After release in 2020, I began making songs again. In my music, I give some details about my story and I plan on continuing to do so, but the progress in my music over the past 2 years have been tremendous (to me at least). I’ve developed a unique process in creating and have been learning about how to spread my music to the ears of soon-to-be fans, while also improving my sense of fashion. I’m at the point where the songs I am making are undeniably good and I am excited to continue on this journey of telling my story through music and expressing the shared emotions of the world in the creative way that I want to.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Going to federal prison for a crime that I did not commit was the biggest struggle. Also, developing my creativity and confidence in my work was a process that took 6 years. I am only just now becoming confident in the music I make and the way my mind likes to create. There have been people that told me my music isn’t good, I’ve been told that I should try something different, and many people have crapped on my vision time and time again, in addition, I have carpal tunnel and a pinched nerve in my neck that causes me trouble daily while doing normal tasks, so writing can be very tough sometimes, but I have a mission to make my life a little more comfortable and music is going to be the route I take to get there.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ultimately, I am a versatile songwriter and artist. I listen to beats made by others and begin humming melodies and flows to find out how I want to approach the project. My mind always begins on a random path of creation and after the first line or two is written, I begin to write whatever kind of song I think will make sense. I listen to hip hop, R&B, EDM, Pop, Afrobeats, and a few other genres, and all of the artist that I listen to have a great influence on my creative perspective. Each song that I make is unique in its sound and performance and this helps me to keep each song fresh and different. I am most proud of the song “Kirby” because I was able to create the emotion that I wanted for the first time in a song, and it was the first song that I absolutely loved of my own. I did not need opinions of others to let me know if it was good or not because I have a good taste in music and was sure about this one. I think my versatility sets me apart because I like for every song to be unique in its own way. I can drop one song one day, and the next song I drop you may not even know it’s me. I love that about myself

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love that I can drive to a few different areas for new scenery and experiences within a few hours’ radius. There are a lot of places to visit that I do not need to fly to and that’s a huge plus. I don’t like the lack of creativity in my immediate location. Lawton, Oklahoma can do better

Image Credits
Dana Dane