We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Johnny Forte a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Johnny , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

If I’m thinking really hard about it I would assume when I got my first guitar in the seventh or eighth grade. Initially I still didn’t play the guitar for another 2 to 3 years. Well I’ll let one of my friends at the time borrow it and I didn’t see it for a while and when I did get it back just didn’t have the ambition to play. When I tried to it was like something was blocking my mind mentally or what not. It wasn’t until I got in to guitar class it’s helped me out a lot which is kind of crazy because I actually learn more songs on YouTube then I actually did in that class; but maybe going to the class is what help me get started with creating music. I still had a great teacher and all even though he wasn’t there that much and it was mostly kinda of like free range of playing around and just Vibin with your homies. I think there was a girl in the class at the time and I had a crush on her and she had like the Jonas brothers. So I end up watching

Their tv at the time and they had this song one there I love and eventually I learned. Learned from YouTube by the way . Yes learned a lot of songs from YouTube honestly. And once I started getting the handles down for playing guitar it really helped me out a lot with my depression because I was learning a few songs mostly hip-hop songs, mostly Kid Cudi songs It just helped out a lot with my depression. I would just put a lot into creating songs and playing just to feel better and I took my guitar everywhere I with me. Pretty sure that’s how people remember me from 11th grade to 12th grade. When I cross paths with old classmates they be like a you you were the dude with the guitar! It definitely help out I wouldn’t know where I would be without it And there’s a Lot of great rock ‘n’ roll music out there and legends like Jimi Hendrix. But I just wanted to learn a lot of hip-hop songs on guitar. And at that time there just wasn’t a lot of tablature or transcribe music for it. But popular rappers now like Travis Scott and Young Thug definitely Travis Scott use uses a lot of guitar in his tracks which is so cool and they ushered that in, Now there more music for hip-hop for guitar. which I love. To fast forward a little bit you know I had a rock band or something like hiphop/ rock friends referred to use as the black fall out boy lol! Fun times! I was out here just trying to make it like everybody else. Eventually the band fell apart and I didn’t wanna give up on music. I’ve always DJ on my laptop. I’ve always slow down my favorite songs in different genres not just hip-hop, I love alll type of music like. I love alternative Pop Punk music and Japanese music and other things! Fast forward I wanted to start the djing because every time I went somewhere I just felt like they were playing the same things everywhere and I just wanted to play something different I want to play what I wanted to hear which I know is really selfish because you’re the DJ and you DJ for the people but I definitely did not realize that in the beginning, and I also think that what separated me from a lot of other people because I use a to play what I want to play all the time. Like even when people were bickering and complaining didn’t matter still was gonna do what I was going to do; play what I was going to play. honestly I was like this because there’s music that should be heard! Also I like to play the current music more than likely or relatively over the old-school! Still that didn’t matter because I was pretty good and different at the time. Then people started booking me for weddings and that helped a lot and I made me realize how to cater for the people, I realize I wasn’t playing for myself. I just had to learned how to mix it all together better while still being me a lot of the time

Johnny, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Oh man I put so much detail in the first question! I am forte of fortecloud I like colors a lot I like art I like beautiful people and I’m in love with music because music save my life without music I wouldn’t be here. Went through some troubling times crazy childhood lotta bad times a lot of bad days a lot of lonely times but you know who was always there for me? You guessed it music! Music the whole reason why I’m here I mean at this stage in life because I’ve been pursuing it and wanted to be a part of it and just be creative. Yes I hear all the time get back to you photography. you should  get back to shooting videos you’re really good at that some say better than djing or my Music. but the whole point I even picked up a camera for, was because I was doing my music and I needed to shoot my own videos and photos for certain things. I am graceful, grateful and thankful that I’m also talented with other things like photography and videography which I did get paid for for a while but I’ve decided that I just want to do music and pursue it full-time but in this day and age you can’t just be one thing so I don’t mind being a multi creator content creator. don’t get it twisted I have some really talented motivated people around here to help me out and keep me going to keep being creative. I will say this if you will be consistent with anything you do it will pay off I’ve met a lot of good people I met a lot of people just in my life in general. I was just living with a roommate a couple years ago in a small studio apartment even just before that I was living in my car and now I finally got my own place a cat and I technically live across the street from one of the best bars in Houston Texas anything is possible if you just want to do it. My services I offer if you want my DJ services just know we’re gonna have a great time I’ve done events I’ve done some really dope events especially starting in 2022 like doing the New Year’s Eve party at Post HTX and just DJing at posthtx a few times this year and it’s only been like half a year. Hired me for your weddings private events just whatever you can think of. And if you really like my video content my photography is awesome if you want those services hit your boy up. I know I am not a perfect person and I also know nobody is but moving forward I’m just trying to move with peace and love We’re all getting older I don’t want to be moving with jealousy or hate in my heart and sometimes you just have to write that down or say it out loud! don’t move with hate or jealousy in your heart just let it go just start letting a lot of things go and as I’m getting older I’m starting to realize certain things now and that’s just where I’m at and the time space continuum. because I’ve been hurt many times before trusting people believing in people and it does take a toll especially in this industry but we got to keep moving with peace and love and like I said I wouldn’t be here if I was that complete asshole. everybody thinks I am. Still Somebody’s gotta love me somebody’s gonna love me not just god I also think I’m one of the dopest motherf*ckers on this planet and I’m here to save the world. But that’s in due time I say all that to say this just keep being consistent and building good relationships and just really messing and dealing with the people that actually want to deal with you because a lot of people will just use you or they just don’t want to deal with you and that’s totally fine. I am really just thankful for everything that has happened and everything that’s gonna happen. just really thankful for the people that actually believe in me and care. it might not be many right now but the ones that do the ones that actually reach out to me.  instead of me always having to reach out to them; these are the people you cherish these other people you keep in your life.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to be the first black DJ at tomorrowland. LOL I’m pretty sure there’s been black DJs there but I want more hip-hop DJs open format DJs which I am. just hip-hop is like my main but I am open format don’t get it twisted but I want to be as popular as a DJ Tiësto or a Chris lake and I want to do like sold out venues across the globe want to do stuff like James hype I mean they are literally using hip-hop tracks and mix it in with their house tracks or EDM tracks . I’m like that’s my culture and I would like to benefit off of it as well. So yes my goal is to do festivals and have me doing major events. what they’re doing and I know I should be able to do that and I just always had a goal of going on tour even  if it was for me myself as artist or, Playing the guitar for another artist or just DJing for another artist I always pictured myself on the bigger bigger stage always when I was younger especially when I first started but I always pictured myself on tour just traveling across the country with my good friends even if we were in a band or whatever I always had

that vision in mind and also getting paid from it and just having a good time man because that’s what it’s really all about

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I lost my job, stayed in my car for a while I had to stay with a few people shout out to my cousin Dee. my good friend from high school you know who you are Mr. Mitchell. Stayed in a small studio apartment refuse to go get a regular 9-to-5 again did Uber eats on a bicycle for a year and a half started djing shortly after that with just a laptop with virtual DJ. then I was gifted a controller by the OG Dj Candlestick omar! started getting books for weddings I became one of the best open format DJs in all of Texas and all of the world all the way to Japan! I say that to say this I had a vision of really wanted to be music. I didn’t want to go back to working or you know working on stuff that didn’t matter to me and I just started living my best life I just kept doing what I wanted to do and being consistent with it very very consistent Awhile trying to be a genuine person Along the way even tho mf be sleezy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @fortecloud
• Facebook: @Fortecloud
• Twitter: @fortecloud
• Youtube: Livefromdagarden
• Other: @DjFortecould @Fortecloud all media

Image Credits
@aiproductions713