We recently connected with Terry Johnson and have shared our conversation below.
Terry , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Rapping came a bit easy as I’ve been a big writer since middle school doing poetry and writing short stories. As I got older I reconnected with a very good friend (age 19) named Paytience who pretty much trained and help mold my skills to be able to work on my own freestyling or writing. Knowing what I know now I definitely would’ve been outside freestyling, cyphering and etc. more but everything happens for a reason and was also around the time I dropped out of art school and pretty much lost on my journey so the timing was seamless honestly. The most essential skills I’ve learned was freestyling and how much being able to tap into that flow state whether living life or rapping can truly help but enhance the fun that is had while living in this world. Honestly hip hop at times can feel like a obstacle course with how many obstacles present themselves from human ego, misogyny/misandry, the homophobia, classism and predatoriness that people have shown truly can be disturbing. But honestly it’s really expensive to be an artist, and that’s in any artistic/business field ESPECIALLY independent. From the marketing to the traveling to paying the people (rightfully so) for their help in bringing the artistic vision forward as well, but believe its been countless hungry nights or times where i don’t have heat and still working on music while its 15 degrees outside.
Terry , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Peace my name is Terry Johnson most know me as Bearfootx or simply Bear. I got into the music industry around 2018-2020 through my spirit brother and high school homie, Paytience. He introduced me to freestyling after reconnecting in 2017 and I was currently a art school dropout (I studied film) trying to find direction. After that I met Marx through Paytience and later on A13Mando other spirit brothers of mines. Paytience, A13Mando and I were on the road a lot together and spent time freestyling music to different beats in different genres for hours. After doing that for two years A13Mando got me a feature with him and I’ve been working on this music career ever since. Fast forward to present day now I’m still making music and dropped a EP in February titled “L’Appel Du Vide”. I currently have 1 Album 1 Mixtape and 2 EPs with numerous features with some of the best rappers/artist in Atlanta. I also produce, engineer and DJ now on top of that and its been a wondrous journey to experience and grow in and around Atlanta, Georgia. At the moment I’m working on my next album with no release date in mind but its a project I’m very excited to show the world.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
To spread information, knowledge and enlightenment through my music the same way Earl Sweatshirt, Outkast, Tyler the Creator and Kendrick Lamar did. To be able spark inspiration into the next black teen growing up in Dekalb County or some kid in Africa, Europe, or Asia that needs to be pushed to speak about the corruption or simply the reality around them. As a artist it is my job to present my perspective/story of the reality of the world whether its the fun side, the esoteric knowledge or simply awareness on mental health especially for black men. To be able to be the bridge to that transition would be a blessing and honestly is all I’m working towards other than finding peace and tranquility.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
It’s funny because it is a life lesson as well but, learning that nobody cares. Now where you want to take that is upon you on whether it’s positive or negative but I’m neutral. Being a artist especially starting off trying to build a fanbase, finding places to perform or simple places to record for a affordable price is DIFFICULT! Add to the fact that most of these people you won’t know from a can of paint why should they care about your music or how it comes out other than trying to do good business and it can be frustrating. For me I had to take each step slowly. From learning how to make album covers to learning how to add samples to songs to even learning how to mix and master and produce beats myself. Understanding that as a independent artist its like getting a flat tire on the highway. If you just sit in your car or walk around waving your hands nobody will stop but the moment you start to try to figure out and fix it assistance will come flying like guardian angels. So its to say nobody around cares about you! Make what YOU LIKE and ENJOY but also talk t and go where you are LOVED most importantly. Care and respect is around but you have to create and be it no just wait for it to come.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearfootx/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qX22nmmF34rzFfREVDIHg
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-22630860?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Bearfootx
Image Credits
Stevie Parker, Curtis Bryant, Rambo Rowe