The MAN behind the Deets withDexterJohnsonJr

A dinner knife in hand pressed firmly to my throat, I was determined that this would be the end of me. Humiliated and depressed, I nursed injuries from a cork fight in prep school. Wounded in body and mind, I crawled home searching for attention and comfort, but instead I was greeted by laughs from EVERYONE.

Have you any idea what it feels like to try to fit in?

Being teased about your color? Being ridiculed about you weight for years? Being next to the last class pick within your friends? Disgraced, my little ego couldn’t take being everybody's point of jest so I decided to end it all.

But at the exact moment when it mattered, God sent my aunt, "If you kill yourself, You will go to hell!" The loud scream from my Auntie Suzette, was the jolt I needed back to reality. Those words drove fear into me and then quickly reminded me that a huge price was already paid for my life.

Rescued at just the right time, Jesus as Savior became the overarching theme of my life. Last time I told you about the Beats behind the Deets, in this issue I will give you a small peak at who I am and what I do within the kingdom. Meet the man behind the Deets.

Junior, Biggs, Dex or Dexta are just a few of the names they often use to refer to me, Dexter E. Johnson Jr. At 6ft 2inches people tend to think I'm a mighty giant. But if you asked me to introduce myself I would say I am more of a quiet teddy bear, unless provoked. Contrary to popular belief I am an introvert, though I’m often seen as jovial and outgoing.

A lover of the colours blue and green, quiet and calm, is what I am truly at the core.

Despite my default deposition I always challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone, do what needs to be done and ensure I do all I can to make sure the people around me are okay.

Fun loving, a joke master, a lover and not a fighter, I believe I should try to give my best in all I attempt to do. I have an undying love for music as it is the melody that synchronises all aspects of my life.

I believe nothing beats hard work and I strive to be passionate about all that I do so that I create a melodic blend of masterpieces.

Born in Kingston, I began my musical journey at an early age at the Portmore Missionary Preparatory. While admiring the craft and skills of a percussionist, I began to develop my drumming skills by becoming a tabletop expert. This venture led to a gold medal career in the JCDC Festival Competitions, which launched my professional career as an elite Drummer.

Ardenne High School later set the stage for me to live out my passion for music and the performing arts. I became an active part of the Drama, Speech and Music Club and continued my gold medal career at the JCDC Festival Competitions.

JCDC played an integral role in the development of my formative musical years by allowing me to represent my school nationally as the overall best in various performing arts categories.

I am a motivated and driven young man, whose youthful exuberance was never shy when it came to church. Christ is my life and church is one of my main priorities. An active member at St. John’s Road Church of God, I currently serves as the President of the Youth Fellowship and Head of the Music Department. As a Pastor's Kid, I have known the church all my life and I vow to continue declaring Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

A brightly colored illustration of Christ on the Cross in a picture bible, was my love at first sight experience. I saw pain, I saw suffering but I also saw unconditional love. Jesus Christ as Savior, is the Bible story I hold most dear to my heart.

A man stretched out dead on a tree to save wrecks like me brings a comfort like none other. Through that picture I clearly understood the meaning of loving beyond measure and that has been my guiding philosophy throughout life.

At age 11 at a Watch Night Service I publicly declared I belonged to Jesus Christ by taking my water baptism. Christ gave his best for me so I'll give my best to Him.

I never give up an opportunity to serve God with all my heart and talents and as such I dedicate my time to the Jamaica Youth for Christ (JYFC).

There I serves as the Parish Director for St. Catherine, which requires the planning and participation in multiple events gears towards the holistic development of young people. I also serves as the Director and Head of the P.A. System Department, which includes operating and managing the Rehearsal and Recording Studio of the Jamaica Youth for Christ (JYFC).

This year the JYFC celebrates 75 years of ministering in Jamaica and alot of my current time is spent in organizing and supporting the celebration events. We are currently on a mission to visit 75 churches across the island and to partner in ministry with them.

We also aim to visit 75 schools across the island to distribute tablets. We will all host the International Youth For Christ (YFC) Conference here in Jamaica which will see YFC bodies from all over the world coming to Jamaica.

If it's not Church or Youth for Christ then it's music. My love for music took on a different tone in 2018 when I officially registered my record label, Crosslinks Production.

The name on the label is a cross reference to my love of the story of the cross and the crucifix I wear as a constant reminder of Christ's love.

As a trained Audio Engineer from the Media Training Institute in Kingston, I have produced various songs under my brand. And I set my eyes on continuing a successful career in the industry.

To enable my dreams I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in Events Management and Production at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

Added to my portfolio is Chief Operations Officer of Imperium Gospel Limited. There the beat is Artiste Management where I oversee the ministries of Gospel Ministers such as Orville Sutherland, Trevelle ClarkeWhyne, Johnmark Wiggan, Rian Davis and the Gifted Youth Ministry (a mime group of vibrant young people).

I am often referred to as an expertise in all areas of music. From playing professionally to mastering singles to planning, executing and hosting entertainment events and forever sees himself glorifying God and expressing himself through the musical arts.

Who I am today is a product of the hardwork of my Mom and Dad. From them I learned to be a family man, to work hard and to always put God First.

I am extremely grateful to both of them for all they have done for me. They took the time out to encourage me, and to forgive me when I made a mess of my life.

It was my Dad who took the time out to reason with me. He taught me that the time you spent matters as even though he was always at work he made the time spent with us worthwhile.

This taught me that you can do everything, just use your time wisely and make an extra effort.

He often taught me to be the solution and not a part of the problem. Who I am as a leader is a replica of his leadership style and qualities.

He always saw potential in me and pushed me to take on roles I wasn't sure I could manage like becoming the Secretary of our youth fellowship and then later the President.

Like my parents did for me I plan to leave a strong legacy for those who follow behind me.

want to encourage the next generation to blaze the fire of Christ in all that they do.

Let God leave and step out of your comfort zone as I did by becoming the host of Gospel Deets and watch how he amazes you. With God you can achieve everything.

As my favorite verse 2 Chronicles 7:14 humble yourselves and fervently pray and watch God work.

And of course I couldn't complete this article without saying Barcelona and Arsenal are the best football teams ever.

Dexter Johnson Jr. is a Christian Creative and Entrepreneur who is well known in the Jamaican Gospel arena for his passion for the advancement of God's Kingdom through work with Youth and other ministers of the Gospel h us as we speak about s, and of course, music; recent and upcoming!

We were planning to drop a quick article on our website to give you a mini snapshot of what Sone G has been up to, but when we saw the magnitude of what this artiste does in the Kingdom, we said we HAD TO make him our next Main Feature!

We know you're going to enjoy learning more about this humble, talented artiste.

We want to take this opportunity to say a special THANK YOU to Sone G for his unwavering support for our magazine, and encourage you, our PAJE fam, to show him support as He continues to represent Christ and make moves in the Kingdom!

PAJE: First things first, we saw your post on Fathers' Day with your wife and kids and instantly, we were curious: How do you balance life as a husband, father of 3, Pastor and Artiste?

Sone: Firstly, my wife is a trooper. She ensures the academics and social life is intact. But as it pertains to me, I must say its sometimes tricky to ensure I am there for them and that my presence is felt in the home. A lot of times though they join me in the studio and be my “producer” so they say anyway.

Haha! I make sure to show up for all their events and school happenings, I just believe it is important for me to be there and let them see physically that you are always gonna be there for them as a father. And of course being their protector and provider is one of my top priorities as a dad. However, balancing can be very hard, but with discipline and structure I’ve been able to effectively serve in all 3 areas, with God being my help.

PAJE: We realize you’re always pretty fashionable; Are you your own stylist?

Sone: Haha, yes I am and thank you. Sounds like I can add that to my portfolio one day in the future. “Haha”. I always try my best to represent my home and my God well. I don’t ever want anyone to think that we are boxed in as far as our fashion sense, “style it up!” as I would normally say.

PAJE: How would you say things have shifted for you in terms of 2022 versus 2020 in terms of your faith in God, maneuvering the industry and embracing your style of music?

Sone: That’s actually a really good question! I know I’ve grown as a Christian, my faith has been further fortified going through these pandemic years. I know a lot of people had it really difficult but from a spiritual perspective for me I have seen a lot of growth, even with my artistry.

I am thankful that I am able to make a mark on the world with the music I have been able to produce thus far. I certainly see where a space for the style of music I do. My gifts has been carved out and the feedback is encouraging as well.

There is still a lot to attain naturally, souls to win over and people to inspire so I am looking forward to the rest that’s going to manifest and all that God has in-store.

PAJE: As a Pastor and Artiste, what are some of the ways that you’d like to see the Gospel music industry in Jamaica speak more openly about in Jamaica?

Sone: I think we are making strong impacts and positioning ourselves for a great or even greater outpouring. I must say however, change and development takes time and the industry at large has been going through a period where its almost as though it is seeking after its “footing”, but I do see where it will solidify and be very impactful with the help of the Church.

I think a fully committed marriage between the church and gospel music is where the mark will be made, one that the government cannot resist. Therefore, our impact on the Government will be stronger and more effective in getting the proper backing to save our Jamaica.

PAJE: Speaking of Jamaica, when will we be seeing you in Jamaica next?

Sone: Likely this year, some plans are in place but nothing I can fully confirm as yet. But definitely something I’m working on.

PAJE: As someone with some solid messages for the people, we’re sure you’ve been seeing a lot going on the Jamaican society and the world at large. What message of caution and hope do you want to share with our readers?

Sone: You said it correctly, hope is what I would like to promote, as I recall a line from one of my songs …”hope in Jesus and nothing less” its easy to see hopelessness in today’s version of society.

In fact, among many cases you may find that it is readily available like its freely given as a general life dependent item, as soon as you open up your eyes in the morning.

I know its challenging all over, I realize that many face a really grim reality, but I have been preaching Jesus since I was 12 years old, I have seen ups and downs alike and everything in between.

But, I have never lost hope in Him, because even when things are not great he finds a way to keep that hope alive in our minds, shout out to Jermaine Edwards and Agent Sasco.

I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d be without Jesus and the hope that he brings. At times I was broke, but I was not hopeless. God always finds a way to make things happen and provide. At times I was really disappointed because of life’s setbacks but hope was still there reminding me that the race is not for the swift.

Hope is my message to everyone, “hope in Jesus and nothing less”. On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.

PAJE: Now, let's dive into some of your music! One thing we can definitely say is that your intended message of hope is always wrapped really well into some 'feel-good' music! One of the 2022 hits that we had to really dive deeper into with you is SWEET EHH! We love the vibe, the collaboration and the video! So, let's talk a bit about it.

What inspired 'Sweet Ehh'? Walk us through the scene of writing the actual song. –

Sone: To be honest DaJourney is a very creative and unique talent, he was the one who took the lead on this track and invited me on to add my spin on things. So the chorus was already set, as soon as I heard it I knew it was a banger! As far as the signature input on the song is concerned, I actually took the time to research means and ways of how to communicate sweetness, put them together to make candy. haha!

PAJE: We know you love creating energetic songs, but we never expected the African flavour to be involved. How did that link come about?

Sone: In the midst of creating the song we found it had a lot of the mother feel to it, so we were watching a few of the afrobeat songs and drew a little inspiration from them.

We went with Uganda because of the positive reggae/dancehall to culture and also because the Shepherd (God) linked me up with a good friend, Hamasanya the lead choreographer of the dance in the video. The whole thing took after once we were able to get Hamasanya on board with his team to put the finishing touches on the project.

PAJE: What makes Sweet Ehh different from the rest of your songs?

Sone: Honestly, I’ve never heard this kind of fusion with Afro and dancehall before we can all admit it’s a very unique sound and it captures the different cultures perfectly.

The bulk of songs I’ve released thus far are drenched in our Jamaican dancehall/reggae culture, but this one brings the mother land to the forefront which is special.

PAJE: So, we heard about the process of writing the song. Tell us about the process of Producing the song.

Sone: Once more my broskii DaJourney is the man behind the impeccable productions, by all means with God being his help.

Words aren’t enough to say about his growth and creativity as a producer.

PAJE: Now, we can't NOT talk about the awesome, high-energy video! Tell us about the process of Shooting the video and bringing the overall project together. –

Sone: This was a very creative endevour to have the guys in Uganda do their thing and putting our thing together with it was a really high bar project that resulted in me going to Canada to film and orchestrating the Uganda leg of the shoot. I’ve been blessed to be able to learn cinematography, so I was able to direct the project and complete the post production work by adding a little flair here and there.

We spared no expense for the video because we knew we needed to have that African culture and energy driving it. Hamasanya and his team saw the vision and ran with it making it one of my proudest video yet. To God be the Glory!

PAJE: Just in case some of our readers haven't checked it out yet, what message and vibe do you hope listeners and viewers receive when they watch and listen? –

The vibe is straight youthful energy, but the message is really one of the foundational truth of the Word (Bible), knowing that God will always show up at the right time for his people is a very comforting thing.

And every time when that happens its just a reminder that God “sweet ehh man” as the song itself declares. I’d also like to share with everyone a reminder of a scripture from Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. My prayer is for the message of the lyrics of the song to reach all people just about anywhere, “from ina the Church to the prison”.

As we spoke, we realized that we wanted to also hear from other key players in the making of this hit and its accompanying video. So, Sone G connected us quickly with Da Journey Productions and Hama San! Check out what they had to say!

PAJE: Hey DaJourney! It's a true honour to connect with you after hearing so many of your productions! How did you know that THIS song was going to be a hit?

DaJourney: I didn't know it would, thank God it is, I don't create songs or music really to be hits' I create music that I love from personal experiences that I know people will be able to relate to.

PAJE: Tell us what led to this collaboration between yourself and Sone G

DaJourney: Energy and friendship or should I say relationship. When I got the idea for the song I know I could depend on Song G to see the vision and not to be critical.

PAJE: As the Producer on the track, what message do you personally want persons to receive when they listen to the song?

DaJourney: I will always bring a message of hope and joy in my music.

While I do have songs that address various issues, my goal is not to prove that I'm better but just being a light in the dark to show God can pull you through as he did for me. I tell of the struggles after all I'm only human but I will also tell of the joy of overcoming these struggles.

PAJE: Thanks for that, DaJourney! Hey Hama San! Thanks for chatting with us real quick. Let's jump right in. Your moves are absolutely electrifying, and we couldn't help but notice you've got some Jamaican roots! Tell us a lil bit about your journey as Creative.

Moves are absolutely electrifying in a way that suddenly a familiar noise appears that I have practiced and rehearsed to a million times. My body and heart taking over until i come to a halt with the end of a song.

All along back in the days when i was a youth and my hobby and gift was dancing and all the questions i had were how was I going to move an extra mile to benefit from my gift of dancing , and to inspire more of the African youths out there like me to reach to that point.

And also to believe that in what ever they do and focus on. they can ‘SUCCEED’...

PAJE: This video was filled with complete ENERGY! What is your intended vision for those who watch the video and see the dancing?

The intended vision for those who watch the video and the dances is to motivate and inspire the youths to learn and believe that they can use their gifts and talents to archive and live out their purpose and literally impact other people’s lives.

PAJE: As the one who helped to bring even more life to the words, what do you personally hope that persons receive from the song and the video?

I’m really hoping that someone out there falls in love with the lyrics and the joy expressed in the video .and more so that the song won’t just be for vibes but rather for people worldwide to understand the call upon their lives that it becomes their culture that they’ll express, teach and invest in the coming generation.

PAJE: Thanks a lot for your time, Hama San!

Alright, Sone, we're rounding things out with this feature and we've got one last question for you!

What can we expect from you for the rest of 2022?

Sone: More great music and pushing Jesus more than ever. He said, “if I be lifted up… I will draw all people unto me”. Also too! I am happy you asked. I am actively thinking about releasing my debut album as well, keep praying, stay focused.

Just as we were finishing our convo, Sone gave us a lil hint that he's got another hot track being released in early August! We're not gonna say anything else, just remember to watch that space!