The Value of Culture

Melvyn Bragg explores the history of the idea of culture, and its value today.

Artists explore the person or event that has inspired them. In this landmark series introduced by Ashley Jensen, contemporary writers, directors, actors, musicians and visual artists describe who or what has most inspired their own creative work. In the course of the series, we build up a family tree of the arts in Scotland, linking past and present.

Every once in awhile a new talent appears, someone who really has something to say and needs to be heard.  That person is Johnny 2 Good and the way he does this is through an art that combines both storytelling as well as poetry.  J2G’s art is rapping.  As Johnny 2 Good says himself, rapping cannot just be categorized to one genre because there are many subgenres of this craft.  Rapping can embody multiple genres and tell any kind of story with the use of rhyming and quickly crafted lines to express himself.  At the young age of 21, Johnny 2 Good already has his first EP available to listen to or download on his website and he’s not stopping there!  J2G is already back in the studio, working hard on writing and continuing to master his craft to release more music.

Johnny 2 Good grew up on Long Island, NY with his Dominican family, which has always influenced his music and writing heavily.  J2G’s musical tastes are diverse and multi-cultural as he enjoys listening to Spanish music, as well as many other artists including Michael Jackson and DMX.  J2G loves DMX due to X'S ability to tell the stories that lie within his music.  J2G’s other inspirations include rappers such as Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.  He considers Eminem a big inspiration to his music because he appreciates Eminem’s ability to put his heart and soul into the songs that he crafts with no holding back.  This is clear in J2G’s own music; behind the quick hi-hats and upbeat drum rolls is Johnny’s own heart and soul flows along smoothly with the supporting instrumentals.  It’s not hard to see that J2G is able to get his fans to relate to his words, as he is a voice that is not afraid to speak his feelings.

Although Johnny 2 Good is just getting started, he’s already played many live venues including Webster Hall, The Last Call and The Emporium, to name a few. Because J2G is a storyteller, he is also beginning to break into the world of acting, which is just another way that Johnny can express his passion and ability to tell a great story. It’s not hard to see that J2G has already found his voice in music and is eager to continue to spread it in anyway he can. J2G’s passion and focus for music are what set him aside from his competition, and if you haven’t heard his name yet, you will soon.

You can find Johnny 2 Good at his website: http://johnnytwogood.com

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