Biography
From the street corner hustler, to the wall street executive,to the platinum recording artist, we all live knowing that you only live once. The question is, when you pass on the next state of being, what kind of legacy will you leave behind? Daniel Johnson, artistically known as Dan Johns, wants to be heard. He wants to be respected. He wants to be remembered.
Ever since Dan first began to write raps in his hometown of Florence, South Carolina, what he’s always wanted most is to be listened to. Not because a person knew him from around the way, but because that person could relate to what he was saying.
Along the way to where he’s at now, Daniel has met a few people that felt his music enough to work with him.
Dan, then known as G.O.L.D. Machete, started out as an Internet rapper, battling in chat rooms . He would record demos at his house, and email them to anyone that wanted to hear them. He met one of my best friends, Matt Morrison, like that. Matt played the demo for William Washington (aka Will Power), who would be the first person to put Dan in the studio. When Dan Johns started his freshman year at Morehouse College, he was one of the original artists affiliated with Peach Phuzz Records, a local record label based in Columbia, South Carolina (which was mentioned in an issue of The Source in 1998).
While in Atlanta, Dan was surrounded by artists from various regions of the nation. This new environment gave him the opportunity to learn what makes hip hop beautiful: it's diversity. It was in Atlanta that Daniel first began to try his hand at production. Upon returning to Florence in the year 2000, Dan was determined to solidify South Carolina as his base, and use the support of local listeners as a springboard into the mainstream. Magnum Opus Records (aka Mag-O) was formed.
Dan Johns has released 2 full-length projects under the Magnum Opus Records name, witch each project having a significant impact on the South Carolina music scene. The acclaim that “Open Mics for Closed Minds,” his first release under Mag-O, received led to the creation of goldmachete.com, which later became www.mag-o.com. The Internet helped Dan to establish a loyal following around the state, as well as around the globe. Users from as far east as Japan, and as far west as California visit the site on a frequent basis. By the time that Dan Johns was ready to release “The Book of Daniel,” the fans were ready to receive it with open arms.
Upon the release of “The Book of Daniel,” Dan began a rigorous schedule of doing shows, in and out of state, to promote the album. Every show seemed to be better than the last one, and every crowd seemed to be larger than the previous one. During this “mini-tour,” Dan Johns has performed with the likes of Little Brother (ABB Records), Supastition (Fresh Chest Records), iCON The MicKing (Indieground Records), Lyrikal Buddah (Detonator Records), EFAMM, Alone, and The Beat Junction Project, just to name a few.
When he’s not in the studio recording new material, or out doing live shows, Dan Johns still plays a role in the hip hop community. Always ready to come off of the top of the head, Dan finished 2nd in the 2002 S.C. Battle for Supremacy. He also serves as chief editor of Random Thoughts Magazine, South Carolina’s premier hip hop-based publication.
In the future, Dan Johns hopes to secure global distribution for Magnum Opus Records, go on a national tour, and publish Random Thoughts Magazine nationally.
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