We recently had the chance to connect with Mark Johnson Jr. and have shared our conversation below.
Mark, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
I am a big advocate for taking things slow, collecting information, and playing the long-game. I think the best time to act fast is when something aligns with your goals without a doubt or you’ve put yourself in position to receive. Every time I’ve gotten something immediately it’s been a lot of work to maintain not just the thing itself, but the feeling it gives me. More often than not I feel more satisfied in my work when I take my time.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello All, I’m Lil Webb, a songwriter & entertainer from Baltimore with a focus on Post Modern HipHop/Pop Rock/Alternative R&B. Reflecting on the world we live in, how entertainment has shaped our perception of it, and breaking down the barriers between the less savory sides of life & our everyday realities. This is encapsulated best in my projects “Whoracle” & “HIMBO” where I relate the current zeitgeist to the 1920’s and 1940’s respectively.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My middle school homeroom teacher Ms. Smith. She changed the trajectory of my life by simply switching me to the homeroom next door. She saw an affinity for music in me that I had never seen within myself until that point. At the time I was 11, now I’m about to be 28 with almost 17 years of music training & experience to pull from.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
All the time, every couple of months. Creative work is hard in the sense that you are actively pulling from yourself to make this new thing. That can be draining & exhausting. You’re always trying to find something new to do, a new perspective to view things from, or a feeling you haven’t felt before. All to create something of yourself that you’re never expressed. Sometimes just the growth part in itself can be the hard part, change is tough, and sometimes we don’t change enough to have a new idea.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie is simply “music is subjective”. I agree that everything is not for everyone, and that there IS something for everyone, but quality & taste are not synonyms. We all have our preferences on what is “good” or what we “like”, but sometimes the actual quality of what is being heard is not good regardless of the subject matter or the pieces involved to create it. If a song blows out my speakers on the first listen? It doesn’t matter if it was “Thriller” or “Purple Rain” the quality of what was played was not good. That has nothing to do with taste, and these are wonderful pieces of music. Yet, if they were never kept at a particular sound quality no one would care. They would just be good songs that a dedicated fanbase listens to, not the world at large.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think most people will just miss the point. I’m not in this to tear anyone down or make them appear as less necessarily. I just don’t believe everyone that records songs is supposed to. There’s many avenues in the music industry and on top of that a lot of ways to impact how a record is made. Some people are amazing at arrangements, some people comprehend the curation of sonics/voices on another level, but that doesn’t mean that each of these people are Beyonce. I’m not Beyonce either. None of us are Beyonce, except Beyonce. We should be focusing on our individual strengths in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lil_webb_music
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/webbsLegacy/
- Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UChtJ1lWaOwmGrXEzJCZkr9Q?sub_confirmation=1
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/webbslegacy
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/lil-webb/1394103629
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/9929230
https://www.twitch.tv/lil_webb
Image Credits
@jordanisworking (Personal Photo)
@weluvukandy (Cover Arts & Logos)
