Sean C. Johnson

Growing up in my house, every saturday was cleaning day. It was never a fun day, but there were some highlights, I must say. My mom knew that no one likes to clean, so she did what she could to make it not quite-so-awful. Every saturday I woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of the Temptations blaring from our record player (you know what a record is, right?). After the Temptations, we would move on to some Jimmy Ruffin. Then Smokey Robinson. Then some Four Tops action. Around noon we would always finish the job with some Michael Jackson (pre “Dangerous”, of course).

It was a little while later that I was introduced to hip hop and my world was changed forever. My first Tupac cassette (you know what a cassette is, right?) was played into dust. ‘ATLiens’ was my mentor. ‘The Chronic’ was the go-to cassette when there was nothing on T.V. and no one to outside to play with. Still, I never lost my love for soul. Or classic rock, for that matter.

I got saved when I was eighteen. After a year or so I was introduced to some really good, Christ-exalting hip hop. The first time I heard ‘The Thesis’ by The Ambassador I was blown away. After a little bit of digging, I soon realized that there was a huge buffet of gospel saturated hip hop for me to feast on. Praise God. But something was lacking. I needed some soul. Casting Crowns, as much as I enjoy their music, just wasn’t cutting it. I heard about some cat named Tonex, but after a brief adventure into that corner of the musical world I was more discouraged than ever. I was referred to artist after artist who, to be honest, just didn’t have the sound I was looking for.

I’ve never really liked gospel music. I didn’t grow up in the church. I tried Marvin Winans. I tried to stomp with Kirk Franklin. Donnie McClurkin just didn’t resonate with me. I’m sorry, I know a lot of readers are probably getting a little loose in the collar by now, but I’m just being honest. I didn’t grow up in the church, and there always was, and still is, something about urban contemporary gospel that I just couldn’t / can’t get a flavor for. I just don’t like music that sounds churchy. That goes for Jars of Clay and the Newsboys, too.

Enter Sean C. Johnson. I first heard Sean’s stuff on accident. I was browsing through YouTube and accidentally clicked on a video of his called “Does Anybody”. I wasn’t overly impressed with the video, but the sound really grabbed me. I copped ‘Simply A Vessel: Vol 2.’ and, quite simply, I was blown away. I really enjoyed the soulful sound and smooth listen. It was obvious, though, that Sean still had some room for growth as an artist. Don’t we all. Enter ‘Simply A Vessel: Vol 3.’

It appears that Sean has really explored and perfected his unique style. SAV, Vol 3. is something of a smoothie, blending together the fruits of neo-soul, hip hop, gospel, and motown. Full disclosure: I love this album. I know music critics are supposed to be objective. We’re not supposed to say stuff like that. We’re supposed to lay out a collage of thoughts, all the while keeping our overall opinion to ourselves, letting the reader come to his or her own conclusions. Well, I’m not a music critic. I’m a nobody. This “review” is just my feeble attempt to think about an album “out loud”. You can listen in if you like. Let’s go.

The album kicks off strong with “Gonna Be”. No build up. No slow intro. You click play and the track drops. Sean brings a strong exhortation to his listeners: what’s it gonna be? Hot or cold? Sin or Jesus?This track sets the tone for the rest of the album in two ways.

You don’t have to guess what Sean is going to be talking about. Truth. Christ. Sin. Grace. Struggles. Pain. Justice.

2. You can feel the soulful sound as it explodes from your speakers and assaults your eardrums like a rail gun of rhythm. Cam comes along and adds some Kansas City spice. Dre Murray drops a quick eight bars, too. Perfect pick for this track. This isn’t the first time these two amazing artists have worked together. I’d be willing to bet it won’t be the last.

In comes “Surrender All”. It gives you a quick breather. It’s a chill track that let’s you decompress from all your head-bobbing induced neck tension from the track prior.

“Still Breathing” comes next. Sean lets us now that he views every day as an opportunity to grow in holiness. Amen.

A track or two later we have one of the heaviest hitters on the album: “MLMX”. The track kicks off with one of the sickest guitar samples I’ve ever heard. The kind that makes you feel like your about to experience strong emotions. The sample sets the mood and tone of the track. You hear the guitar, you know what’s comin’. Sean challenges us all with this one. Get off the couch. Go out into your neighborhood. It’s hard to proclaim the gospel to your community from your facebook page. Sean wants us all to know that Martin Luther King and Malcolm X aren’t coming back. Don’t sit around waiting for another man - Rapzilla.com

Growing up in my house, every saturday was cleaning day. It was never a fun day, but there were some highlights, I must say. My mom knew that no one likes to clean, so she did what she could to make it not quite-so-awful. Every saturday I woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of the Temptations blaring from our record player (you know what a record is, right?). After the Temptations, we would move on to some Jimmy Ruffin. Then Smokey Robinson. Then some Four Tops action. Around noon we would always finish the job with some Michael Jackson (pre “Dangerous”, of course).

It was a little while later that I was introduced to hip hop and my world was changed forever. My first Tupac cassette (you know what a cassette is, right?) was played into dust. ‘ATLiens’ was my mentor. ‘The Chronic’ was the go-to cassette when there was nothing on T.V. and no one to outside to play with. Still, I never lost my love for soul. Or classic rock, for that matter.

I got saved when I was eighteen. After a year or so I was introduced to some really good, Christ-exalting hip hop. The first time I heard ‘The Thesis’ by The Ambassador I was blown away. After a little bit of digging, I soon realized that there was a huge buffet of gospel saturated hip hop for me to feast on. Praise God. But something was lacking. I needed some soul. Casting Crowns, as much as I enjoy their music, just wasn’t cutting it. I heard about some cat named Tonex, but after a brief adventure into that corner of the musical world I was more discouraged than ever. I was referred to artist after artist who, to be honest, just didn’t have the sound I was looking for.

I’ve never really liked gospel music. I didn’t grow up in the church. I tried Marvin Winans. I tried to stomp with Kirk Franklin. Donnie McClurkin just didn’t resonate with me. I’m sorry, I know a lot of readers are probably getting a little loose in the collar by now, but I’m just being honest. I didn’t grow up in the church, and there always was, and still is, something about urban contemporary gospel that I just couldn’t / can’t get a flavor for. I just don’t like music that sounds churchy. That goes for Jars of Clay and the Newsboys, too.

Enter Sean C. Johnson. I first heard Sean’s stuff on accident. I was browsing through YouTube and accidentally clicked on a video of his called “Does Anybody”. I wasn’t overly impressed with the video, but the sound really grabbed me. I copped ‘Simply A Vessel: Vol 2.’ and, quite simply, I was blown away. I really enjoyed the soulful sound and smooth listen. It was obvious, though, that Sean still had some room for growth as an artist. Don’t we all. Enter ‘Simply A Vessel: Vol 3.’

It appears that Sean has really explored and perfected his unique style. SAV, Vol 3. is something of a smoothie, blending together the fruits of neo-soul, hip hop, gospel, and motown. Full disclosure: I love this album. I know music critics are supposed to be objective. We’re not supposed to say stuff like that. We’re supposed to lay out a collage of thoughts, all the while keeping our overall opinion to ourselves, letting the reader come to his or her own conclusions. Well, I’m not a music critic. I’m a nobody. This “review” is just my feeble attempt to think about an album “out loud”. You can listen in if you like. Let’s go.

The album kicks off strong with “Gonna Be”. No build up. No slow intro. You click play and the track drops. Sean brings a strong exhortation to his listeners: what’s it gonna be? Hot or cold? Sin or Jesus?This track sets the tone for the rest of the album in two ways.

You don’t have to guess what Sean is going to be talking about. Truth. Christ. Sin. Grace. Struggles. Pain. Justice.

2. You can feel the soulful sound as it explodes from your speakers and assaults your eardrums like a rail gun of rhythm. Cam comes along and adds some Kansas City spice. Dre Murray drops a quick eight bars, too. Perfect pick for this track. This isn’t the first time these two amazing artists have worked together. I’d be willing to bet it won’t be the last.

In comes “Surrender All”. It gives you a quick breather. It’s a chill track that let’s you decompress from all your head-bobbing induced neck tension from the track prior.

“Still Breathing” comes next. Sean lets us now that he views every day as an opportunity to grow in holiness. Amen.

A track or two later we have one of the heaviest hitters on the album: “MLMX”. The track kicks off with one of the sickest guitar samples I’ve ever heard. The kind that makes you feel like your about to experience strong emotions. The sample sets the mood and tone of the track. You hear the guitar, you know what’s comin’. Sean challenges us all with this one. Get off the couch. Go out into your neighborhood. It’s hard to proclaim the gospel to your community from your facebook page. Sean wants us all to know that Martin Luther King and Malcolm X aren’t coming back. Don’t sit around waiting for another man - Rapzilla.com

Singer/songwriter Sean C. Johnson was never used to having one place that he called home. Growing up, his family lived throughout the U.S. and Germany. Sean's parents' strong example inevitably shaped his future; his mother as an accomplished singer and music student and his father's life-long service to the military. While he has experienced many changes of address, Sean prefers not to mess with changes in his songwriting and production process. In that beauty of simplicity, he injects his neo-soul flavor with lyrics he hopes will change lives for Jesus. Successfully balancing his military duties, Sean has carved a niche as an independent artist; whether writing for other artists or as a featured vocalist. With two digital solo full-length projects on First Fruits Entertainment under his belt, this soulful talent has a special place for gospel music, especially for the rich history gospel quartet legends brought to the table.
Sean and his older brother took full advantage of singing along with all the gospel music played in the Johnson household by echoing the adlibs of The Winans, The Clark Sisters and John P. Kee. Sean's grandparents introduced him to the rich, soulful vocals of The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Canton Spirituals and The Soul Stirrers, which further whetted Sean's musical appetite. When he was not listening to quartets, Sean was honing his skills by harmonizing over his lead vocal he pre-recorded on his cassette deck. Despite his unbridled enthusiasm for gospel music, Sean's desire to pursue music professionally was not a priority. But his mother, who passed away in 1993, always prayed that her family would be spiritual difference makers by serving Christ in some capacity. When Sean's no-nonsense scriptural-based lyrics started hitting home for his friends, he was ready to become a soulful gospel warrior.

From his first song "I Know" he recorded in 2005, the Oklahoma resident has remained very active in his music ministry with an emphasis on the holy hip hop scene. In the past two years, Sean's talents have blown up on various independent projects. His laid-back neo-soul voice has been featured with Fedel, Risen Tunes and with the Oklahoma-based 778 Music Group, a company that specializes in mentoring up and coming talent. Sean has also performed with label mate Aaron Franklin, opened for a 2009 Kirk Franklin concert in Oklahoma City and participated in various showcases during the 2010 Stellar Awards.

On his new album, Simply A Vessel Vol. II: Faithful, the follow-up to his debut Simply A Vessel, Sean conveys a down-to-earth, neo-soul/hip-hop sensibility. This project features all original material with the exception of one track, all notated with scriptural verses. "Intro: As Long As You Are Praised" opens with a praise party unlike most with funky horns and turntable scratches. "Well Done," one of the singles off Faithful, oozes with a 70s-style sophisticated soul. The companion video is equally entertaining (especially when Sean presents a bar graph entitled "Simply A Vessel" during a sales meeting) while teaching the message of being a faithful Christian servant. Sean's quartet influences are evident as his smooth harmonies fully enrich "It Ain't Worth It." The intense lyrics and mood behind "5:00" reveals a tortured soul who is praying to God while feeling the massive pressure of trying to solve everyone's problems. "Last Breath" takes worship into a daring futuristic territory - a risk that pays off. Of course, only Sean could pull off a complete makeover of the popular hymn "I'll Fly Away" (entitled "Fly Away"), once again with a dazzling fusion of neo-soul attitude and old-fashioned quartet harmonies.

The sequel to Simply A Vessel is a welcome detour off of today's contemporary gospel pathway. One of the key ingredients that give Simply A Vessel Vol. II: Faithful a successful edge is in Sean's confidence in who he is as a gospel music artist. In other words, Sean remains firmly true to himself and he does not need to change a thing to prove otherwise. Highly Recommended.
- Soultracks.com

Singer/songwriter Sean C. Johnson was never used to having one place that he called home. Growing up, his family lived throughout the U.S. and Germany. Sean's parents' strong example inevitably shaped his future; his mother as an accomplished singer and music student and his father's life-long service to the military. While he has experienced many changes of address, Sean prefers not to mess with changes in his songwriting and production process. In that beauty of simplicity, he injects his neo-soul flavor with lyrics he hopes will change lives for Jesus. Successfully balancing his military duties, Sean has carved a niche as an independent artist; whether writing for other artists or as a featured vocalist. With two digital solo full-length projects on First Fruits Entertainment under his belt, this soulful talent has a special place for gospel music, especially for the rich history gospel quartet legends brought to the table.
Sean and his older brother took full advantage of singing along with all the gospel music played in the Johnson household by echoing the adlibs of The Winans, The Clark Sisters and John P. Kee. Sean's grandparents introduced him to the rich, soulful vocals of The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Canton Spirituals and The Soul Stirrers, which further whetted Sean's musical appetite. When he was not listening to quartets, Sean was honing his skills by harmonizing over his lead vocal he pre-recorded on his cassette deck. Despite his unbridled enthusiasm for gospel music, Sean's desire to pursue music professionally was not a priority. But his mother, who passed away in 1993, always prayed that her family would be spiritual difference makers by serving Christ in some capacity. When Sean's no-nonsense scriptural-based lyrics started hitting home for his friends, he was ready to become a soulful gospel warrior.

From his first song "I Know" he recorded in 2005, the Oklahoma resident has remained very active in his music ministry with an emphasis on the holy hip hop scene. In the past two years, Sean's talents have blown up on various independent projects. His laid-back neo-soul voice has been featured with Fedel, Risen Tunes and with the Oklahoma-based 778 Music Group, a company that specializes in mentoring up and coming talent. Sean has also performed with label mate Aaron Franklin, opened for a 2009 Kirk Franklin concert in Oklahoma City and participated in various showcases during the 2010 Stellar Awards.

On his new album, Simply A Vessel Vol. II: Faithful, the follow-up to his debut Simply A Vessel, Sean conveys a down-to-earth, neo-soul/hip-hop sensibility. This project features all original material with the exception of one track, all notated with scriptural verses. "Intro: As Long As You Are Praised" opens with a praise party unlike most with funky horns and turntable scratches. "Well Done," one of the singles off Faithful, oozes with a 70s-style sophisticated soul. The companion video is equally entertaining (especially when Sean presents a bar graph entitled "Simply A Vessel" during a sales meeting) while teaching the message of being a faithful Christian servant. Sean's quartet influences are evident as his smooth harmonies fully enrich "It Ain't Worth It." The intense lyrics and mood behind "5:00" reveals a tortured soul who is praying to God while feeling the massive pressure of trying to solve everyone's problems. "Last Breath" takes worship into a daring futuristic territory - a risk that pays off. Of course, only Sean could pull off a complete makeover of the popular hymn "I'll Fly Away" (entitled "Fly Away"), once again with a dazzling fusion of neo-soul attitude and old-fashioned quartet harmonies.

The sequel to Simply A Vessel is a welcome detour off of today's contemporary gospel pathway. One of the key ingredients that give Simply A Vessel Vol. II: Faithful a successful edge is in Sean's confidence in who he is as a gospel music artist. In other words, Sean remains firmly true to himself and he does not need to change a thing to prove otherwise. Highly Recommended.
- Soultracks.com