Music maker: ‘Dat Johnson Boy’ gets call from Warner Bros. record producer

At 16 years old, aspiring Bogalusa rapper Alton Johnson Jr. has already received the phone call many hip-hop artists wait their whole lives for — a big-time record producer.

In this case, it was Warner Bros. Records, which produces records for big names in the music industry such as Madonna, Seal and  Faith Hill.

Alton, whose stage name is “Dat Johnson Boy,” got a call from the producer Friday evening, and began cheering after the conversation, said his father, Alton Johnson Sr.

Alton doesn’t necessarily have a record deal yet, but this is a big first step.

The Bogalusa High senior did have some help, however, as his aunt knows the record producer personally, but it was his music that really got Warner Bros. attention.

“(The record producer) listened to my music on My Space,” said Alton, referring to his personal Web site, www.myspace.com/985batman.

Alton said the producer told him to get his songs copyrighted, and the next step will be to go to a recording studio.

The Bogalusa teen is not new to making music. His father bought him a drum set when he was 2 years old, and he can play trumpet, keyboard and he’s learning guitar, all of which he tries to intertwine into his style of rap.

And in the ever-changing world of rap and hip-hop, there has been a steady influx of new sounds and instruments to the genre that some might narrow down to two turntables and a microphone, said the elder Johnson. He pointed out well-known rapper Jay-Z’s recent recordings with a symphony orchestra.

For Alton, a soft-spoken defensive lineman for the Lumberjacks, making music is a way to expressive himself.

“I’m not really the type of person to express myself face to face,”  he said.

At Saturday’s Bogalusa Summer Jam at Cassidy Park, Alton performed four of his songs, singing with confidence in the hot afternoon sun. He has also performed during Bogalusa High’s “Extravaganza,” a talent show for students.

Alton’s real magic comes from within his homemade studio, about the size of a walk-in closet that his father once used as an exercise room.

It’s there where he has recorded 16 original songs, from the beat to the lyrics, and started on dozens more. Alton describes his style as “laid back” and likes to share a light story that inspires the listener.

Although he’s been writing poetry and songs since he was 5, Alton really got serious about making music two years ago when he received a software program for Christmas that allows him to make songs.

“I can create the beat, record, mix it,” he said.

Now, he spends much of his spare time surrounded by his instruments recording new sounds into his computer.

Like a lot of teenagers his age, Alton wouldn’t mind playing pro football as well as getting into the record and entertainment business.

As he says it, his dream is to be an “artist, entertainer, all of the above.” His father is quick to remind him of the importance of education in any of those endeavors.

But with the recent call from Warner Bros., Alton already seems to be on the right track.

Following a visit to a professional recording studio, he said the plan is to get his songs some radio play.