We at Audible Treats stand in solidarity with the protesters across the countryĀ who seek justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. As a company, we are developing a concrete plan of action to combat the deleterious effects of systemic racism and police brutality. Currently, our team members are donating to just causes, marching in the streets, speaking out in public and private, and further educating ourselves about America’s racist past and present so that we are better equipped to call out injustice when we recognize it.
We take our role seriously as a conduit for amplifying voices and stories that tend to be ignored by the mainstream media. As for our day-to-day work of publicizing our artists and their stories, weāre working closely with them to find a balance between their need for artistic expression and their solidarity with the protest movement.
There is strength in numbers. Here is a resource that lists ways you can take action:Ā https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/Ā
No justice, no peace. Black Lives Matter.
Emerging from the unseen side of the Music City with fresh mixture of trap and R&B, singer-songwriterĀ Johnny PEĀ combines immaculate vocal chops with raw street-level lyricism. Today, Johnny Pe sharesĀ Testers, his first-ever release, offering a small glimpse of his immense artistic potential.
“When a drug dealer enters a new territory, they give out ‘testers’ of products to gain a clientele,” says Johnny Pe. “I went from pushing things I had no business pushing to pushing music.”
Comprised of two new singles and a music video,Ā TesterĀ is a brief immersion into the world of the mysterious Johnny Pe. Using his silky-smooth vocals, Johnny paints a picture of the side of Nashville that the tourists avoid–a rough neighborhood plagued by violence and undisturbed by country music and cowboy hats.
“People think of Nashville as country sh*t with cowboy hats but it was one of the places the Rolling 60 Crips first expanded to, so thereās always been a lot of gang violence here,” explains Johnny Pe. “I was exposed to a lot at a young age–murders, gang violence, you name it. The history of Nashville goes a lot deeper than people think. Itās been gentrified and divided. Itās real out here. Iām gonna make sure people donāt think Nashville is full of only white people.”
The first single isĀ “White Chalk,”Ā a narrative-driven ballad with snaking electric guitar, reverb-heavy percussion, and perfectly-timed handclaps. Johnny delivers a soulful rumination of his chaotic day-to-day: “Pitching the pack like Iām loading base/Shells ricochet off the license plate/Itās a fact that we aināt the same/Swerve out of the lane.”
Directed and animated byĀ Bapt, the “White Chalk”Ā videoĀ is an evocative interpretation of Johnny’s lyrics, following a figure in white chalk outline as it moves along the sidewalk and encounters chalk hearts, dragons, and gravestones before spiraling into a void.
The second single isĀ “Recipe,” a soul-sampling, smack-talking song for the riders. Effortlessly floating in the pocket with an otherworldly sigh, Johnny plays the role of pusher man, proudly peddling his superior product to a succession of satisfied customers: “N****s come drop a dime on us/We serving one at a time, no rush/She never got this high in her life, ooh no/Can’t get it off of your mind when it’s uncut.”
Says Johnny Pe, “I want my music to give the streets hope–to show people no matter where you come from, you gotta keep pushing everyday no matter what. Itās about how you respond to life when sh*t gets real. Iām really glad god gave me this talent to express myself. Music saved my life–it was a form of therapy for me, and I hope my music will be therapeutic for the streets.”
TestersĀ is available to stream everywhere viaĀ UpAndOn1 Records. Stay tuned for Johnny’s debut EPĀ Pushing Everyday, coming this summer.
Buy/StreamĀ Testers:Ā https://orcd.co/1yokbej
Watch “White Chalk” video:Ā https://youtu.be/vfDvuGCJXtI
Photo Credit: Jake Dolinka
Please contactĀ MichelleĀ orĀ AndreaĀ for more info.
A new sound rises like smoke from the rubble of R&B, emerging out of country musicās shadow. Nashville’sĀ JOHNNY PEĀ provides a flicker of hope as he appears on the horizon to serenade the streets with songs of surviving and thriving against all odds amidst todayās turbulent times.
Testers:Ā https://orcd.co/1yokbej
“White Chalk”:Ā https://youtu.be/vfDvuGCJXtI