For a student at Howard University, craving a career path and doing it while matriculating, proves to be just as fruitful as hustling from the comfort of a dorm room. Jabari Johnson, a senior advertising major, has already developed a name for himself in the hip-hop industry all by the sweat of his own brow.
Johnson is a New York native and has a deep love for his home in Columbus, Ohio. As a child, he always felt a special bond with Howard. He attended many Homecomings with his mother, who graduated from the school herself.
“I came to Homecoming, and there were [a lot] of girls here,” Johnson said with a smile. “As time went on, I knew all the goods went here, the people who were doing what I want to do.”
At 22 years old, Johnson has interviewed numerous people in the hip-hop industry. And his name is growing in his chosen field, but it wasn’t always a bed of roses for him. He had to start building from the bottom.
“At first, I was doing it for free. I was working with an artist named Graph, and I got hiphopgame.com to put him on their site,” Johnson said.
He became such an asset to hiphopgame.com that they began to pay him for his interviews.
“I don’t get [a lot of money] at all,” Johnson said. “The money is good enough for me to live my life like a college student.”
Although he is getting a paycheck from his only current source of outside income, he still has to get all his interviews using his own tactics.
“I have been in the freezing cold for hours waiting on an artist, then chasing them around for more hours,” said Johnson.
To date, Johnson has interviewed over 70 artists, among them being 50 cent, Russell Simmons, Floyd Mayweather, The Game, Keri Hilson and Souljah Boy. He attributes a lot of his success to his soon to be alma mater.
“This wouldn’t be possible without Howard,” said Johnson. “The people I have met here are irreplaceable. There’s no where else I could have done this.”
Johnson has no plans on limiting himself to interviewing. He recently signed a management deal with Creative Minds as a video journalist. He also plans on entering into the movie industry and is currently working on a short film titled “Forever Young,” where he stars as a 1980’s teenager. He also played as an extra military officer in the upcoming movie “State of Play,” starring Ben Affleck and Russell Crow.
Outside of the arts, Johnson has diversified. He is interning with the Washington Mystics, Washington, D.C.’s WNBA team, as an online host. He is not the only one noticing his accomplishments. He has been sponsored by Freshjive, Commonwealth and Orisue, all clothing lines that saw diligence in Johnson.
He is very humbled by his accomplishments and warrants his success to always trying to be the best.
“You have to work harder than your competition,” he said. “Look for who is doing what you do, and work harder than them.”
Johnson’s YouTube page – www.youtube.com/iamjabari -- has 80 posted videos and over 300 subscribers. He is continuing to strive despite the current economy.
“The [United States] is not set up for you to do what you want to do,” Johnson sternly said. “So you have to work hard and go against the grain.”
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