Music4Life is an Austin, Texas-based record label run by producer, R.J. Johnson aka DJ RJ. RJ’s mission is to help as many artists as he can to create a great life by living their passion in the music industry.
RJ is a Music Producer who believes in the power of music as a common language that unites us all. RJ loves a deep grooving bassline especially if there is a conscious uplifting message with it – from Reggae to Funk and Soul, from old-school hip-hop to Drum & Bass, and from Latin to African-based International Music.
RJ’s passion for beats and recording started in the 80s after a 30-day stint in the U.S. Navy when he bought a Roland TR-808 and TR-909 and started making hip-hop beats. He bought a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and started having fun making demos with his roommates.
While working in fast food, one of his co-workers was fired and had to sell his drums to pay the rent. RJ took the opportunity and bought those Tama drums for $400 when he was around 20 years old, even though he didn’t know how to play them. Within a year, he was playing in Austin at places like Continental Club, Mercado Caribe, and Liberty Lunch. In 1989, he joined a new reggae group that was forming in Austin called Root 1. RJ was touring all over Texas with them and co-produced and engineered their first 3 albums. All of them were recorded on 2” analog tape with Roots Trade being picked up by a label in Brazil. RJ believed in Root 1’s amazing songs – American reggae with very catchy hooks and deep reggae grooves.
RJ has been recognized for his 35+ years on the air at Austin Community Radio, KAZI 88.7 FM, where he has been responsible for writing and producing 100s of radio spots and interviewing many artists on his programs from Damian Marley, Dennis Brown, Sparrow, Lakeside and more. RJ’s trip to Reggae Sunsplash in 1989 changed his life. That trip inspired him to switch genres on the radio and led to the creation of his bi-weekly program, Reggae Evolution, which has been on the air continuously since then.
From 2005 to 2018, RJ ran Music4Life DJs and Austin Bridal Secrets podcasts and provided entertainment for 100s of couples at their weddings. He closed them both in 2018 to focus on songwriting, recording, and producing music.
RJ believes in the power of education and is a lifelong learner who recently finished up his Degree in Music Performance – Audio Engineering at the end of Covid-19 at Austin Community College.
Links:
Reggaewerx PR LLC 