DJ Mark-1::DJ/Producer

Mark 1 (nee Markus Johnson) got his start at 13 deejaying house parties and school dances across his home state of North Carolina. Playing the tuba in his high school marching band, led to a scholarship to Fayetteville State University. After college came more gigs behind the wheels of steel, spinning for the innovative group, Black Where We Started From, as well as a stint as the in-house DJ for Raleigh-based New York South Productions. After the breakup of Black Where We Started From, Mark 1 hooked up with that group’s talented producer, Erik Rico, and the two developed a cult following performing up and down the East Coast as “The Soul Brothers.”

Along the way, they opened for ‘90s powerhouses like SWV, Xscape, Craig Mack and Aaliyah. The group then changed their name to Audiophonic and moved to Los Angeles. Rico and Mark 1 eventually went their separate ways -- due to the outside demand for Rico’s production skills -- but Mark 1 was far from empty-handed. “I went back to my first love of DJing parties and clubs,” he says. “[But] I purchased an MPC2000XL and started making beats and applying some of the techniques that I had learned from watching Erik.” For the past couple years, Mark 1 spent most of his time making beats and waiting for the opportunity to showcase his skills. His chance is just around the corner. Mark 1 adds, “I’m just a lover of good quality music, no matter what the genre. And I’m just trying to follow in the footsteps of some of the great beat makers/producers & dj's that came before me.”

Live Performances:

Hip-Hop Cafe/Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill - Hollywood, CA
Royale on Wilshire - Los Angeles, CA
Eklectic Lounge @ The Palmer Room - Los Angeles, CA
The Underground Movement - San Marcos, CA
Nu Roots ’08 - Norwalk, CA
Minx - Glendale, CA
Duck my Sick @ The Airliner - Los Angeles, CA
The Unknown Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Static Lounge - San Diego, CA
Crash Mansion - Los Angeles, CA
The Continental Room - Fullerton, CA
Temple Bar - Santa Monica, CA
UC Santa Barbara Noontime Concert - Santa Barbara, CA
UC Riverside - Riverside, CA
Herbs Hideout - Denver, CO
Hip Hop Cafe @ The Dragon Fly - Los Angeles, CA
Whisky A Go Go - Los Angeles, CA
Pitzer College - Claremont, CA
Mal’s Bar - Los Angeles, CA
The Bungalow Club - Los Angeles, CA
Hip Hop Cafe @ The Hollywood Canteen - Los Angeles, CA
Fresno City College - Fresno, CA
Electric Ladyland Festival - Salt Lake, Utah
The Hotel Bar & Night Club - Salt Lake, Utah
Supper Club in Venice, CA
The Power Company - Raleigh, NC
Five Star - Raleigh, NC
Barry's - Raleigh, NC
The Attic - Myrtle Beach, SC
UNC - Chapel Hill, NC

Major Release Mixtapes:

Dasha Back 2 the Future Mixtape
HipNott Records 2010 Takeover Mixtape