The Boneface

When most people think of Pensacola, Florida they think of turquoise blue water and white sand beaches the perfect vacation destination for any family. Conversely, there’s a darker side to this gulf coast community that most people don’t get to see one filled with drugs and violence. This is the Pensacola that bred Anwon “The Boneface” Johnson.Born Nov. 7, 1982, The Boneface grew up in Pensacola’s infamous Escambia Arms Projects, aka 3/2 or EA, with the rest of his mother’s 10 children. In spite of his tough-as-nails upbringing, the Pensacola youngster feels his baptism by fire at an early age helped him build inner-character that would help him traverse many hurdles later on. “We were packed in the house like sardines. We had an oven for a heater. My moms and pops ran the streets,” he recalls. “We basically raised ourselves. It felt like it just made us stronger.”The Boneface’s never-give-up mentality allowed him to become the first of his siblings to actually graduate high school within four years. It also helped him earn a basketball scholarship to a small school in Selma, Alabama. Even though he was going to Alabama to play ball, The Boneface continued a cultivating a childhood hobby that made him a neighborhood celebrity.“I’ve been rapping since middle school,” he states. “My brothers Dynamite D and Teddy Wheet were in a group called the PG’s. They were my influence for even knowing what rap was. I wasn’t a Pac fan. I wasn’t a B.I.G. fan. They were all I listened to.”In 2004, after dropping out of college due to financial reasons, The Boneface got the call that would change his life forever. “I don’t know how (Roy Jones) knew I rapped. I had little shit floating around in the streets and some shit floating around with my brother Dynamite, who was signed to Body Head at the time,” Boneface states. “Roy called and asked me if I wanted to go to the Source Awards. I said, ‘Hell yeah!’ I felt like it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Roy called a meeting, introduced me to everybody and asked if I wanted to be part of the family. With my brother being a part of it and it being a great opportunity I said yeah.”What should’ve been the greatest time of his life turned quickly turned into his worst when federal agents arrested The Boneface for drug trafficking not too long after he signed his contract. Luckily, the judge saw his potential and only gave him three years probation, which the father of one admits taught him a valuable lesson. “I learned taking shortcuts slows you down in the end,” he says. “The wrong way ain’t never the right way. Easy money comes with a lot of hard time.”Focused and even hungrier than before, The Boneface feels his debut album "The Best Kept Secret" will take the Body Head dynasty to the next level. He promises edgy body-movers like “Step In The Club” will start riots at the local watering holes with heavy bass lines and his dark, melodic chant. When it comes to the track Trap Star, featuring BME’s first lady Chyna Whyte and DSGB general Pastor Troy, The Bonfeace passionately states, “It’s a hustler’s anthem that the streets will feel and let them know that what I’m spitting is all the way real.” Finally, “Still Leanin’” is The Boneface’s response to Juvenile’s hit “Way I Be Leanin,’” which was originally a track meant for The Boneface’s debut. Simply put, he says, “I’m coming even harder on this track. It’s as good, if not better than the original. Nothin personal against Juve, I just had to bounce back. I’m from the streets and that’s how the streets operate.”With an unstoppable grind, lethal rhymes and an arsenal of hits, The Boneface’s debut will prove once and for all that Pensacola is more than just sunny beaches and world-class athletes.