Johnny "J"

Johnny Lee Jackson (August 28, 1969 – October 3, 2008)[1] was a Mexican-American multi-platinum songwriter, music producer and rapper best known for his early career with Death Row Records, and for his work with 2Pac on Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me, as well as 2Pac's posthumously released albums.

He played on the drum line and hit it off with the aspiring rapper Candell "Candyman" Manson; future artists such as Yo-Yo, WC and Sir Jinx, of Da Lench Mob, and F. Gary Gray famed Director also attended Washington Prep around that time, where he played drums in the high school marching band and took music theory classes.

After graduating high school in 1987, Johnny got his big break, producing "Knockin' Boots" for Candyman and his entire album "Ain't No Shame In My Game".

9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1990, pushing Candyman's debut album, Ain't No Shame In My Game, into gold status.

2Pac and Johnny J recorded more than a hundred songs together—11 of them, including "How Do U Want It" and "All About U", ended up on All Eyez on Me; the rest composed the bulk of 2Pac's posthumous work.

[6] Following these recordings Johnny produced "Pour Out a Little Liquor" which appeared on the Above the Rim soundtrack and 2Pac's Thug Life album.

[2] Johnny J recorded and released his debut rap album I Gotta Be Me in 1994, which spawned two singles: "Get Away From Me" and "Dig Um' Out".

[2] The double album was released early next year, and Johnny J produced the chart topping hits "All Bout U", "How Do U Want It" and "Life Goes On".

[11] Prior to Tupac Shakur's death Johnny produced over 150 tracks for the rapper, a great deal of them unreleased.

In mid-2008, Iranian-Canadian rapper Imaan Faith collaborated with Deejay Ra to release Imaan's debut album Let The Truth Be Known on Universal Music Canada, featuring an opening track with Johnny J entitled "Goin 2 Da Top", which was recorded at Johnny's studio in California in mid-2006.

On October 3, 2008, imprisoned at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, California while awaiting trial, Johnny allegedly jumped off an upper tier of the prison in an apparent suicide at about 6:45PM.