Meet Ron Johnson Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron Johnson Jr.

Ron, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am an Actor/Writer/Producer (Stage, TV, Film, Voice), Rapper/ Classically Trained musician, Music Producer Originally from Silicon Valley (Salinas, Gilroy, San Jose, CA) I have been Performing Hip-hop under the alias “PHILASIFER” for 20 Years.

To get the familial stuff out of the way, I am the Cousin of Cheryl “Salt” James from the Legendary Female Hip-hop Group “SALT N PEPA”. I have been married to my wife for 15 years and I have two sons. We have a family home in San Juan Bautista, CA. (Where they shot the final scenes of Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”) And a Home in Sherman Oaks, Ca. from which I do all of my entertainment business including freelance film editing and occasionally some light special effects.

I started making music and performing professionally at 11 years old. I was featured in Billboard magazine in the “Broadband Talent” Internet music column for Hip-hop in 2001 when I was 18. Did my first LA performance with a live band at the Roxy in 2003. After a couple of interactions with record companies that didn’t go so well, I released my first Independently produced Ep “Demo” in 2004 when I was in Acting Conservatory at MCTC in San Diego. From the interest generated in that project, I signed with Sonic Wave international Records (SONY/BMG) in 2007 and released “Emceeing is Believing” in 2008. Signed with JMD Records/ In Grooves/ Universal Music Group in 2010 and released “A Proper Introduction”.

With the music finally in a good place, I founded my Production company Estronemicas D.M.R. and began work in the Arts Education field Working with Youth Alliance in Hollister, Ca. , The World Famous El Teatro Campesino’s Migrant Children education program, and Building a Theater Arts Program for Stage and Camera Acting in the Summit Charter Public High School System in Silicon Valley, which produced some California Arts Scholar Alumni and young professional performers directly from my classes. All the while doing professional Musical Theater (Cabrillo Stage, Los Altos Stage, El Teatro Campesino) and going back and forth to LA trying to make it as an Actor (which my manager hated)

Deciding to commit completely to an LA Career, I got my SAG Card in 2017 (STAGE NAME RJ WAYNE) and got a place in Sherman Oaks, CA to permanently plant my feet in the ground and solidify myself in LA. Since I’ve been here, I have had 7 Professional Film/ TV Credits (Mostly Voice) Released a Mixtape with the Amazing Producer Otis McDonald, joined The Towne Street Theater Company in Hollywood, Ca. for which I have 1 Director /Producer Credit and several Performance Credits.

One of those Credits came in 2019, when along with my wife I wrote “The MilkCrate Monologues” Play for Towne Street which is adapted from my Book Of Hiphop Monologues for Theater of the same name (Being Published Shortly)

We debuted it at the Stella Adler Theater to an overwhelming Response! Until COVID, the future was looking pretty good for my performance career, Now I have an Instagram (@PHILASOCIAL), a Twitch Channel Officially starting in August (www.twitch.tv/ellsworthj) and I am releasing a Cast album for milkcrate as well as a New Studio Album in the fall. The First Single will be named “STAR”.

My entire discography is available on all Major Streaming Platforms under the name PHILASIFER and I am starting a new group named “ELLSWORTH” which will be releasing music shortly.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely NOT a smooth one. and I would have it no other way. As a young artist, I was constantly bombarded with scams, schemes, and ill-intentioned companies and people of all kinds before I even made a name for myself. Back then, the Internet music scene was the wild west, so you could get taken advantage of pretty quickly. Luckily I had a few people in my corner that protected me from all the serious stuff. My first manager John “PACMAN” Pascal was instrumental in that. Shout out to him.

Aside from that, the biggest hurdle I have always faced is mainly with music. People seem to appreciate my abilities but do not believe that the positive and conscientious content that I put in my raps and concepts will sell. I have had to prove it largely on my own at times. But it’s nice when I hear from my Highschool friends back home that they heard my song on a jukebox at a pool hall or inside a shoe store. That makes me smile. The exposure I get on my own, however slow, feels so much better than something that’s inherently commercialized.

As for Acting, I have received nothing but positive vibes and being welcomed in this community. Ever since I set foot out here, people have treated me like I belonged here all along. I have yet to be in a space with other artists in LA where I didn’t have a positive experience. We stick together out here.

Where I’m from, even though it’s technology-driven, it’s still very much traditional thinking. You say you want to be an artist and people look at you crazy. They think that if you’re not an engineer or a doctor, you won’t make any money. Then they sit down and binge-watch game of thrones. (The Irony) I feel like LA was always the place for me. Just took me a while to get here.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
What I pride myself in is authenticity. In my creative direction, in my partnerships and in the performances and content I create. I want people to know that when they get something from me, it’s going to have genuine detail that will stand the test of time.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have had lots of luck. But I spell Luck differently than most people. I spell it with W-O-R-K.

Jokes aside, I had to start from zero in this with little to no advantage. So I can honestly say that without the people that I have met that took chances on me and gave me opportunity and support, I would not even be close to where I’m at in this moment. SO I am definitely lucky to have found them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ELtvWuujOjziDkkl8v5B2
• Instagram: @philasocial
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/philasifer
• Twitter: @philasifer , @TheHiphopGamer
• Other: www.twitch.tv/ellsworthj, www.Imdb.me/RJW

Image Credit:
Photos by Jana Marcus , Brett Richards, Estronemicas D.M.R , India Raven Wood, Kasa Ganesh

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