Who’s Got Next: TEFF6 Comments

If you are a lover of reggae music, you are familiar with its stylistic crossover appeal into such genres as R&B/soul, jazz, and blues. If you are a lover of reggae music, you know how Bob Marley essentially put reggae music on the map proving to be the ultimate crossover reggae artist. Some of today’s hottest reggae stars, Sean Paul, Beenie Man, Sean Kingston, and Elephant Man, are following in Marley’s footsteps while paving their own paths as crossover sensations in their own right. But, who’s got next? Who is the next biggest name in reggae music with star quality and mass crossover appeal? My answer: TEFF.

Born Travis Johnson, 26, TEFF is creating and international buzz on US, Jamaica, and UK airwaves with his modern reggae/hip pop sound. Fusing the sounds of reggae, hip hop, and popular music, TEFF’s vivacious rhymes and conscious lyrics will become infectious to the ears of many music lovers. TEFF is beginning to earn the respect and acknowledgement from his peers, not only for his dynamic delivery but for his lively stage presence.

The Philadelphia-born and bred singer was introduced to music at an early age by his musically gifted Jamaican parents, Noel and Doreen Johnson. TEFF credits his parents who were heavily into Christian music, for exposing him and getting him involved in choirs and music programs at their church. But, reggae music from their native homeland was always being played in TEFF’s presence and he began to develop a true love for it’s music, ultimately choosing to be a part of it.

“It was just the passion, the fun, and it’s just something different. My mom used to take me to work – as soon as I would get out of school, she would pick me up and take me to work with her. And she would always have some Bob Marley tape playing or a country western song playing. So, I used to take both of them and put them together. You got the country music that would tell short stories and the reggae music would tell fun stories. So, I just put them together and just started doing the reggae really. I love reggae because reggae is so dominate and everything is such a competition with that kind of music so I just got into that. I used to come in from elementary school and act like I was a video DJ and record myself. I would try to mix music with beats and cassettes and do crazy stuff (with it).”

As his parents divorced when he was only 11, TEFF used his music as an outlet to express himself. He found solace in the country music his mother played in their home during this difficult time. And to ease the pain of his parent’s divorce, TEFF began composing his own music. But, it wasn’t long before his friends and schoolmates began taking notice of TEFF’s undeniable, innate talents. Not formally trained, it was his friends who urged TEFF to take his music more seriously.

“It’s actually natural. Everybody was telling me to write. But, way deep down I always felt like the most creative part always comes from the top of your head. Why try to filter it out and take time and actually premeditate whatever it is your trying to say? I might as well just say it from the top of my head. So, that’s where it came from. Everybody was just like ‘write, write, write.’ And when we used to go to parties – it was all in fun – but we always had a little crew and our other friends had their little crew and somewhere at the end of the party we would start battling against each other. It was a whole lot of fun, but that’s where it started because I would really get it in. I used to go to school and write like one little verse that could kill ‘em at the end of the weekend or something because I knew that was going to pop off. So, it was little stuff like that that really got me into it. My best friend, he was coming out with his album and like two weeks before his album dropped, he got killed. He used to write for Jay-Z, and he got a couple tracks from Puff, he did Foxy Brown’s album, he was getting it in! He was only 23 when he passed, that was in 2000 and I was in the 10th grade. And he used to always call me TEFF so everything kind of stems from different little parts and now I’m here singing. (chuckles)”

It wasn’t until 2005, when TEFF officially started performing. His first time stepping on stage was at the Richie Spice show. He describes his first time as “just a crazy experience.”

“…My DJ that’s here in the city, he was like ‘Yo TEFF, grab the mic and go as soon as I tell you to get up.’ And I went up on stage and killed it. And that was pretty much it. I really didn’t have a set track or set plan or anything I just did it. And after that he said ‘I told you, man, you were hot!’ Because people were going crazy like, ‘who this young boy?!’ (laughs) I went up there and I just ripped it! And everybody kept asking, ‘where did he come from?’ (laughs)”

A chance meeting that night with a rapper who recognized TEFF’s abilities invited him to record a week later. Arriving to the studio with no notebooks or papers, TEFF laid the track without any pre-written rhymes much to the amazement of others in the studio. TEFF recorded his first song in January 2005, and really began taking his passion for music even more seriously.

Not one to sing about what the industry deems ‘hot’ or ‘of-the-moment,’ TEFF rises above the “shining and swag” by composing songs that are more socially-conscious appealing to a broader audience. TEFF is beginning to get recognition worldwide, even in Jamaica where American reggae artists aren’t readily received.

“…When I go there, I go there with my game face on no matter what because dancehall is very competitive. (In Jamaica) when you come out with a Jamaican accent, the competition is automatically on. They expect you – if you are American to come up there and rap or do some R&B – but if not, and you’re talking like them be prepared. That’s why you always keep a little gangsta check in your corner, because somebody will step up on stage and try to violate. But all in all, it’s extra fun and I love it because I always get to show every single side of me. I go up there and do all the versatile tracks but there will always be one person that steps up and will get ‘murder’ as soon as they come at me. That’s the part I never really get to show, when I’m up here (America) I don’t do all the gutter songs and hood checks. No matter what when I’m in Jamaica I get to do every single thing so that’s the best part about it. Because when you go to Jamaica you have to do it like them, so I do as much as I can to show them that music is changing and I’m here to change it.”

And TEFF is on that path. His first mixtape “Straight Off the Top” has been well-received by both Americans and Jamaicans alike. Even in the UK, the reception has been great. The creative, new sound that TEFF is bringing us in his forthcoming album “Youngest Veteran” is undefined. He is not just a reggae/dancehall artist, so don’t expect to hear a signature style from TEFF because he’s not one to be boxed in.

“I tell the public, ‘don’t expect.’ Because when you expect something it’s going to be totally different. Everything I do is just different. I don’t — even if I’m doing a hardcore dancehall record, it’s going to be something totally different than what you usually hear. So as far as what (the public) should expect of the music, don’t expect. Just expect everything good to come.”

TEFF is not about making empty promises. Fans are already calling TEFF, “the next best thing since Drake.” His album will be released later this year and he is currently working on another mixtape that will sound much differently from his first one. TEFF debuted his latest single, the melodic “So Many,” on 100.3 The Beat in Philly and agreed to provide the official introductory theme song for the station’s newest Home Jamz segment. TEFF will also appear in an upcoming reality show that was taped this past November in Los Angeles, as well as starring in his own online television show on YouTube.

TEFF is the future of what music needs: a rising multi-talented star whose style, flow, and personality is multifaceted and completely original. TEFF will bring something new and fresh to reggae music that hasn’t been done before. He is ready to change the way people listen to music today, much in the way Bob Marley and Michael Jackson did. It’s a tall order but TEFF says it best:

“I make music that inspires people to enjoy life, not to stress about what they do not have in life or to go out and take someone else’s…Music is life. It’s the voice of the world…to listen, learn and enjoy for years to come.”

To learn more about TEFF and his music, visit TEFF’s MySpace Page. And don’t forget to view TEFFtv, subscribe, and leave a comment.


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