Watching Staff on stage, you see someone cool and smooth with energy, ambition, and charisma. But catch his eye through the shades when the bright lights allow, and you’re pulled into something deeper. You’re captivated by something real—a different world-view. Johnson, a clearly talented writer, rapper and rhythmic master, was born July 14, 1984 in Seoul, Korea and raised in the Midwestern United States. With a Korean mother and a father of Hawaiian and African descent, he had a racially charged childhood growing up in Leavenworth, Kan. This gave him the focus and the heart to win an uphill battle. Watching his dad struggle and raise his family from poverty to the middle class gave him the tools to be aggressive—to match his ambition with discipline and direction. His passion heats up anything from romance to politics. He dissects what’s on an audience’s mind and refurbishes it lyrically. Using his diversity to break down barriers and stereotypes, creating a movement.