James G. Johnson II

James G Johnson II is an American Publisher, Journalist, and Entrepreneur from Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to his work in Journalism and Publishing, he has also devoted time in his career to both radio and television. * Early Life James was born on August 5, 1977 in Cleveland, Ohio. Attending East Cleveland schools, James graduated from Shaw High School in 1995. * Media & Publishing James first stepped into the world of entertainment via Radio One. He worked as a Promotions Assistant for Radio One Cleveland up until the time he transitioned into television. He worked as a Production Assistant for WKYC TV-3, the Cleveland, Ohio affiliate of NBC. James launched Urban Connectionz Online in March 2003. The blog, which initially started as a fan page for local group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, became a popular source for entertainment news and exclusive interviews. In 2013, the company was re-branded as Urban Grandstand Digital. In May 2014, James transitioned from blogging to publishing a full-scale digital magazine. Building a small effective team, Urban Grandstand Digital has covered some of the industry's biggest events, including the BET Awards. In 2015, James expanded the Urban Grandstand Digital [UGD] brand, launching J-Rock Management and Publicity. Through J-Rock, he began managing the careers of multiple artists, while also offering publicity services to various clients. * Healthcare In addition to James' work in the media and publishing worlds, he has also worked the past 15 years in the health-care field. In his time in health-care, James has managed multiple health-care facilities, and has consistently managed staff ranging from 30-50 employees. * Radio After being offered a chance opportunity, James launched UGD Live in 2014, broadcasting briefly on-air via Voice It Radio in Cleveland, Ohio. In November 2015, he officially moved the UGD Live brand to Source Radio Network, continuing his weekly broadcast. He also began hosting Indie Soul Saturdays in July 2015, an additional weekly broadcast geared at promoting up and coming talent and artists. In July 2016, James launched a third brand in radio, titled Citywatch. Broadcast in Cleveland, Ohio via Urban City Radio Station, the show focuses on promoting the hottest things happening in the city of Cleveland, as well as local artists and celebrities traveling through the city. James is working to extend his brand, yet again, this time with the addition of Scribe's Block and Mixtape Gateway. Once completely launched, Scribe's Block will serve as a network of communicators, journalists (both aspiring and established), and writers designed to help each other succeed in this industry. Too often, those looking to venture into this business and line of work, and those who are slowly becoming a part of this world, struggle to find adequate experience due to a lack of prior work. Together, we will be a community that will work to usher more in and assist each other in gaining work and experience. Mix-tape Gateway will serve as an online distribution hub for Hip-Hop & R&B artists looking for an avenue to release their independent mix-tape projects. Organizations: * National Association of Black Journalists: 2012 - Present * Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists: 2016 - Present * Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival: 2016