Singer Matt U Johnson releases single, 'Pon Fire,' with Snoop Dogg; release party Friday

Matt U Johnson, a reggae and pop singer who hails from El Paso, is pumped about his latest music opportunity.

Johnson, who has performed at the Neon Desert Music Festival and places as far away as London and Canada, is ready to celebrate his latest single, "Pon Fire," which was recorded with Snoop Dogg and Canadian pop sensation Karl Wolf.

The song can be heard on Soundcloud. And El Pasoans can hear Johnson perform his music Friday, Sept. 10, at El Paso Draft House, 5850 N. Mesa St. The show will start at 9 p.m.

Johnson, 29, is originally from New York with Jamaican roots, but moved to El Paso with his family in 2012. His dad was a physician doing his residency in the Borderland.

Johnson got his music start in New York, which led him to music opportunities in England. In 2018, he got the opportunity to perform in Ontario, opening for a popular Canadian, Jazz Cartier.

He moved back to El Paso during the pandemic but was able to continue working on music through technology. And thanks to his international performances and connections, he was able to link up with Snoop Dogg for this project.

"In this music industry right now, it's tough being a newer talent that doesn't have millions of records sold. The only way you can get to that next point is if you can have features with people who are more well known than you," he said.

Though he never got to work in the same studio with Snoop or Wolf, Johnson is excited about their song.

"My producer sent the beat to me and I did all the recording in El Paso," Johnson said of his part. "I wrote the melody and we sent (work) back and forth. That's the blessing of social media and email and studios now because you don't have to be physically together or worrying about artists' time scheduling," he said.

Johnson said the song is dedicated to women and female empowerment but is sure to make people dance.

"It's a positive song," he said, breaking into a lyric: "Keep the vibes up, let me move ya."

Johnson says he's also excited about being from El Paso.

"El Paso is getting more diverse and I want people to know that anything they put their mind to, they can do," he said.

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María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @EPTMaria on Twitter.

Make plans

Who: Matt U Johnson

What: Release party for single "Pon Fire"

When: 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10

Details: Johnson will perform. Live music by DJs Monarchy and Legit Alpha. Also performances by Aideerial Company and Fire Dancers.

Where: El Paso Draft House, 5850 N. Mesa St.