Marcus Johnson

Marcus Johnson, also known as MJ, is a jazz enthusiast who released 15 studio albums in 10 years, a lawyer, an MBA, an entrepreneur, an NAACP Image Award Nominated Billboard Recording Artist, and director of For the Love Of Brands, a company that houses both a music and a wine label He is the CEO/President of Marimelj Entertainment Group, Three Keys Music, and Three Keys Publishing. He is also the CEO/Founder of both FLO Brands, LLC, and FLO Wines, LLC.

Early life
Marcus Johnson was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Washington, D.C. with his family when he was 12. He currently lives in Maryland and grew up listening to a wide variety of music but found his calling in jazz, where he incorporates the rhythms of rap with R&B. His interest in jazz first showed itself when he began “tinkling the keys at age 13 (his step-father won Maryland's "Pick-3 Lottery" and used the winnings to buy Johnson's first keyboard) and he found himself studying both traditional and contemporary jazz musicians (Joe Sample and Thelonious Monk are two names he frequently cites)”

Career
Johnson showed the talent and motivation for entrepreneurship very early in life. When he was ten, he established a neighborhood lawn care service. As a teenager, he started an auto-detailing company Johnson earned his B.A. in Music at Howard University. He then went on to study at Georgetown University, earning both his MBA and Juris Doctorate.

Jazz Musician
While studying at Georgetown University, Johnson independently released his first jazz album, Lessons in Love, which sold more than 40,000 units. In 1997, he released his second jazz album, Inter Alia. These two independent CDs topped the best-seller charts at Tower Records stores in the Washington, D.C. area. His growing reputation attracted the attention of N2K Encoded Music, now known as N-Coded Music, which signed him and released Chocolate City Groovin’.

Marimelj Entertainment Group, Inc.
Johnson also established his own firm while studying at Georgetown: Marimelj Entertainment Group, Inc., a production company and music publisher that prides itself on blending a mixture of contemporary jazz, alternative, and R&B to create what the company calls “the Urban Groove.” Johnson’s success with his albums caught the attention of Black Entertainment Television (BET) founder and businessman Robert L. Johnson, who invested in Marimelj. Under their partnership, Marimelj’s label, Three Keys Music, established its own full service recording studio, Studio 8121; and two music publishing companies, Marimelj Music Publishing and Three Keys Music Publishing

Three Keys
Three Keys is an independent music publishing company Johnson created. It started out as a local label but has grown into a national phenomenon that ranks 10th on the Radio and Records smooth jazz chart for radio market share.

2005 - Present: FLOBrands
In 2005, Johnson decided to differentiate himself in the music business by focusing more on therapy, with the goal in mind to "make your morning a little better, make your drive to work a little better, cooking dinner, after dinner, late night — make it a little bit better.” This new self-definition led to the creation of Flo, “For the Love of” Flo is a lifestyle company that focuses on improving your life, with products that include FLO CD series, FLO Wine, FLO Fest and more.

FLO Wine
FLO wine currently sells two types of wine: a Chardonnay and a Red Blend. The wine is bottled in northern California at the Delicato Family Vineyards. FLO wine is currently being sold in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia. FLO wine is a shared partnership of Marcus Johnson, who is the CEO, Robert Piziali, the Chief Marketing Officer, and Sean Johnson, the CFO. The philosophy at FLO wine is: “To create wines that are an exceptional value for our consumers and that appeal to a wide audience”.

Discography

 * Lessons in Love (1997)
 * Inter Alia (1997, Re-released in 2000)
 * Chocolate City Groovin' (1998)
 * Inter Alia (2000)
 * Urban Groove (2000)
 * Comin' Back Around (2001)
 * Just Doing What I Do (2004)
 * Smooth Jazz Christmas (2005)
 * Phoenix (2007)
 * In Concert for a Cause (2008)
 * Flo: Chill (2008)
 * Flo: Romance (2008)
 * Flo: Standards (2008)
 * Poetically Justified (2009)
 * This Is How I Rock (2010)
 * Flo Chill, Vol. 2: Juris (2010)
 * Flo (For The Love Of) Holiday (2011)

Awards, Nominations, and Appearances

 * NAACP Image Award Nominee “Poetically Justified”
 * Billboard Contemporary Jazz Artist Top 20
 * Professor/Speaker: Harvard, Georgetown, Howard, MTSU and Bowie State University
 * Speaker Harvard University Law School: Recording Artists Projects, Contracts, Entrepreneurship and Protecting Your Rights
 * Speaker BMI: Copyright and Publishing Rights in the new Millenium
 * Speaker, World Copyright Summit: Intellectual Property Rights (Representing BMI)
 * Speaker, Miami Music Conference: The Business of Jazz
 * Panelist for Microsoft Corporation: Build Your Business
 * Speaker, GMAC: “The Importance of Intellectual Property and Protecting Your Work Product
 * Panelist, Howard University School of Law: Center Court Panel on Entertainment Law and Intellectual  Property
 * Speaker, Georgetown University Law Center
 * Ambassador: BMI Intellectual Property;
 * Panelist: MIDEM Music Convention, France
 * Award Recipient: U.S. Small Business Administration: Young Entrepreneur of the Year
 * Community Leader: YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, Red Cross Holiday Cards for Heroes, MJ Music Camp, and Hear Our Voices Anti-Bullying Campaign, American Cancer Society, Rachel’s Women’s Center, National Center for Children and Families; Capital Youth Empowerment Program; Manassas Wine & Jazz Festival, Obama Victory Fund, Elmira University “Bullying” Program, Elmira, NY, Mentoring to Manhood Recipient of “Men Who Make A Difference” Award.
 * Speaker/Leader: Music Business Seminars at Studio 8121 Silver Spring, MD