Contents
1 Family History
2 The Beginning
3 Member of YGB
4 Solo Artist and Businessman
Family History
John Paul Dunn, named after the Great John Dunn of Mangethe, Zululand is a musician who has lived in Mariannridge all his life. John Dunn is the son of the late Mary Anne Pacifica Dunn and the late Mark George Smith. John is a thirty year old Christian man. He has three younger brothers, Charles (24), Sebastian (19), and Lindsay (17). He is married to Wendy, has a five year old daughter named Jeriah. Music is an inherent part of John’s life. His mother, Mary Anne was a very good singer and his uncle, Sylvester (Siga) is the owner of the band called Afrotude. His father and grandfather, George Smith were also musicians. In 1989, ten year John Dunn and his friend Nicholas Van Skalkwyk started a dance group named Storm DC. His passion for music grew when Ricky Van Skalkwyk, a disc jockey introduced John to it.
The Beginning
As a teenager John then got into petty gangsterism and joined a gang called ABC. He then started smoking weed and carrying weapons. Mariannridge Secondary School which he attended sent him to NICRO which is a program that helps delinquent children to correct their behaviour. John then left school in grade 11 and focused on writing music. This young musician grew up in a home with no electricity. He was so passionate and driven to write music that he would listen to the music playing from his upstairs neighbours and write his beats. The first track he wrote was titled “Ghetto” which spoke about his experience of growing up in the “G”
Member of YGB
John later joined his friends and formed a hip hop group called PJC which later changed its name to YGB (Young Gifted and Black) of which he is still an active member.
Solo Artist and Businessman
In 2007 he recorded a song titled “My thank you song”. After he presented the song to his family and friends, a neighbour, the late Sister Portia blessed him with a R50 because she wanted to encourage him. In 2008 he wrote “My contribution to the world cup” to celebrate South Africa winning the bid to host the Fifa World Cup. John is currently establishing his own record label called DunnDidIt Entertainment, www.John.Paul@Live.co.za which he runs from his home. He has recently recorded a track which is a tribute to his mother titled “Your Name”.
John says, “I want to be a businessman. To be a good husband to my wife, father to my kids, big brother to my little brothers and a light that shines so that others can see that God is good.”
By: Beverley Webster