King Shadrock: The Beginnings of an Empire
Howard Johnson, aka ‘King Shadrock’
The story of Howard Johnson, crowned ‘King Shadrock’ after a performance in South Africa left the audience in awe of his talent, is a tale that provides insight into the strife and triumphs of being an artist and a small business owner trying to navigate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Canada where Black business have traditionally struggled to get off the ground. Fortunate enough to have endured through the pandemic as a stage performer and chef, his story is a testament to the power of his creative strategic thinking and epitomizes the essence of entrepreneurship driven by passion, resilience, and the unwavering pursuit of a lasting legacy.
Howard was born in Jamaica and later migrated to Canada at the age of 19. He spent ten years in Toronto before choosing to settle in Montreal, a city known for its artistic flair. During his time in Quebec, Howard has achieved many things including being the first man to have earned the title of La Mère l'Oie (Mother Goose) in Quebec and creating his own intervention program titled Papa-en-Action, aimed at helping immigrant fathers adjust to raising their children in Canada. His intervention work shows his strong sense of community, which has also bled into his ventures as an artist and an entrepreneurial chef.
Howard shared that his passion for music began in the church, nurtured by his grandmother and aunts, and that a chance encounter with another student during his high school years led him to begin performing and embracing his undeniable talent. He was signed to a label for a short time but 15 years ago chose to strike out on his own as an independent artist.
The Price of Staying True to One’s Art
In a landscape where 95.6% of unincorporated businesses owned by Black entrepreneurs have fewer than one employee, the responsibilities of both artist and business owner fall squarely on their shoulders. As a struggling entrepreneur, the quest to stay true to one's art becomes a balancing act that often challenges the artistic integrity of an entrepreneur or the endurance of an artist who must also juggle many hats as a business owner. When forced to confront the challenge of paying everyday bills, many artists must choose between the art that they love or the capacity to make ends meet.
For Howard Johnson, navigating this intricate dance of creative expression and entrepreneurship has been no easy feat. He notes that he could gain more notoriety by singing more provocative lyrics but would rather make a positive impact with his art. “I'm aware that the music has potential. So, what I need to do is to make sure I keep it clean… I believe in longevity, and I believe that if I keep my music roots and culture, everything is in cycle and it's gonna come back around. So, I figured that if I can go work somewhere else and try to pay my bills and don't depend on music only to pay my bills, I can really stay straight to what I believe in and keep the music cultural.”
For English speaking artists in Quebec, the language barrier poses a significant challenge in accessing funding and resources. Howard experienced firsthand the impact of not speaking French when he tried to apply for a grant. To his disappointment, he was redirected to Ontario, only to be told to go back to Quebec since it was his place of residence. This frustrating predicament highlights the complexities that language differences can create for artists seeking support in a predominantly French-speaking province. However, Johnson's journey also serves as a source of inspiration, as he refused to let the language barrier hinder his growth. He has been learning French himself, recognizing that fluency in the language was vital to navigating the Quebec artistic landscape.
Although he was not able to secure financing from either of the provincial governments, to fuel his passion for music and sustain his artistic pursuits, Johnson made a strategic shift and ventured into the culinary world. It was during his intervention work with families where his talent in the culinary arts was recognized and he began selling marinated jerk chicken to working mothers who are looking for something quick and tasty to prepare for dinner but don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen. His culinary business grew to the point where he rented out a space in the Jamaica Association kitchen and gained business from catering for nonprofits. Unfortunately, like many small restaurant businesses, he had to close his kitchen due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic. And while his kitchen has not recovered from the blow, it has taught him a valuable lesson about the importance of developing a business that can quickly adjust to unforeseen challenges. Howard now seeks to open a store front with a walk-up window where patrons can collect their food and leave. With a lean business model like this, Howard believes that it would have been much easier to navigate difficulties in the event of a devastating economic downturn, like a pandemic. For now, Howard makes ends meet by selling his signature hot sauce, a fusion of Jamaican and Creole flavors imbued with the unique spices of Africa, appearing as a guest chef at select events, and booking at least one show per week as a performing artist.
While Howard has managed to overcome the hurdle of financing his artistic pursuits, a feat many other artists aren’t as fortunate to accomplish, other challenges still get in the way of making music the way he would like. As a performer, he needs a band to back him, but he struggles to find Black musicians he can work with consistently. Additionally, he notes that when he works with other musicians, they lack investment in the future of the band, leading to only partnering for a short time. He reasons that the shortage of Black, trained musicians is due to the fact that many Black families may not have the money to send their kids to school to study music. As such, he’s suggesting that the Black community develop an artistic summer camp where musicians such as himself can volunteer to teach children how to play instruments.
For now, Howard has been strategizing and coming up with creative ways of solving his issues with not having a band to back him. He has joined forces with DJ Honeydrip, a DJ on the techno scene, to create a new genre of music by fusing techno and reggae music. They’ve dubbed this genre ‘psycho-tropical’. Through this unique collaboration, Howard is reaching new audiences and sharing the creative burdens, leading to reduced costs and amplified outreach. Emphasizing the importance of mutual growth, Howard notes that, “You have to be able to be flexible. You know, you have to be less judgmental. You have to realize that when you're making a project and you ask other people to be part of the project, it no longer just your project. You have to allow yourself to help people, to help you grow.”
A Vision for the future
Howard dreams of having his marinated chicken in supermarkets across the country and his sauce on shelves across Canada, but he notes that he lacks the business acumen to scale a business to that size. Up until now, without proper training, he has been using a process of trial and error to figure things out. Bemoaning the plight of many Black artists and entrepreneurs, Howards notes that, “…A lot of us, we are entrepreneurs, but we're not businessmen, you understand… I think we have talent, we just need proper management skills.”
In pursuit of success as both a Black artist and an entrepreneur, resilience is a necessary trait for navigating the challenging path of creativity and commerce. Howard Johnson, a.k.a King Shadrock’s journey exemplifies the spirit of determination required to thrive in the ever-evolving world of showbiz. With an unyielding belief in his craft, Johnson understands that setbacks are inevitable, regardless of past triumphs. As he aptly puts, "It can fail again, no matter how big you are. Or how much this last show was successful. The next show you can just flop, and it's nothing personal." Embracing this reality, Johnson recognizes that persevering in showbiz and entrepreneurship demands resilience and an ability to not take setbacks personally. For him, personal success transcends mere accolades; it is the profound impact his voice wields and the transformative changes he brings about that define success. He shares, "Success to me means when I can open my voice and make a change—make a living change that I can see with my two eyes. That's success."
Currently, the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) is conducting research into the lived experiences of entrepreneurs. Under an intersectional lens, the national quantitative research study will begin to uncover common pain points amongst Black entrepreneurs while also identifying the nuances between Black communities.