Woodbridge friends find success in hip-hop

Shawn Johnson and Brandon Delaney are more than just longtime friends and Woodbridge High School graduates. They're also musical collaborators who seem to be on the verge of some serious success.

Delaney, who raps under the name B. Delaney, has gotten more than 280,000 hits on his Myspace.com page since starting it in January ("Which is crazy," Johnson said).

Delaney said his second mix tape "The Kickoff Vol. 2," releases Aug. 7 as a 17-track free download on his Myspace.com page. Johnson, a singer, contributes to one of the tracks, "Stand Up," a song about representing Virginia, Maryland and the District.

Delaney also has a deal with Contenocity, an online digital entertainment content distribution company.

"It's doing pretty good," Delaney said. "[We're] not full-time yet, but we're going to get there."

He said he will also appear on television sometime this winter, but for legal reasons cannot say which network he'll be featured on.

C'mon… BET? MTV?

"You can't get it out of me," Delaney said, smiling. "The papers are signed."

He'll be shooting in Los Angeles in December or November.

"He's got that special 'it' factor to him," Johnson said. "I honestly think he can be one of the greatest, truthfully, and that's from a fan standpoint and as a friend."

Since graduating from Woodbridge in 2007, Delaney and Johnson are pursuing music full-time. But it wasn't always easy for Delaney, who can be a bit shy.

"I was a little nervous about rapping at first," Delaney said.

He was worried about how people would respond, but his brother, Alfred Delaney (who raps under the name Marv) heard him rapping in his bedroom.

"He told me 'You have skills, you need to take it serious,'" Delaney said.

Venturus Fuller, 27, owner of Freestyle Studios in Dale City has known

Delaney and Johnson for more than three years and has produced some of their music.

"Brandon's an excellent rapper, Shawn's an excellent singer," Fuller said. "They're a perfect duo. It's a rare dynamic that they bring to each other."

Delaney said Johnson is constantly putting him on the spot and pushing him to become a better rapper.

"He keeps me focused," Delaney said. "He'll tell the truth."

"We never clash and if we do, it's always for a good outcome," Johnson said.

Delaney lists Jay-Z ("I like his evolution"), Busta Rhymes ("He's very animated") and Andre 3000 ("He just stands out") as his biggest influences.

Although his music reflects his experiences, Delaney keeps his lyrics obtuse enough, to make it accessible.

"I don't want to send a direct message out so others can relate to it," Delaney said.

He sings about the usual stuff -- high school, girls, but also lessons learned from growing up in a household of 16 relatives -- stay in school, avoid early pregnancies.

"We learned from their mistakes," Delaney said. He now lives in a smaller household, with his parents and brother.

Johnson grew up in Southeast D.C. He said his passion for music kept him away from the pres-sures of drugs and violence on the streets. He moved to Woodbridge with his family in sixth grade.

Johnson is more of a singer, counting Michael Jackson, James Brown and Stevie Wonder as his influences. He also said he's on a local independent label and plans on releasing a mix tape in August, followed by an as-yet-unannounced album.

"Do what you love and love what you do," Johnson said. "If you don't know me, you will get to know me."

Staff writer Josh Eiserike can be reached at 703-878-8072.