PC Profile: Chris Johnson OPC '17

An interest in both music and Chinese culture led Chris Johnson OPC ’17 from PC to NYU Shanghai. Close to a decade later, he remains in the Far East as a budding local hip-hop artist, music marketer and promoter. 

Christopher Johnson enrolled at Penn Charter in kindergarten, and one of his first cogent thoughts was that this place seemed to have something for everyone. If something did not exist at PC, Johnson noted the encouragement teachers gave students to start something themselves. So, he founded a traveling chess club in Middle School that continued into Johnson’s Upper School years. 

“I had been interested in chess since I was very young,” he said, “and the school was willing to invest in the project and see my vision through. It was a dream experience because it fostered a community that is instrumental in developing students into the person they want to be.” 

Johnson took complete advantage of the student experience at PC as a member of the wrestling team who also played the tuba and performed original music in school showcases with his band, Lethal Mobb. 

Johnson’s most impactful interest at Penn Charter, however, was learning Mandarin Chinese. In seventh grade, he chose to study Mandarin, which PC had added as a fourth language the year before, in 2010. He quickly became fascinated with how influenced the Chinese were by their own history, customs and cultural traditions. 

He traveled twice to China with teachers and fellow students from PC: In ninth grade, he visited Yaohua, Penn Charter’s sister school in Tianjin, and directly interfaced with Chinese students; and in 11th grade, he went to Chongqing No. 1 International Studies School. Johnson also hosted visiting students from Yaohua during his time at PC. 

Johnson holds PC's Mandarin teachers in high regard; Cory Moy continues to teach at PC, and La Sripanwongsa, who left for a time, chose to return this year. “They did a great job fostering a sense of growth,” he said. “They impressed upon me the fundamentals of Chinese, as well as the discipline and commitment required. With that encouragement and my love for the culture, it seemed like a good move to enroll in a university in China.” 

So that’s exactly what Johnson did, enrolling at New York University Shanghai after his graduation from PC in 2017. He majored in interactive media and business, a flexible discipline that allowed him to take a varied course load featuring classes in business, coding, creative projects, music, entrepreneurship and finance. 

“The motto of our university is ‘Make the World Your Major,’” Johnson said. “It was a bunch of people from different cultures interfacing with each other.” 

A lover of producing and performing music since his time at PC, Johnson became somewhat of a local influencer in the city he still calls home. He appeared in a music/branding video called “I Love Lujiazui,” an ode to Shanghai’s glitzy financial district known for its towering skyscrapers and bustling nightlife, where Johnson raps in English about all the amenities the area has to offer. 

His studies at NYU gave him the knowledge to help turn Lethal Mobb from an informal group of friends into a full-fledged music production company with an LLC, official website and administrative roles. The group put out an album called Mobb Ties in 2021. But now, with only two active members who are split between the U.S. and China, “the brand exists mostly as an idea, a symbol of our individual dreams and motivations, musically and otherwise,” Johnson said. 

Johnson teaches English full-time in Shanghai, which allows him the flexibility to focus on his musical endeavors. He recently concluded a 10-show residency at a local club called Stardust, where Johnson got to bring hip hop—his music and that of other artists—to the venue weekly. 

“We handled everything from the posters to the artists we brought in to marketing on American and Chinese social media,” he said. “It was an experience that not only allowed me the opportunity to perform, but also to see some of the stuff going on at the back end of these events.” 

Johnson is regularly producing new original music, with his songs available on all major music streaming platforms. He currently performs under the name Blvck Sheep, writing and rapping the lyrics while his producer, Asa Bell, composes the music. Blvck Sheep has a forthcoming record called “Bounce Out” that Johnson and Bell are particularly excited about. 

Johnson said he’d like to return home to Philadelphia within the next three years and hopes to ultimately split his time between the U.S. and China. He is still taking Mandarin classes in hopes that complete fluency will help his “big-boy job” prospects down the line. 

“I am sort of economically coming to a crossroads as far as my next steps in China. I’d like to do something where I could split time for an international company as a liaison between the U.S. and China.” 

When asked about how his PC experience has helped him make his way in Shanghai, Johnson spoke of how Pete Shaifer OPC ’82, his wrestling coach at PC, got his wrestlers in the habit of shaking the hand of every person in attendance after matches. Johnson noticed that when he finishes performing in China, he finds himself doing the same thing with his audience members as a means of gratitude for sharing the experience with him. 

“It’s a tangible way in which the Penn Charter experience influenced me directly,” he said. “It means a lot to me that people would come see someone they had never heard of perform. Pete was very big on gratitude and being thankful for the people in your corner.” 

— Ed Morrone OPC ’04